[Spridgets] Funny story electronic ignition...

Tracy Drummond bighealey at charter.net
Wed Mar 25 04:46:56 MST 2009


Perhaps we could hook it to some insurance execs to get some payback.

Whack  whack  ka-ching  whack  whack  ka-ching 

Just goes to show you that these little pieces still can come in handy.

45,000 volts you say

grin

Tracy 
-----Original Message-----
From: spridgets-bounces at autox.team.net
[mailto:spridgets-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Kitterer Bob
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 8:45 PM
To: Spridgets
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Funny story electronic ignition...

First I will admit that I have not been following this discussion in  
detail but was wondering if CDI's were going to appear.

Many years ago I built (from someone else plans) a CDI for the  
Sprite.  It put out 300V to a Lucas Sports Coil.  If I recall  
correctly this is about 45,000 volts to the plugs.  One foggy morning  
I was doing a tune up in the garage.  While crouched over adjusting  
the carbs there was this very loud whack from the other side of the  
engine.  Raising the rpm so I could have a look -  but there was  
nothing unusual.  So I bent back down and resumed adjusting the carbs  
- - - whack -- whack.  Raising back up there was nothing to be seen.   
Then while looking over the engine I lowered the rpm - - in the moist  
air the spark decided that the plug was to much resistance and jumped  
from the top of the plug to the bottom of the head - whack - whack.    
I decided that this might not be the best thing to have on the car so  
removed it although I think it is still in a box in the garage.  A  
few years later CDI became readily available and I used them on most  
of my cars - great systems.

Bob Kitterer

1960 Austin Healey Sprite (Mk IV in disguise)
1966 Austin Healey Sprite Mk III (Trevor) - still in boxes
2000 Miata Special Edition




On Mar 24, 2009, at 6:26 PM, Dean Hedin wrote:

> This is a nice design.  Multiple spark, capacitive discharge.
> With only minor substitutions all the parts are availible from  
> digikey. It does not conceal inside the distributor like a Pertronix
> but that's no big deal
>
> http://www.molla.org/DIY-CDI/SC-DIY-CDI-article-hires.pdf
>
> Article quote:
>
> "But some readers were not about to be
> put off. They wanted a CDI design and they
> wanted it for a number of reasons... And they
> wanted them for older cars which don't have lean
> mixtures and which can be particularly hard, if not
> impossible, to start when the ignition system gets
> wet. Old Mini Coopers and 850s are legendary in
> this regard."
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