ECCT Coil Tester TESTED. Noticeable difference?

[@mikekossor1980]

Excellent video production and presentation. Your well planned methodical approach and narration was a pleasure to view. I applaud your curiosity, motivation and willingness to share what you learned here on KZbin and the great discussion on the MTFCA forum. Looking forward to your future test results after addressing the other ignition variables which engine performance depends.

[@flivverchannel]

Thanks for the kind words Mike. I try to learn and keep an open mind with humility.

[@Touring1923]

First of all your video shows that you have done a good job when restoring your coils and adjusting those "by hand". I own an ECCT since 2016 and restored about 150 coils for friends and club members. The feedback was mixed. Some didn't notice a difference, others have been very happy and said that their car definetly runs better now. I think it is important to have proper adjusted coils, but a good ignition system in the Model T also requires the other components like the timer, the cables, the magneto, the coilbox and the battery/magneto switch to be in perfect shape. I am happy with my ECCT since it allows quick measurement and precise adjustment of the points after having restored a coil.

[@flivverchannel]

Yes, the ECCT looks like a super-quick way to get timing and double-sparks sorted!

[@tonymiller8826]

I don't have an ECCT I followed a thread in the MTFCA forum about making a home brew Arduino based coil tester that works like an oscilloscope to visually see the ramp current of the coil as it's firing. It basically does the same thing as the ECCT testing Time to fire. It has significantly improved my engine performance. Another thing that improved performance was getting a new radiator so I can run the fuel mixture leaner without overheating. I run it a little richer at lower speeds, I can climb to about 47 MPH then I reach down and lean it a little more and I can get up to 55 MPH.

[@flivverchannel]

I'd love to scope a coils sometime, to understand the behaviour better. Maybe I should try that Arduino-based tester sometime. Thanks for watching!

[@Papas_Vintage_Garage1]

Very informative, an excellent video. To this day I have never been able to see, hear, or feel a difference in coils being tuned no matter who did them and what device they used. Maybe I'll have to start doing them in-house rather than sending them out. Brian@Papa's Vintage Garage.

[@flivverchannel]

Glad you found it worthwhile! Someday I'll do more of a how-to video on coil tuning, when I know more

[@russelmaclean4416]

I enjoyed the video very much. I only have a buzz box like your friend. A member in the Canadian Maritime Ts has an ECCT. They also sell electronic ignition set made but the same company. From what I'm hearing this makes a real difference in performance. Also the point set is set in wood. Some are worn and have been over tightened and don't sit as level as they were meant to. I've found some boxes have dried out and are loose on the top and need repair. If set on the buzz box carefully they seem to work well as your test proved. The new electronic timer also works with the magneto which the first one wouldn't. They wouldn't take the higher voltage if the mag. side. So you were driving on battery the whole time. There are plastic plates and washer sets to level things up again. We can only expect so much performance out of an engine with 4.2-1 compression ratio. All things considered they are a lot of fun and work well with amazing reliability. I think people with a T Ford have a way more fun an old car. Great video.

[@russelmaclean4416]

Sorry I meant electronic ignition works on the mag. side as well.

[@flivverchannel]

I am going to pay much more attention to leveling-out the points set next time I re-build. Ts are fun!

[@mariobrossard3659]

First thank you for your video, I love it. The ECCT is an excellent and convenient way to get the coils tuned well for a guy like me. Just one tool and easy to use. What I like from your video, it is you highlight the fact: coils are one part of the equation... Probably Timer is very important either. I used 2 kind of Timer, new timer and I-timer. I found many things could affect timing like dirty timer etc. I would like to see a video showing us different way to adjust Timer. Keep your good job.

[@flivverchannel]

Thanks. I wish I had an ECCT; it is really convenient and effective. Great idea about a Timer video! I'll start thinking about that...

[@BAGOTCORNER]

Looking forward to this one ! I have a friend not far from me who has a strobospark unit . I had him set up 8 coils for me with it. Did a beautiful job . I had 4 with brass caps that he pointed out that I didn’t even realize ,, sadly the secondary coil was bad in two of them ( Ol) See you tomorrow ! Off to the border in the morning to pickup all my new parts from Snyders

[@flivverchannel]

Good luck with your trip to the border. See ya!

[@desparky]

This was way more interesting than I thought it would be. I love my Model A, but wish it had the Model T type ignition because it's more interesting to me. Thanks for another great video. You have a new subscriber.

[@flivverchannel]

Thanks for subscribing - glad you found it interesting.

[@BlumeBenjamin]

Excellent video! Your method of coil rebuilding is the way I have done it for my cars. New cap, points adjusted to the correct distances, and 1.2A current draw. But no ECCT, only buzz box used. That ECCT seams really nice to have especially the + - scale. I’m wondering if the coils from your car that where ran all summer tuned (point distance and buzz box only) again and finally checked on the ECCT to verify, if they would check out well or not. Thank you for the video, it’s reminded me to probably check the coils on the touring after a summer of driving and enforce checking them regularly.

[@flivverchannel]

From this one test, the buzz box only method seems satisfactory for acceptable performance. I hope to study the different capabilities of ECCT and HCCT and Strobospark this winter, to understand them better. Thanks for watching!

[@markosterman419]

My sense has always been that a coil with new cap and points installed and actually tested with a buzz box is enough. The ECCT may be more sensitive but to the point where it doesn’t really make much difference. Like doing woodworking with a micrometer. I remember that when I owned my first model T in the early 1970s I checked them by listening to them and hooking them up to a spark plug. If they sounded the same and made a spark I was satisfied. Several years ago I found a vintage HCCT and have used that ever since. What a difference from my old technique that was laughably inaccurate.

