[unruhjonny]

I was wondering if someone here could disseminate OE Delco coils.

I had understood that the earlier ones had the last three digits of the part number was stamped into the case, and later ones were printed.

I had understood that the OE part number for applications changed with time (presumably because GM superseded one part with another).

I see members on yenko.net going crazy over certain numbers...

And since my car isn't yet done I have been using my time to find as many "correct" parts as possible...

The assembly manual I have shows the OE part for the 1970 Firebird (w/V8) as a 424 (#1115424);
I had assumed that was the coil used that model year for all V8 Pontiac's... but it appears as though I was mistaken;
I have (what I am told is a rather rare) 1962-1970 Acadian - Tempest -Grand Prix MPC with a March 1970 print date - this shows (in the 1969-1970 Tempest/Grand Prix section) that the correct coil is a 238 (#1115238).

When looking at V8 vehicles, can someone explain why a 1970 Camaro, vs Chevelle, vs Tempest, vs Firebird all are declared as using different "correct" coils?

Can someone explain what differentiates an inline-six coil from a V8 coil?

This is my little collection (all received in small parts deals).

[Ramairnacho]

I'll check mine to see if they are original I have a few I think.

[Held for Ransom]

My 1970 GTO has a '410 (used at least from 1969-70). I swear the '70 TA engine I have has a '410 also, even though it should have the '424 (1970-2). The primary winding resistance is different between 6 cyl. and 8 cyl.

[72projectbird]

Just checked my 70 TA, and it's stamped #202.

No idea what the differences are though.

[70TA-RAIII]

When you look at the specs on some of these coils the differences seem really minor. I'm sure they had a reason for so many different part numbers, but it seems they could have standardized a lot more and I don't think you'd ever notice a difference in performance.
It seems like a GM V8 points style coil will pretty much run good on any GM V8 engine.

John

[Transamric]

FWIW,...the 1970 Firebird Supplement Service Manual shows #1115410 for all V-8 engines.

[Kenth]

AMA on 1970 V8 Coils: (#1115238 is the SR coil)

[Transamric]

My '70 VN RAIII TA has it's original #410 also.
And Jonny, I think you're correct about the printed numbers on a coil indicating it was a later issue service replacement.

[SD455DJ]

I noticed that my Formula has the original '424' coil still...for what it's worth.

Dennis

[SD455DJ]

Here's a pic of the '424' coil that I took this morning before we reinstalled the hood. I didn't 'restore' it, so has its original "patina' (crud and rust).

Dennis

[Transamric]

I've always wondered why coils are embossed with B-R. D-R would make more sense for Delco-Remy.

[OG68]

from John V. a few years ago

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=858791


John V.
Delco Remy O.E. Coils and BR Coil Markings

I looked thru some old threads some of which I posted in and have long forgotten.

In them, it was established that the O.E. coils were:

1964 - 1115187 for non-TI
1965 - 1115214 for non TI
1966 - 1115037 for non-TI

The primary and secondary resistance specs for all 3 coils were identical.

The coil top will show the Delco Remy script and the can will be embossed with the last 3 digits of the full p/n and below that 12V.

None of this is new information. However, I have been dealing with what I believe is a failing Delco Remy (but not original) coil in my '64. I've been searching to see what coil I might choose to replace it with. I might like a 187 coil in usable condition but likely will go with a quality modern replacement.

In the process of researching, I think I have confirmed what I have believed for some time, that is, the O.E. coils were furnished to the Car Assembly Divs complete with the mounting bracket. As a consequence, the O.E. coils carried an "assembly" p/n.

Service Replacement coils were listed in the MPCs by p/n but were serviced without the mounting bracket so that one service coil could service many original p/n coils by the expediency of reusing the original mounting bracket when replacing the coil.

In the case of the 3 listed coils, the MPC shows that they were all serviced by p/n 1115134. In fact the 134 coil serviced additional Model Years for Pontiac.

As an aside, I find it humorous that guys will pay big money for an NOS Service Replacement coil and in many cases, believe that the SR coil is "nos. matching" when in fact PMD never serviced the coils marked with the O.E. coil p/n since the mounting bracket was separately serviced.

In my attempt to learn more about original coils I searched around the net.

The coil in my car is a 1115244. In addition to the partial p/n marking of 244, it shows BR under that and no 12V marking.

Nobody seems to know what the BR means.

After reviewing the Delco coil history and then seeing modern replacements marked to indicate the need to have an external Ballast Resistor it occurred to me that the BR was to indicate the need for an external Ballast Resistor for Delco coils so marked. BR would mean Ballast Resistor or perhaps Ballast Required. Either way, these coils were expected to be used with an external Ballast Resistor or Resistance Wire.

Does anybody have any info to confirm my supposition?

The coil history for Delco shows that GM used a 6V ignition thru 1954.

In 1955, pretty much across the board, GM went to a 12V ignition.

It is unclear to me if the change to 12V resulted in a change to the Delco Remy coils or if they simply added an external resistor. Maybe somebody knows.

Then I've read that sometime during the '63 model year, another change may have been made at which point "a resistance unit was required". I'm not really sure how that was different from '55-'63. Anybody know that answer?

At some point after the '66 O.E. coil, Delco appears to have stopped embossing 12V on the coils and instead, most of them (I'm unaware of an exception) embossed them with BR (it seems later still, it shows B-R).

No idea if they were still servicing 6V application coils at that time but I'm thinking it was useful to differentiate the coils so marked as needing an external resistor for whatever reason.

And modern coils still identify that fact today.

Interested what you guys think about my BR interpretation.


Thank you John, it's something I wondered about too.

[T/A Fanatic]

I think you are right about the B R. Like you I can't prove that, but I think I read it long ago. Heck, I'm looking for a good 424 coil if anyone decides to part with one. Alan