Ignition Coil Specs

Dank wrote: I'm having a very similar problem...79 makes the direct statement that you should have @ least 9V @ the coil. I do not...I only have 6. What should the voltages be on each side of the ballast resistor? 12 and 9? I am seeing 10 and 6.

Check the voltage at the battery first. A good fully charged battery will have about 12.5 volts. If that's good, check what voltage you get on the ignition switch side of the ballast resistor. It should be real close to the battery voltage. If lower, go back to the ignition switch and check the "bat" terminal. That too should be close to the battery voltage. Keep tracing/checking volts all the way back to the battery. You're looking for a resistance causing a voltage drop caused by a bad connection.

I completely agree Pete! My soldering iron doesn't work in the middle of the lake, but my flat head screw driver, fine file, and feeler gauges do!

athhud wrote: If it ain't broke, don't fix it... Until this little glitch, I have never had a single problem with points ignition. I don't have any experience with EI in the marine environment, but I haven't read any stellar reviews that warrant confidence.

Andrew,
There's some threads where I've talked about going 28 years on a point set without problems! I've preached the issue of keeping the point set quite a few times vs: going with a conversion module. I really feel the conversions are marketed/pushed on people as one of those "should have" items but really shouldn't! They are nothing but "bling"!!! Something goes out with the module out in the lake and unless you have a spare, you're stuck. With a point set, you can always clean them up to make it back. Performance gains are none for a conversion. Starting maybe but a tuned up boat does wonders too!!! If someone really wants to dump the points, then the only way to go is with the complete distributor conversion.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it... Until this little glitch, I have never had a single problem with points ignition. I don't have any experience with EI in the marine environment, but I haven't read any stellar reviews that warrant confidence.

Yeah, last year my neighbor was talking up his new electronic ignition system at the ramp. He insisted that I get one. After my '86 with points fired up on the first try, after sitting up all winter, he didn't think his new ignition system was so hot... With the jumper wire and properly maintained points, it is hard to justify an electronic ignition.

Makes a cold start so much mo betta!

79nautique wrote: Also the starter relay does not bypass the ballast resistor and feed 12V to the coil during starting it's not a car it's a boat and why only one terminal is used on the relay. Crock of dung if you think otherwise.

Indmar's are wired to bypass on start and PCM's aren't!!

your really going down the wrong path with your suggestions.

leave the jets alone. It will not have any effect on the plugs firing.

So to test the coil you check for Continuity for the primary winding, pos neg teminals.

next check for Continuity for the secondary winding, secondary tower to the neg post.

next you check for shorts so if you have Continuity it's shorted.

test neg post to secondary tower,

check pos post to secondary tower,

check neg post to case,

pos to case,

secondary tower to case,

if no Continuity is found no shorts coil has now been tested and is good.

next verify you have 9v with key on and measuring across pos and neg terminals of the coil if you don't have at least 9V you have a wiring issue. Also the starter relay does not bypass the ballast resistor and feed 12V to the coil during starting it's not a car it's a boat and why only one terminal is used on the relay. Crock of dung if you think otherwise.

next step is seting the point gap with a feller gauge to get you close to the proper dwell angle. next you have to start the engine and set the dwell if you don't have a dwell meter then you don't need to be using points to start with and need to upgrade the system to electronic.

Next you set timing.

next you adjust the carb's idle

next you recheck the timing since you just lowered the rpm and changed it. repeat idle and timing adjustments until they are both correct.

Now go enjoy your boat.

If it doesn't run right you have a bad coil, points or condensor or all of the above.

Checking for resistance does nothing and is a huge wasite of time unless you are fine tuning a high perfromance engine and want the max out of the ignition system and since most don't even know what changing the resistance of the coil does it's better left alone.

Great! I was really afraid that we wouldn't have anything in common and would have to cease communication!

Alright, I'm gonna go adjust my idle mixture screws and toss in some smaller jets to keep the fuel from extinguishing my spark. Then I'm gonna close the gap to .009 to make sure it's getting there. Do you think I should use some of those spark plugs with the fancy prongs as well?

Pete, thanks for the defense, but my skin is far too thick to have my feelings hurt by an internet meanie...

I never found the specs, but the readings are the same as I originally posted. (just move the decimal on the secondary reading a few places to the right )

I don't know what the 500 is, but I'm pretty sure I'm not competing in it.... I do have blond hair and green eyes. Do we have that in common? Can a bad coil work intermittently.

As for distance between the lead and the ground, I just leave about an 1/8" gap and look at the intensity of the spark. When it was weak, it was a small orange arc. Now it is bright and blue like it is supposed to be.

what energizes the field in the coil to cause the field to collasp and create that spark at the high tension lead, It doesn't spark just because you hook voltage to it.

Bottom line if you have 9V at the coil terminals with the key on then the ballast is fine if you don't you have to fix the wiring issue. If you have 9V at the coil and are still getting a piss poor spark then you have point and condensor issues or a bad coil end of story.

and since it's the orginal coil guess what my money's on.

So how far from ground is the lead to cause the spark 4 inches 1 inch half of an inch? because that will change the look of the spark as well.

So when you win the 500 with your ignition let me know so we'll have something in common to talk about.

athhud wrote: I'm checking the spark at the coil not at the plugs, so the condenser doesn't fit into the equation.

Chris,
Andrews got the high tension wire pulled off the distributor. The "spark" isn't even getting to the condensor yet!

EDIT: Wow! I sure wasn't thinking when I made this statement!
Chris, you're correct - the neg. side of the coil goes to the points/condensor.

athhud wrote: The ballast resistor is only about 6 months old. The coil requires an external resistor (it is the original coil). If I remember correctly, I replaced the condensor in 2005, but I'm checking the spark at the coil not at the plugs, so the condensor doesn't fit into the equation.

wrong