TOPIC: Coil wire to cap locations

63 1000, stock points set up, two coils etc.

Question: Which coil goes to which location on the cap? Side or center. Looked through the manuals and wiring diagrams and they never reall say.

I have it set up with Coil #2 (the front coil, as in front of the motor) going to the side port on the cap. Coil #1 (the back coil) to the center of the cap.

I've switched back to the stock point set up from my attempts at the pertronix set up as I've not been able to get it right (I had it idling smooth and strong, but thats all it would do).

I'd like to see the water at leaset a few times this summer in the precious little time I have to spare for it.

Peter,
The front coil is #2, and it goes to the port on the front side of the distributor cap.
If all the beast will do is idle, consider proper placement of the linkage between the distributor & the carburetors.
If properly placed, I would pull the front coil wire and see if the beast still runs, then put it back and do the same on the aft coil.
These beasts run quite smoothly when only firing on (3) cylinders, or one side of the ignition.
doc

Thanks Doc! That's how I have it set up now, so thanks for verifying.

She wasn't actually running at all on the points set up (the idling comment was in regards to the Pertroniox set up). Wouldn't even come close to starting.

After carefully setting her up, something is out of place. It seemed to be firing really early such that the first cylinder to fire would kick the motor backward. But I was tired and it was late and so when the initial results were 'none' I put the boat away for the work week. Going to go through it again tomorrow (if the 'honey do' doesn't consume the entire day)

Peter,
The following can be done without respects to any timing marks or positions identified by the factory, or when assembling with miss matched parts - like a 650-4 flywheel on an early inline-6 or a 700-6 flywheel used on a 58A, etc.

Since an old dual point distributor's timing can't be set statically due to that notch in the drive, and use of an ohms meter can take so much longer to complete,...I timed a beast with the following procedure once that had left me frustrated in respects to where the rotor was pointed when #1 was TDC when I too didn't have the tool and no dial indicator.
Seems kinda goofy these days, but it worked.
I identified true TDC with a piston stop, and marked the edge of the flywheel in alignment with a fixed position on the block.
With the timing belt removed, I rotated the distributor clockwise only until the rotor was pointing towards where I believed #1 would fire at TDC.
Then installed the timing belt & distributor cap.
Then, using an automotive timing light, and holding the distributor cap clockwise firmly against the Idle Stop when set with the Idle Stop Screw set at about 3/4 of the way retarded.
Then, armed with the timing light,...I spun the motor with the starter to see how close my flywheel mark was to the fixed position on the block. Then, based on the timing light results, re-marked the flywheel several times until I had it in exact alignment with the point on the block. The result being that I now had identified TDC #1 on the rotor's position in the distributor cap.
Once TDC #1 is identified this way, a WOT timing mark can be marked on the flywheel by mathematically dividing down the edge of the flywheel.
The old dual point and magneto engines that have cross-flow pistons can be timed at 34BTDC for WOT Timing.
Sounds pretty 'Cave Man', but it worked.

doc

Ah yes Thom! I recall this from an e-mail you once sent me that I managed to lose.

Following this process to identify TDC, I would;

Mark .222 BTDC on the Flywheel (i.e 34 D BTDC);

Then, with the motor running, Advance the distributor (via rotating the distrib counter clockwise) until the timing light indicates #1 is firing when the BTDC mark is aligned with the same mark on the block as was used for TDC.

Set the max spark advance screw.