Liquid in coil?

[Anonymous]

I recently got my '65 Mustang back from a mechanic, and I was poking around the ignition system when I found that there was some yellow-ish liquid pooled where the cable connects the coil to the distributor.

I soaked some onto a towel, and I didn't recognize the smell.

Seeing as how the coil isn't connected to any liquid system in the engine, where did this stuff come from?

 

[addo]

Some coils are oil filled to add cooling ability. Typically, they're higher performance than stock units. If too much oil is lost, they can overheat and fail.

Regards, Adam.

 

[Anonymous]

Is some of this oil supposed to leak out?

It sounds like a new coil might not be a bad idea.

 

[addo]

A little of it lost probably won't hurt. Coils that have a vent slot on the side or top are meant to mount straight up and down, not on an angle.

Try wiping it clean and see if it recurs. If the engine does die sometime, it may be the culprit - but it also may go for years!

Adam.