Need source for older Onan Generator parts

Update: Put the new coil and wires on and cleaned the plugs and points, and it fired up and is running smooth as butter. Planning to order the new points, condensor and plugs later, just wanted to get it going for now.

Matt, you are so right about it being difficult seeing the spark in daylight. Before we tried to start it up we looked for spark at the plug and could not see it in the sunlight. We scratched our head a little and put a bolt in the boot of the wire and lo and behold it was a tiny spark but it was sparking. Put the plugs in hooked up the wires and it fired right up. I really did expect to see a better spark. Previously we could see a spark from one side of the old coil but it was cloudy out that day.

enblethen, you are right it is a capacitor. I found a complete conversion set on Amazon which includes a new style bracket, capacitor, and coil. I ordered new plug wires also just because the originals are so old. This gen is in a 1987 Holiday Rambler. Also we did check both wires plus an older wire that came off my truck and all gave the same results.

passin thru, I did see that this coil set was also used on John Deer.

I will post the results after I get the coil installed. Hoping they come by next weekend. Thanks to all you guys !

John Deere has them.

Likely they are capacitors to knock down radio interference.
Did you see how many other engines the coil is for?
It could also be an open plug wire! Try swapping plug wires!

Thanks for the link enblethen, that looks like the replacement there. The old one had what looked like a condensor attached to it also, it was green painted as the generator so it was factory. It was attached to the mounting bracket and went to the positive side. I was puzzled because it also had one that looked new attached to the negative side. Any idea what these are and why they were necessary.

Matt, The coil is firing on one output side but not the other side using the same spark plug and wire to test. Using my test light the input on the positive side lights up and stays on while cranking and the negative side pulses while cranking. According to a diagnostic chart I found, this means that the input voltage and module pulsing is good. Now I didnt think to check the plug gap itself as it had ran fine with the plugs previously.I sure thank you and welcome any other ideas.

I do not know the NHE very well, but if you look in E(vil)Bay, you will find things like it for 50~200$us. There is also a dual plug coil used in some HD bikes that friends have used.

Are you sure it is bad?
On the older NH and BF the plug gap was only 0.018~0.020" and that was all that they could fire. You can't see the spark in daylight.

Matt

NAPA has many after-market coils for various applications. Quick search finds this coil for NHE genset
Coil

enblethen wrote:
Call a local NAPA store with part number off your coil.

I cant find a part number on the coil. Its 1 coil with 2 outputs for the 2 plugs on the generator so an automotive style would not work.

Are you saying that they sell parts for the generators or just that they may have a coil to match?

Call a local NAPA store with part number off your coil.