RotaryRyan

Im setting up a homemade flame kit on my car and was getting an extra coil today.

Now my question is - DO you just hook power and ground up to the coil to make it spark a plug. My bro told me yes, but others tell me no.

Just wondering if theres anything special that you do.

Jeff20B

iTrader: (13)

If you've ever read about DLIDFIS, you can use the same idea to add a spark into your exhaust pipe. Basically, you add an extra ignitor hooked in parallel to the TRAILING pickup. To find out more information, read my DLIDFIS article. It'll be a good way for you to gain a basic understanding of what's involved when dealing with ignition. http://www.geocities.com/cd23c/dlidfis.html

I may even try this some day. I'd add a DPDT dash-mounted toggle switch to turn off the engine's ignition system and divert the power to the spark plug in the trailpipe, and also keep the fuel pump running the whole time. Heh, it's a DLIDFIS-style tailpipe flamer that you can build yourself and only costs whatever a used ignitor and coil go for at the wrecking yard/whatever you can borrow from a friend/already have laying around.

RotaryRyan

Okay, i have some directions for a flame kit and it says to hook the battery power to the postive side of the new coil. And to splice a wire on one of the stock negative coil wires to the new coil negative. will this work?

RotaryRyan

argh, these are stupid directions.lol

Jeff20B

iTrader: (13)

If you wire a switch on the negative side (to prevent both coils from firing at the same time and thus burning out the ignitor), yes, I can see it working.

RotaryRyan

Alright thanks

Jeff20B

iTrader: (13)

I think a SPDT switch would work. It should have three connectors (A DPDT switch should have six). Basically have the ignitor output go to the middle connector. Then one will go back to the stock coil. The other will go to the new coil.

You'll probably have to get a DPDT switch instead of a SPDT to turn off the other coil's positive side because rotaries have two coils. Don't forget this.

It's getting more complicated, isn't it.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Ok...

An ignition coil only works on AC (or pulsing DC, which is what your ignition system does).

So you need to ground the - of the ignition coil, and pulse the +. A toggle switch will do this if you quickly switch it on and off. HOWEVER, if you don't have a series resistor, you are shorting the battery through only the resistance of the primary coil. This will result in a larger current surge, overheating your ignition coil and ruining your switch very quickly. Worse still, if you leave the toggle switch "on", you will likely melt the oil, your wiring, the switch, or all of the above. Not very safe.

If you want to do this properly, check out the high voltage generator at http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/hvgen.htm . It will fire a spark plug very nicely.

Bob Holton

We did this on the 35 and 37 fords and Plynouths , then in the fall we would torch the leaf piles, and once the front of a cop car. cost us tho.

REVHED

Meh? All ignition systems pulse the negative side of the coil.

RotaryRyan

dang this is hard. A lighter works good

RotaryRyan

EDIT: when i said this, i meant the directions i was reading here. Not your jeff.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Electrically it's equivelant. Switch whatever side of the coil you feel like.

Feds

What about a momentary push button?

Battery --> Coil Positive --> Coil Negative --> Momentary push button (normaly open) --> Ground.

Quick. Dirty. Effective?

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Same problem as switch. Besides, you only get one spark when you push and then let go of the button. You really need a continuous arc for this to work well...

I used that HV generator on my SA beater...It was great on the highway, especially with slightly sticking secondaries.