IML: 56 Ignition Problem

[Jeff Cantor <jcantor791@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Brad,

Your explanation made very good sense!  As a mechanical engineer, I  
always forget to use the water analogy when dealing with electricity.

Now I think can feel pretty safe in saying that my problem is  
probably the condenser (and the now fried coil).

Jeff
56 Sedan
Trenton, NJ

From: a292@xxxxxxx=C2=A0
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx=C2=A0
Sent: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 4:52 PM=C2=A0
Subject: Re: IML: 56 Ignition Problem=C2=A0
=C2=A0
The ballast resistor is there to limit current. The voltage drop is=20
simply a side effect of the limited current that the ballast allows  
to=20
pass through. It's the limited current that prolongs the life of the=20
points.=C2=A0
=C2=A0
Any resistor will show the same voltage on both sides until a load is=20
applied. It's sort of like if you connect a garden hose with a spray=20
nozzle on the end to a spigot. You can hold the spray nozzle open and=20
turn the spigot on until there is just a trickle of water coming out  
of=20
the nozzle. The pressure in the hose is very low. Now turn the spigot=20
off and the pressure in the hose will build up until it matches the=20
pressure in the pipe supplying the spigot. Turn the nozzle back on  
and=20
the pressure in the hose rapidly drops again. A similar thing is=20
happening with the voltage in your ignition system except that it=20
happens almost instantaneously. A big difference in the ignition  
system=20
is that unlike the garden hose which will briefly allow a large=20
quantity of water through the nozzle, the ballast will not allow a=20
large flow of current to pass through. I'm not very good at  
explaining=20
it and that's not the greatest analogy but I hope it makes since.=C2=A0
=C2=A0
In any case I would try a different condenser. I have had a bad=20
condenser in the past and the engine would still run but not very  
well=20
and it causes a LOT of excessive arcing across the points when they=20
open which will fry them in short order. Also the output voltage of  
the=20
coil will be very low which is why the engine will run so roughly.  
The=20
job of the condenser is to allow the magnetic field in the coil to=20
collapse in a controlled manner. It allows the voltage in the primary=20
windings to rapidly but not instantaneously fall. It's this  
collapsing=20
of the voltage and hence the magnetic field which produces the high=20
voltage in the secondary windings to fire the plugs.=C2=A0
=C2=A0
Have a good day=C2=A0
Brad=C2=A0



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