Plasma Ignition | Plasma Jet Ignition

[Aaron Murakami]

Hi Aaron,
Did you have a chance to speak with Nology yet?
Thx,
Ron

I sent the info but didn't hear back.

Ryan@Nology.com - Ryan Brewer

This is what I asked:

Does the Nology Profire coil output HV positive or HV negative?

Is this coil suitable for the MSD Street Fire MSD unit? Is it compatible with capacitive discharge?

What is the resistance for the primary? What is the resistance of the hv secondary?

Thanks!

If you can email him with the same questions, maybe that will prompt a response. Give the model # of the coil with the questions of course.

[rokan]

I sent the info but didn't hear back.

Ryan@Nology.com - Ryan Brewer

This is what I asked:

Does the Nology Profire coil output HV positive or HV negative?

Is this coil suitable for the MSD Street Fire MSD unit? Is it compatible with capacitive discharge?

What is the resistance for the primary? What is the resistance of the hv secondary?

Thanks!

If you can email him with the same questions, maybe that will prompt a response. Give the model # of the coil with the questions of course.

Here's the response I received from Ryan:
Does my Nology Profire PFC-M70 coil output HV positive or HV negative?

positive

Is my coil suitable for the MSD Street Fire MSD unit? Is it compatible with capacitive discharge?

M75 would be better, but M70 will work

What is the resistance for the primary?

.25 Ohm

What is the resistance of the hv secondary?

8 Ohm

[Aaron Murakami]

Here's the response I received from Ryan:
Does my Nology Profire PFC-M70 coil output HV positive or HV negative?

positive

Is my coil suitable for the MSD Street Fire MSD unit? Is it compatible with capacitive discharge?

M75 would be better, but M70 will work

What is the resistance for the primary?

.25 Ohm

What is the resistance of the hv secondary?

8 Ohm

That makes things simple being positive - always my preference.

That resistance is pretty low too - looks good.

If the hv output is truly positive, then this is how the diodes should be pointed. This of course doesn't address you possible rf problem, which I'm not so sure about or igniter issue if there is one.



Just to re-confirm, is this how you have your diodes or had your diodes?

[rokan]

That makes things simple being positive - always my preference.

That resistance is pretty low too - looks good.

If the hv output is truly positive, then this is how the diodes should be pointed. This of course doesn't address you possible rf problem, which I'm not so sure about or igniter issue if there is one.



Just to re-confirm, is this how you have your diodes or had your diodes?

Yes and I did try them reversed and it wouldn't run at all.

[rokan]

Yes and I did try them reversed and it wouldn't run at all.

Any ideas of how we can get this to work???

[Aaron Murakami]

Any ideas of how we can get this to work???

Can you test all 4 didoes with a diode setting on a multi-meter? I don't recall if the voltage necessary to test is high enough on those meters to with these hv diodes, but it is worth a try.

Put probes one way on diode and check reading then reverse probes and check reading. Do for all 4 and see if all 4 gives the same readings.

[rokan]

Can you test all 4 didoes with a diode setting on a multi-meter? I don't recall if the voltage necessary to test is high enough on those meters to with these hv diodes, but it is worth a try.

Put probes one way on diode and check reading then reverse probes and check reading. Do for all 4 and see if all 4 gives the same readings.

I can check them but the diodes aren't the problem, it starts mis-firing before I ever get the diodes connected!? If I just hook the jumper wire to the connection at the top of the spark plug it goes stupid before anything else is connected to the end of the wire??!!

[heysoundude]

Have you considered going back to basics?
As in removing (or bypassing) the MSD box, placing a diode between the primary and secondary of the coil, and maybe a capacitor across the primary?
(what if the output spikes the MSD puts out are the cause of the misfiring?)
Can you get plasma that way? Does the engine stop misfiring and run correctly?

There's only one way to find out, right? You're reverse engineering the factory ignition to implement an aftermarket solution (which I seem to recall the manufacturer couldn't help you apply to your car), and then modifying the intended purpose of that.
See if the key part of the mod (the diode) works first, then add to it. Seems (to me) to be the simplest way to proceed.

[rokan]

Have you considered going back to basics?
As in removing (or bypassing) the MSD box, placing a diode between the primary and secondary of the coil, and maybe a capacitor across the primary?
(what if the output spikes the MSD puts out are the cause of the misfiring?)
Can you get plasma that way? Does the engine stop misfiring and run correctly?

There's only one way to find out, right? You're reverse engineering the factory ignition to implement an aftermarket solution (which I seem to recall the manufacturer couldn't help you apply to your car), and then modifying the intended purpose of that.
See if the key part of the mod (the diode) works first, then add to it. Seems (to me) to be the simplest way to proceed.

Originally with everything stock I tried the multiple capacitors to boost spark connected to the spark plug wire T which connects to the top of the plug and the other end going to ground and it barely ran with those?? Seems that when I connect anything to the spark plug wire to go to the top of the plug it just screws the whole sparking system up and starts mis-firing???

[Gary Hammond]

Hi Aaron,

Can you test all 4 didoes with a diode setting on a multi-meter? I don't recall if the voltage necessary to test is high enough on those meters to with these hv diodes, but it is worth a try.

Put probes one way on diode and check reading then reverse probes and check reading. Do for all 4 and see if all 4 gives the same readings.

I tried testing mine with a multi-meter and it showed infinite resistance in both directions whether in normal resistance mode or diode check mode. The forward voltage drop on these is too high to check this way. Don't remember for sure but I'm thinking it's in the 9 to 12 volt range.

The way to check these is to fasten a 1000K resistor in series with each one you want to test and then place 20 volts dc across the circuit both ways. Then by checking voltage drop across the resistor, you should see 20 volts minus the forward drop of the diode in the forward direction and zero volts in the reverse direction. And if you check voltage drop across the diode, it should show the actual forward drop in the forward direction and 20 volts in the reverse direction.

I think these are made up with several PN junctions in series to get the high voltage rating, so each PN junction forward drop (~.6 volts) is added together to get the total forward drop across the entire device.