midget1500

after reading the threads about flamer kits and as usual the crazy prices people charge for such toys (circa 140 quid!) this afternoon i made my own.

1 coil
1 HT lead
1 sparkplug
1 length of wire
some gaffa tape.

taped the sparkplug to the end of the exhaust pipe so the tip was just in the exhaust flow. connected the 2nd coil to the first one (i.e. LT +ve and -ve) to provide the switched current. hey presto flames...but...when switched on the car started to die then actually would die if 2nd coil left on. it seems it drained all the power from the 1st coil? i know these flamer kits have a box of tricks to provide the switched current and maybe this is why theyy don't use your existing coils LT feed. it wouldn't be hard to make something up though (certainly nowhere near 140 quid!).

so, anyone care to explain why this is happening?

cheers,
steven

Poor Guy

bigga alt.

midget1500

i'm sure the coil doesn't draw much current - is this a voltage drop problem?

midget1500

BTTT anyone?

midget1500

<cough>

sempers

Care to draw us a circuit diagram / explain the switching?

Not sure, but I may know what you might be doing - I assume the car dies quite quickly?

Take it you understand the way a coil operates? Can't quite visualise the setup.

- Mark.

ajm

sounds to me like your 2nd coil is drawing at least half the current from the other other one... possibly more depending on the resistance of the 2nd coil in relation to the first.

I would seriously recommend you don't do this, you could blow the 12v switched supply.

midget1500

sempers, yeah, starts to die immediately and will stall within a few 2nds. i do understand how the coil works but i just need to get a switched supply to the 2nd coil (i.e. to collapse the field and generate the high voltage blast).

here's exactly what i did...



so, it seems that the feed can't power 2 coils? or is it due to the wiring?

[Edited by midget1500 - 5/21/2003 12:55:13 PM]

merkin

this sounds suspiciously like the beginnings of an experiment that will end up in next years Darwin awards

Steve Fort

Give someone at Max Power a call!

midget1500

lol - i don't plan to fit this to the car, just wanted to see if i could do it

anyone see what's wrong with it? i guess the electronic ignition module can't put out the current for 2 coils?

ajm

Yeah, you are not getting enough current for both of them, and most likely are trying to draw more current from the ignition than can be supplied, which, unless it has some sort of built in protection, may blow.

midget1500

oh well it was a fun experiment, but people with these kits fitted, do you not get fed up with the loud cracks/bangs when the fuel burns? must be crazy with a T/C car if it's this mad with a N/A car.

sempers

Ah, ok - for some reason I'd read it that you'd connected them in series.

My *guess* would be it's simply an issue with 'charging' two coils.

I'd assume that the 'proper' products charge a coil off 12v, and use some sort of a switch (activated by manifold pressure drop, or perhaps just accelarator closing?) with presumably a vibrator / timer type source that keeps switching the coil in and out?

- Mark.

mj

can you see this? I "borrowed"some webspace



Edit To Say - What about this?

[Edited by mj - 5/22/2003 10:35:34 AM]

sempers

Erm, no

mj

btt for the edit..

midget1500

*** warning, i'm so hungover right now the screen is just a blur ***

mj - could try that out. do you think the voltage is going the wrong way?

mj

Midget,

I would not say the voltage is going the wrong way, more like the additional coil is dragging power from the existing - I am a sparky by trade but am no expert on auto eleccy's, or the internal workings of Ignition coils.

I may have it totally wrong - the coils may have an inline diode anyway so addidng more may make no difference.

I would think its worth a try though.

cheers,

mike.

midget1500

it must be that one coil is drawing from the other because there is no way too much current is being drawn from the battery/alternator - i.e. haven't checked it yet but the wiring is thin so headlights etc would draw much more. can't see the coil drawing more than a few amps...