[@flivverchannel]

Yeah, I get the impression that if it buzzes and sparks, it will run. It takes more attention than that to get it to run decent. ANd then, if you are after max top speed on a tight motor, even more car is probably needed. For example, I worked-out that the frequency of the coils is such that, at higher rpm (~2,000) they can only provide one spark - not a shower. So, if the spark is late it might even not fire.

[@shedbythetracks]

Another great production! Keep it up. Cheers

[@flivverchannel]

Thanks R. It was a fun one.

[@KlepsGarage]

Just goes to show you a T will run on just about anything. Trying to get all four coils to fire the same and draw the same amps will make the motor run smoother. It almost sounded like you have a motor starting to knock. Good vid.

[@flivverchannel]

I think you are right. I need to get the bottom pan off the engine and see what's loose. Thanks for watching!

[@pablo4015]

Muy bueno, lamentablemente mi modelo T,esta con reforma a distribuidor,aca en Argentina,muchos los modificaban y no es facil volverlo a magneto,saludos

[@flivverchannel]

Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@bwasman8409]

The model T coil can "work" over a wide range of acceptability. That is why I get coils 100 years old that are still "working", but when tuned finely their owners tell me their car has never ran so good! It is not me, it's the ECCT that tunes them when I seek perfection from it!

[@flivverchannel]

Yes, I am learning this. I think the ECCT pc software would really help to make them perfect

[@BAGOTCORNER]

Excellent video ! Thanks for sharing and enjoyed the chat

[@flivverchannel]

Great to have you join us BC! Looking forward to more vids from you on the TT

[@MrJeep75]

Only thing the adverage person did back in the day was replace and set point gaps, no adverage person would have fancy test equipment

[@flivverchannel]

Yep. A T will run with coils that buzz....All the coil tuning equipment, HCCT, ECCT, etc. is for optimizing, to get it runnibg even better. The goal is smoother, more power, more revs. But the jury is out. I need to do more teats before I can conslude one way or the other.

[@kristenanderson-iw3jv]

I can not figure out how to add a picture or change the name from my wife’s to mine ! So Kristen is actually Peter. I’m watching from Calgary, Alberta

[@flivverchannel]

Thanks for joining Peter

[@bwasman8409]

The ECCT is even better with the computer data on the screen. You seem to dwell on the old "current" idea rather than "time to fire". Ask the guys at the Montana 500 what they do!

[@flivverchannel]

Those Montana 500 guys defy expectations, to make Ts that run that fast. Amazing.

[@Peter-jo3wt]

(If I can extrapolate) You seem to be inferring that I can put a 12-volt alternator on my Model T and run my coil boxes off of a 12-volt battery. If this is true, AND I can start the car from 12 volts as well, this would allow me to illiminate the Rube Goldberg workaround of a duel, 6 and 12 volt system.

[@flivverchannel]

I *believe* that the wood coils work fine on a 12v battery, but I have not tested that myself. Thanks for watching!

[@Peter-jo3wt]

I have designed a Frankenstein electrical system that isolates the ground from the alternator, and converts 12 volt to 6 volt, running the starter and the ignition on 6 volt, while hardwiring the 12-volt grounds. Do you suppose I could start it on 12 volt too, eliminating the need for the Dual system ?

[@flivverchannel]

@@Peter-jo3wt i know sone people run the 6v starter on 12v, but I understand that it is abusive on the helix, ring gear, and starter motor. Lots of people use an 8v tractor battery as a compromise.

[@seanboy2008]

I run 12 v and as far as I’ve been told that the starter is fine to run on 12v as far as the construction of the starter same as with the generator. ( the generator puts out around 19v) The main issues with 12v is batteries is it spins up the starter much faster. Which in effect is throwing the gear in to you flywheel ring gear hard and fast.

[@flivverchannel]

@@seanboy2008 Thanks for the direct experience!

[@Gen3AntiqueAuto]

I'm curious to know if the guy making those wrote you an email demanding you stop bashing his product cause you said you see no difference between it and something else. I got a "whereas" and "therefore" riddle INSANE email demanding I stop slandering him over a post mentioning what an "donkey" he was the first time I talked to him. Absolutely no plans to promote his product on here through my channel! It's a shame, it's an interesting concept but - "just fogetaboutit" 😂

[@flivverchannel]

Sigh. Too bad it has to be like that.

[@mikekossor1980]

Tim, I never talked to you. You emailed me asking if I would send you a free ECCT so you could make a video comparison to the other two testing methods that you have. I politely declined your offer and explained why in considerable detail. There is little correlation between coil test methods - dwell time to fire versus average coil current.

[@Gen3AntiqueAuto]

You're "this close" to a lawsuit. Keep emailing me with insane wherefore and whereas rants, keep calling and bothering people around town here asking to talk to me. You are a deeply disturbed individual that doesnt know when to stop. If you continue I will make you the focus of a video and show off the insane crap you wrote and the caller id info from your idiotic attempt to call me on phone numbers I don't own. It's BEEN MONTHS since I offered to do a video for you - GET A LIFE and STOP HARASSING ME. @@mikekossor1980

[@rogerbarrett5439]

My meter will do the same thing the ecct will do plus read the amps

[@flivverchannel]

Interesting. What is the make/model of your meter? I'd like to learn more about it.

[@vincentryan6625]

I feel that each ignition at each cylinder is an individual event so one coil advanced or retarded has very little effect. If one cylinder being 25% of overall power is less than optimal would only contribute slightly to any measurement.

[@flivverchannel]

At low rpm, I would agree completely. At low rpm you get many sparks per cylinder-fire event. But at high rpm, there is only time for one spark... So I expect that timing becomes much more critical