<VV> Ignition system
BobHelt at aol.com
BobHelt at aol.com
Thu Aug 31 18:30:15 EDT 2006
In a message dated 8/31/2006 2:33:07 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
chartzel at comcast.net writes:
what is the straight scoop on the resistor wire on
a Corvair. I always thought the voltage was dropped to keep the points from
burning out. How come on a Pertronix Ignition they say to run full 12 volts
to the module but leave the resistor wire on the coil. I have the pertronix
1 system with Flamethrower 1 coil on my Corvair. What happens if I run 12V
to the coil? It says for racing purposes you can use 12V but street use,
leave the resistor wire in place. What difference does it make if I am
racing or not? Don't we all want the biggest spark possible? I am so
confused....
Clark Hartzel
Clark,
All Corvairs came with 6-volt coils. The resistor wire is as you said is to
drop the 12 volts down to six for the coil. The reason all of this is so that
when the engine is started under extreme cold conditions, when the starter
load on the battery lowers the battery voltage, the full battery voltage can be
applied to the coil (say 11 volts).This allows a hot spark with a low
battery voltage. But it's only for starting!
If you run 12 volts directly to the coil with a pertronix, you will overheat
the coil and possibly burn it out. At least, it's really not too good for
the coil. In my opinion the Flamethrower I coil with a 1.3 ohm primary is
nothing more than a 1966 Corvair coil with a fancy advertising gimmick. If the
primary is 3 ohms, then it's designed to operate on 12 volts.
Regards,
Bob Helt
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