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Re: [oletrucks] (NON-TRUCK QUESTION).. .How ignition works?

To: zman <zman@gibbon.kungfumonkey.com>
Subject: Re: [oletrucks] (NON-TRUCK QUESTION).. .How ignition works?
From: bigfred@unm.edu
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 11:16:33 -0700
I guess I have to do more homework cause now I'm really confused:

I thought the distributor on a 4 stroke spins at 1/2 the rate of the 
crank since the cam gear is 2x as large as the crank gear. If the 
distributor is spinning at 1/2 the rate of the crank, it seems like 
there would be a spark (at a specific cylinder) every 2 rotations of 
the crank. Where is the hole in my a**-backwords thinking?
This means the coil would send a spark every 1/8 of a rotation of the 
distributor = 1/16 of a rotation of the crank (if you use my mixed up 
reasoning above).
... I now see why there is a setting for # of cylinders.
 
What your saying makes sense though, because when I've got my 
distributor in 180 degrees (like I did last month when I was putting in 
an HEI), the motor will back fire. This means it's trying to ignite on 
the exhaust stroke, right?
-alfie

Quoting zman <zman@gibbon.kungfumonkey.com>:

> On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 bigfred@unm.edu wrote:
> > Sounds to me like the tach is set up for a 2-stroke motor.
> > See if there is a way to configure it for a 4-stroke motor.
> > 
> > If the tach thinks it is reading for a 2-stroke, it will show the
> same 
> > number of RPM as there are sparks. So if the motor is spinning at
> 3000 
> > RPM, the motor (since it is a 4 stroke) will be sparking every
> other 
> > rotation of the crank or 1500 SPM (sparks per minute) = 1/2 motor
> RPM.  
> > Since the tach thinks the motor is a 2-stroke, it will show 1500
> RPM.
> 
> Actually there is no difference between a 2-stroke and a 4-stroke
> tach. 
> Most all 4-strokes fire on both strokes, though they make power on
> only 
> one. Where the 2-stroke makes power every stroke. The reason I said
> that 
> it was most likely a 4-6-8 switch is because it reads it from the
> coil and 
> not a particular plug wire.
> 
> -- 
> Scott H. Zekanis
> zman@kungfumonkey.com
> http://www.rod-o-rama.com
> http://www.thehellbenders.com
> 1957 Buick Riviera Hardtop (2 dr., 364" Nailhead)
> 1959 GMC in Chevy Sheetmetal 1/2 Ton (235" Inline 6)

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