[Spridgets] Electronic Ignition
Peter Caldwell
peter at nosimport.com
Wed Mar 18 08:42:50 MST 2009
Biff, Brad, you've called me out.... :-)
Several years ago, I started supplying a local "inventor" some parts
for ignition conversions on small engines suffering from extinct
parts availability.
http://overnight-solutions.com/index.htm
He thought we could market something for our ilk. (old shtuff) He
brought me a fugly electronic box with transistor(s) in it that would
be triggered by stock points, but use very, very little voltage
thereby avoiding wear and tear on the points. He had one on a friends
Mini that had been working fine. I told him that I would only
consider something that looked correct. I gave him some Lucas
condensers and low tension leads. He gutted the condenser, inserted
the transistor stuff (and an LED) and connected it all to the LT
lead. The devise replaces the condenser with 1 wire going to the
points as original, and 1 wire coming from the LT lead. It looks very
original. The voltage to the points is very little (.3 maybe?) There
is no condenser.
So, does it work? For everyone except Frank, yes. It takes 35 seconds
to install. The electronic tach runs much steadier. Timing is done
with the LED. I now own his friend's test Mini (1964) that is still
running the same very first one he made to my design specs. 4 years,
never touch it. Checked the points last year before LoTO, they were
where I had set them 3 years ago. I have 75 or so running around in
everything from Triumphs, Jaguars, Healeys, Spridgets, and a Land
Rover. I assume they're all working..... no one ever calls me to say
they aren't...... except Frank. If you need Frank's endorsement, he
wont. It beats me why he can't get one to work.
That's the story........
Peter C aka PPP
Biff, the thing in your link below looks like a cheap imitation of a
Pertronix, that can't get much more cheaply made, IMHO.
At 10:38 PM 3/17/2009, Biff Jones wrote:
>Has anyone on the list tried one of these units?
>
>http://simonbbc.com/automotiveshop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2
>
>They are cheap enough that you can buy two for less than one ignitor.
>
>PPP is this what you have in your mini?
>
>Brad, it took me a while to relocate this source as I hadn't saved the link.
>
>Biff Jones
>'Frogarri' '59 Bugeye
>'Ole Gray' '61 AH Sprite
>http://sprites2.homestead.com/
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