spridgets
[Top] [All Lists]

More on Coils was Re: Coil question

To: mrbugeye@hotmail.com, spridgets@autox.team.net, ctp@gbn.org
Subject: More on Coils was Re: Coil question
From: Daniel1312@aol.com
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 16:43:08 EST
Reply-to: Daniel1312@aol.com
Sender: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net
I'll try to add something meaningful to Peter's comments.

There are two types of coil:  those designed to work with a ballast resister
and those that are not.  Likewise there are electronic ignition systems that
are designed to work with a ballast resister and those that are not.

Conventional points triggered ignition systems can work with or without a
ballasted coil.  Some electronic ignition systems will ONLY work with a
ballasted ignition.  If you use a conventional coil with an electronic system
that NEEDS a ballasted coil you FRY the ignition and are left with an
expensive but useless 'black box'.

Things get a little more complicated when you consider that while any coil can
be fitted with a ballast (thus OK with all ignition systems), the output is
less than if the coil was DESIGNED to work with a ballast.

My advice then is to:  Find out if the Petronix requires a ballasted coil (I
suspect not).

If you decide to use a ballasted coil anyway, (cold starting benefit) then
Lucas (ha, ha, ha, <G>) do a high energy Sports coil for use with a ballast
(not a lot of people know that) as well as a conventional sports coil.

Finally, If none of this is clear I can knock out another 2,000 words!


Daniel1312



In a message dated 18/1/1999  7:30:19PM,  mrbugeye@hotmail.com writes:

<< The way I think it works is that the cars equipped with factory 
 electronic ignition had a resistor in the power supply to the coil so 
 that they were actually only getting 10-11 volts while the car was 
 running (Lucas 102 coil?) . The cars that originally had a points type 
 distributor supplied a full 13-14 volts to the coil (Lucas 101 coil?). 
 If you run a 101 type coil at a reduced voltage you do not get enough 
 spark conversely if you run a 102 type at full voltage the coil gets 
 very hot and eventually burns up. I may have the numbers mixed up but 
 hopefully you get the idea. So the blurbs refer to the original type of 
 ignition in the car not necessarily the type you have now.
 Regards, >>


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>