Current thoughts on buying OMC “universal coils?

[amuller]

I’m redoing the ignition work on a 1962 5.5 because the coils appear to be crap. This is from what I posted on the facebook page:

“No noticeable spark but runs poorly. Coil secondary 4.62 k ohms upper (low?) and open on lower. I replaced these coils a couple of years ago and used new wires. Probably bought from Amazon. They are black plastic and marked 583249 and 18GZ-OA. So I can pretty much only conclude that these were bad coils. Any thoughts?”

So where should I be buying coils? The price seems to have crept up noticeably and I don’t know where to get the German-made ones. How is Sierra quality these days? I’m too old and lazy to want to be doing jobs over again trying to save a few bucks….

Thanks for any thoughts.

[bobw]

I’ve typically bought OMC/BRP coils from Marine Engine. Never had any problems with them. The German made Prufrex coils went out of production several years ago but you can sometimes find some for sale on Ebay. Haven’t tried the Sierra coils but I’ve read that fitment can sometimes be problematic.

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

[crosbyman]

I have only used cheapies on EBAY with no issues yet … not one bad coil physically or electrically

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[David Bartlett]

BRP for me as long as I can get them!

David Bartlett
Pine Tree Boating Club Chapter

"I don't fully understand everything I know!"

[The Boat House]

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by The Boat House.

[amuller]

I took some condensers out of a ’69 25 hp Evinrude. They are 581419 and measure about .565 mfd. I’ve not seen these before and that seems like a high value for an ignition condenser. Anybody know what these are supposed to go in and what the capacitance is supposed to be?

Thanks.

[amuller]

This has been one of those days when everything I touch is bad or goes bad. Took two German coils out of a motor that was incomplete but running. One has a secondary resistance of 27 k and the other 240 k. No cracks, no exposure to moisture….. No spark, no spark, no spark….Grrrrr

[Steve D]

amuller wrote:

I took some condensers out of a ’69 25 hp Evinrude. They are 581419 and measure about .565 mfd. I’ve not seen these before and that seems like a high value for an ignition condenser. Anybody know what these are supposed to go in and what the capacitance is supposed to be?

Thanks.

I don’t know about the capacitance but those are the right ones for that motor. 581419 is part of Tune Up Kit 172523. This is the application chart on the back of the kit, not sure if the condenser is used on any other motors not listed.

[amuller]

Thanks. My Fluke meter can report capacitance, but I don’t think it’s a test under the higher voltage of operating conditions. And the reading of .565 mfd seems suspicious to me. So many condenser numbers and so few specs! Always more to learn….

[billw]

If you can’t do a true leakage test on a condenser, then just assume it needs to be replaced. Anything else is just Christian Science.

Long live American manufacturing!

[Author]

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