Just musing about ignition.....

Bad running of my camper yesterday turned to great running today after fiddling with the leads, plugs and distributor.

This is a regular job, one unnecessary on modern cars.

Seems the entire HT part of a traditional ignition system is a weak area.

Modern vehicles "distribute" the spark electronically within the ECU at 12V, then have a mini coil on the top of each plug to up the voltage to jump the gap. This is a far more reliable system.

ECU technology wasn't around in T2 days but my thought was this - couldn't the existing distributor have distributed 12v down a thin wire to a mini coil sitting on top of each plug???

If only I had a time machine and a Patent Application Form ........................

 

The stock ignition is just fine and perfectly reliable. I suspect there’s something wrong with yours.

 

I'm not convinced that modern ignition systems are much of an improvement to be honest.. probably about 80% of breakdowns on modern vehicles will be down to an ignition part.. and it will be ten times more expensive and complicated than a bus part.

Diesel is the future, you Mark my words..

 

The Great Step Forward was actually getting rid of contact breakers...

 

If you have a contact points and condenser setup, I would replace them with electronic ignition. I fitted a Pertronix distributor 3 years ago and starts and runs fine.

The mgb is 100% stock and has the original 1966 distributor with repro points and condenser. Quality points and condenser are hard to find and after constant problems with the Lucas green box Chinese parts, I managed to source genuine nos parts and no problems since, engine runs sweet and starts easily.

Definitely not buying any more cheap Chinese repro parts, they are junk.

 

You can always buy a megajolt or a 123 type ignition.

But really, if you just fit any of the contact breaker elimination electronic units, a decent coiĺ , some good quality Taylor silicone leads (heatproof, no plasticiser in the leads to boil off so they harden and crack) and correctly gap new plugs then leave the plugs alone it will run for 10000 miles or more without touching the ignition.



Modern coil pack systems also detect preignition by detecting flame at the spark plugs befire they are fired, they can set the timing right on the edge