Coil over heating

Hi everyone, I was out yesterday, I have the supply voltage to the coil under control.

Battery now at about 13.5v and coil is see around 9.5 volts which I believe is ok. (There was a small pot on the back of the regulator)

Unfortunately the coil is still getting mega hot and starts to cut out after about 40 minutes, then limp home in idle.

Any other ideas, i have access to another e-spark module to try but don't want to risk damaging it, now the voltage is under control i will give it a go.

Is there anything else that would cause this hot condition failing? Distributor cap, main HT lead etc??

MrMcD wrote: If you don't have a reading of 13.5 to 13.9V at your battery the voltage regulator is not working properly. I don't know where your Voltage regulator is on your boat. All the modern boats have the voltage regulator inside the alternator, Some older models have a separate voltage regulator mounted external of the alternator. Above 13.9 you will start cooking the battery and other parts.

This says 14.5 is good! 14.7 is the max!

H everyone, an update on the boat. Again out yesterday

This time with reaistor in place

Had about 14V o. The supply to the Coil and had about 10.5v after the reaistor and at the coil.

This actually rose to about 14.5v at the supply later and 11v at the coil.

Still breaking down after 30-45minutes

Measuring voltage at the resistor is also about 0.5volts lower than at the main breaker powered straight from the battery so the battery is at about 15v

Could this be a voltage regulator issue, it's just in the past I had an issue with regulator and it totally gave up this seems to still kind of work.

I also have done some reading and it could be the Mallory Esparza over heating?

Please help some more :) suns out in England and it doesn't last for long.

Mine was always wired to the ignition side of the coil, but reading the instructions it says to the cool so I moved it a couple of days ago and it seems fine either way. If anything it seems to run smoother, may be placebo though.

Hi Hollywood

Where'd you get that E spark picture? that rotor/shutter wheel looks especially "funky", an 8 cylinder one has 8 slots around the circumference, 6 cylinder has 6 , etc.

That looks like 2 giant unequal sized slots and has me baffled


here's a picture of an 8 cylinder rotor/ shutter wheel. They have quite a few different versions depending on the application.

Edit.......Google helped me find it listed as an e spark conversion for some Harley's. Never knew they made one,one more thing learned today

Most of the boats I'm in still have resistors, I should take some measurements.

I'll send you the module, just get me your address.

Have you done any actual testing yet to determine you are in fact getting 15 volts?

robbied wrote: Ok does anybody know what the purple wire that goes to the resistor from the voltage regulator us for?

So not "from" but FOR.

Purple is 12V out of your key switch feeding your carburetor choke, voltage regulator and resistor/coil.

EW GROSS. Looks like Johnny's boat had a Pertronix all along. It's in a box in the garage right now but I'll be sure to take it out of the box and put in the garbage when I get home. Had I known this we would have done the DUI swap LONG ago...



Sure doesn't look funky like this

What resistance is the stock resistor?

Ok does anybody know what the purple wire that goes to the resistor from the voltage regulator us for? Does this sense the voltage as the voltage here is slightly lower than the rest, must be a drop from the dash. Would mean that it regulated higher if sense voltage was low, just an idea

I was just going by him saying it's a resisted coil and as you say not all coils are the same.

KENO wrote: a built in resistor. KenO

Key words here^^
You either need a resisted coil or an inline resistor (ballast resistor)

Bottom line is pumping more voltage into a coil doesn't make you more spark. In a resisted coil the coil itself reduces the voltage, in a non-resisted coil you need to reduce the voltage before it gets to the coil.

I can tell you what's worked for me for a long time now.with a Mallory e spark.

I have 3 wires

RED- nominal 12 v from the positive post on the coil which is now fed from the upstream side of the ballast resistor

GREEN- from the negative post on the coil

BROWN- to engine ground (mine goes to intake manifold)

No Ballast resistor, it's bypassed (wires on upstream and downstream terminals all hooked together on one terminal, nothing on the other.)

And a Mallory 29219 coil which has a built in resistor. Mallory literature says this coil is good for this application and I've had good luck this way.

Lots of hours with no issues.

Only difference from Hollywood's description is an internally resisted coil and maybe he's color blind or something

Like SNobsessed said,I'd be a little concerned if you really have 15v though.

KenO

robbied wrote: mallory e spark ignition

What are the wires coming out of the distributor? This setup typically calls for a fully resisted coil side feed (.7 resistor + 1.5 coil, black wire off - side of coil) AND an unresisted 12V feed (red wire piggy backed on purple wire coming into resistor).