I just did another test.
I made one plug wire that was non-resistor and it didn't like that!
WHY???
I just did another test.
I made one plug wire that was non-resistor and it didn't like that!
WHY???
When you say STRONG spark with the diode, is it a strong spark or do you actually get the plasma discharge? It is definitely distinctly different than a spark and is not just a stronger spark. It should look like the plasma demo on my Datsun video.
The caps you mention in series/parallel, is that for peaking cap purposes? Caps are in parallel with the spark gap? If that works on your Honda but not on Toyota, something is not right because it should work the same - if both ignition coil outputs are comparable.
You say the MSD mode spark is weak - but is it stronger than the spark without the MSD at all - before you did any mods to the ignition?
"Ok, new test! STRANGE PHENOMENON!!
I connected my modified spark plug wire to #1 cylinder, started right up and ran good with nothing connected to it
BUT then all I connected to it was my jumper wire which would go to the diode and the whole engine started missing and died! And the other end was connected to the air! To nothing! And it just missed and chugged until it quit running??? The red jumper wire is rated at 6KV"
That's interesting - it is possible the hv is going to the top of the plug and some hv id being lost in that jump wire in invisible corona right to the air - it's possible, but not sure how probable that explanation is. It wouldn't take much to diminish the energy from the spark enough to cause the engine to miss. But if you only did that to one wire and the other 3 plug cables are connected and it died, that is worse than just removing 1 cable from a plug, which would let it run rough on 3 plugs, but still run.
Any resistance in the circuit will drop voltage across that resistance thereby leaving less voltage to arc in the distributor cap. We want the highest voltage possible to reach the spark plug but not high enough to jump through the ignition wires to the valve covers, etc. or to arc in the dist cap. So ignition wires with resistance will eat up some of your voltage leaving less for the plug an dist cap.
I totally agree! So WHY would it run like s--t with no resistance and good with the resistance? The way I designed my plug wires is the top 2/3 is resistance coming out of the distributor cap and the bottom 1/3 going to the plug is no resistance wire so that I can deliver full voltage to my non-resistor plugs. BUT when anything is connected to that bottom 1/3 it will not run at all???
The voltage output of your ignition system is too high for the components like your distributor cap and rotor if my guess is correct. Any resistance in the high voltage circuit will bring the voltage of the other components down. Just to pick numbers without trying to be accurate, lets say your ignition coil puts out 30,000 volts. Say 20,000 volts is used to jump the spark plug gap, 1,000 volts is lost across the rotor to distributor cap and 9,000 is used up in the high resistance ignition wire and everything runs pretty good. Then replace the high resistance wire with a near 0 resistance wire and the loss in the wire goes from 9,000 volts to nearly 0 volts loss, but the ign coil is still putting out 30,000 volts and the plug is still using only 20,000volts. That extra 9,000 volts is looking for a place to go and the distributor designer did not design for that high a voltage and they did not give enough space between components like internal distributor cap contact points or the metal body of the distributor so the voltage is now high enough to arc to those parts inside the distributor and once it starts to arc it will rob from the plug. There's a thunderstorm inside the distributor, sparks are going everywhere and shorting out voltage that is needed at the plug. A little moisture, oil or dirt inside the cap can aggravate this problem. Have you tried washing the cap out with alcohol, then don't put your fingers on the cap and use a clean paper towel to handle it. You are asking it to perform at a higher voltage than what it was designed for. That's why I want to convert my engines to direct ignition, no high voltage in a distributor rotor and cap. Have you tried running it at night so you could better see any external arcing at the distributor or wiring?
This is all speculation on my part but at this distance that's about all I can do and it is all based on solid electronic theory. I hope someone else will chime in if they see any holes in my theory here. We are all here to both learn and share knowledge to help further the cause.
Whatever you find, please keep us all informed.
Richard Gieser
Ok, more testing!
There is no arcing inside the distributor cap that is visible anywhere inside the cap?? As I said before when my diode connector wire is attached to my plug wire and nothing is attached to the other end I can hear arcing inside the wire, hmmm? And when it is attached to only 1 wire the whole engine misses and runs horribly until it just dies? If it was only missing on the one plug wire I am attached to then the engine would run but only on 3 cylinders BUT this causes the whole engine to run so terribly that it coughs and sputters until it stops running completely!!??
Something, but what, is feeding back into the whole ignition system from just 1 wire?
What am I missing here?
Bewildered and perplexed,
Ron
I wish I had a clear distributor cap to watch what is going on inside there!
The way I designed my plug wires there is only 0 resistance inside the plug boot that goes into the valve cover and about 3" on the outside and above that 3" it is the original resistance wire clear back to the cap. So the whole wire is not 0 resistance, only the bottom third going to the plug.
I like your explanation, I just don't know how to get around it yet if that is the case??
Please refer back to my post #939 and look at my plug wire. It only starts running bad when I connect the red jumper lead that would go to my diode and it runs bad when that lead is connected at the wire of the plug wire but connected to nothing on the diode end, just into the air???
Last edited by rokan; 08-29-2018 at 07:24 PM.
This distributor has an igniter module mounted on the fender well, could that be part of the problem?
Or maybe I need to completely remove the internal coil from the distributor? Even though it makes up a good portion of the distributor I could always tape off the exposed area I guess??
Last edited by rokan; 08-29-2018 at 07:44 PM.
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