ignition coil info....

[bdbseven]

Any ideas for a "hotter coil"? I need more juice with my new webber.

[ggzilla]

??? Why would a weber need a hotter coil?

 

Anyways, the favorite hot setup is to get a matchbox distributor for your L-series engine, and use the factory high-output coil that matches it.

[datzenmike]

You would 'need' a hotter spark only if you raised the compression or installed a turbo or SC.

 

You can have a much improved system that eliminates the points altogether by getting an EI dizzy or 'matchbox' distributor form any '79 200sx, 620 truck, HLA10 (late 510) or '80 720 truck. They look like this:

 

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q251/datzenmike/Eidizzy.jpg[/img]"]

 

Be sure to get the coil that's matched to this distributor. Do not use your old points coil ... it will blow up. Now you could spend $250 on a shiny red MSD Super Flame Thrower Lightening Bolt Ignition system but why not save the money and up grade the shocks or brakes or something? These are used in the 280Z/ZX cars and are good to 6,500 RPM... that's over 9,000 on a 4cyl. So save your money and find one of these.

[motavated]

What! No one told me that the old coil would blow up! For reals!!! I might need to change it then. How do you do it?

[ggzilla]

The old coil will be fine, if you keep the ballast resistor wired in. But you won't get the high-energy spark.

 

If you carb is running too lean, a hotter spark can help. Maybe the weber needs proper tuning.

[motavated]

Ahhh! Thanks!!! Should I go with platinum/iridium plugs instead?

[ppeters914]

Ahhh! Thanks!!! Should I go with platinum/iridium plugs instead?

The standard NGK's are fine.

[racerx]

The old coil will be fine, if you keep the ballast resistor wired in. But you won't get the high-energy spark.

 

If you carb is running too lean, a hotter spark can help. Maybe the weber needs proper tuning.

 

 

stock coil is okay, don't need to change perhaps or unless you go with pertronix or something electronic so that you can maximize

[datzenmike]

When changing to EI be sure to open the spark plug gap 0.039- 0.043 to take full advantage of the extra voltage. Switch to BP6ES-11 NGKs. What does the 11 mean? Well if you buy new plugs with the 11 suffix it means they are already pre-gapped at 1.1mm (0.043") why work harder than you have to?

[benzo]

not to jack the thread but is there a major difference in performance from a pertronix installed dist to a matchbox unit?

[ggzilla]

Yes, the matchbox is a high-energy system, use with matching coil. Pertronix is just points-replacement. The newer Pertronix I heard can also handle a high-energy coil.

 

Platinum or Iridium plugs won't make any more HP than stock NGK plugs. Supposedly they last longer so if you don't ever want to check your plugs, but just stick them in and drive for 10 years you should get a set of Iridium. The rest of the engine may fall apart but those plugs might still be good. But if you are like us, you take the plugs out every year and check the burning pattern, regap them and put them back in. They can last 10 years too if the engine is running perfectly.

[HRH]

Actually, the Iridium NGKs are one heat range colder than the BPR6ES-11 if I remember correctly. And I think the -11 is for transistorized ignition (matchbox), don't have the NGK book on hand, not at work.

 

As far as the iridiums for engines with high compression ratios or boost, they make a HUGE difference. I usually run regular coppers in most of my motors, but with the rally cam and the SUs, it used to load up at idle and misfire until I ran it around 3000 for a few minutes. With the iridiums that problem went away entirely. Definitely liking the plugs. For a stock motor I wouldn't use them, though.

 

A buddy of mine was going to try the iridium NGKs in his turbo car, was having mid-range detonation problems, said they worked a hell of a lot better.

 

On whether or not Pertronix or Matchbox is better, I've run both, really don't see much of a difference besides the matchbox will curve the ignition timing, whereas the Pertronix only cares about distributor spring weights. It's basically the same thing: a hall-effect ignition, but the matchbox has a brain, Pertronix is just a trigger.

Edited January 28, 2009 by HRH

[mklotz70]

If you use the remote ignitor style of EI dizzy, you can connect it to a GM module which will handle even more current than the matchbox style.....although its just not needed. Provided you properly ground the matchbox, it's doubtful that it will ever fail.

 

Something that is never addressed is what HRH just mentioned.....the advance curve. The EI dizzy will be curved to the application it came from. So if you pull the dizzy from an L20 truck and want to run it in an L16 car, the advance may not kick in at the best time. I don't know how to or who would do a recurve.....just pointing it out so that you'll know why your eng seems to run differently......usually better. :)

[racerx]

When you get the EI/matchbox, you have to make sure they all work together. Specially when you cannabilize parts, I just went with pertronix, easy set up and it's guaranteed to work. When you buy the EI/Matchbox, you will buy used and not sure if they will work..end of story.

[datzenmike]

I put Iridium plugs in and drove it. Two years ago had to change the h/g and looked at the plugs in the head and thought wtf are those?... Oh yeah! I put those iridium plugs in. When was that?... 5 years ago and totally forgot about them. I just left them and continued to 'forget aboutit'.