In a message dated 21-Jul-00 22:35:13 Eastern Daylight Time, TKMJHM1@aol.com
writes:
> I have a 4A and drove it for about two years with the coil wires backwards.
> Didn't figure it out until a VTR show when I was comparing engines. Found
> that nearly half of the engines I looked at had the wires backwards.
> Apparently it can't be too serious...
>
It is not catastrophic. It just means that the spark is jumping backwards,
since electrons flow from negative to positive. The spark is supposed to
jump from the center electrode TO the outer electrode ( the bent over part
that you bend to gap the plugs - also called the earth electrode on Pos. gnd,
AKA "earthed," cars). If the coil is connected backwards to the plugs the
center electrode becomes positive with respect to the outer electrode. The
electrons will then "boil off" the bent part and be collected on the center
electrode. Since there are less molecules in the outer electrode than in the
center electrode the outer electrode deteriorates quicker. It is also
possible that the spark will be marginally weaker.
What this eventually does is destroy the sparkplugs but it takes quite a
while to do that. End result is that you get less lifetime for the plugs.
Cheers.
Art Kelly
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