{"id":16861,"date":"2015-07-21T08:54:53","date_gmt":"2015-07-21T15:54:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=16861"},"modified":"2016-11-30T11:52:51","modified_gmt":"2016-11-30T19:52:51","slug":"which-type-of-ignition-system-should-you-install","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/which-type-of-ignition-system-should-you-install\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Type of Ignition System Should You Install?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Your<\/a>
Your car’s ignition system is responsible for converting the 12 VDC of your car’s electrical system to a much higher voltage and delivering that higher voltage as a spark at the proper time to each of the car’s spark plugs. This is a GM\/Pontiac engine with GM’s high energy ignition (HEI) electronic ignition system installed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are currently two types of ignition systems in use in cars and trucks. \u00a0The first is the electronic ignition system and the second is the distributorless ignition system (DIS). \u00a0You can easily tell which you have when you pop the hood by looking at the spark plugs. \u00a0If there are thick wires all running to the same location, you’ve got an electronic ignition system. \u00a0Conversely, if you pop the hood and see a couple\/three smaller wires running from a block on top of the spark plugs, or short thick wires running to what are known as coil packs, you’ve got a DIS system.<\/p>\n

Prior to electronic ignition, which became ubiquitous in the late 70s and early 80s, there was also the points-type ignition system. \u00a0This type of ignition system can be identified by the presence of a small aluminum can mounted either on the side of the distributor or very close to it on the engine. \u00a0Quite often, except with newer electronic ignition systems, both points-type and electronic systems will also have what is called a ballast resistor mounted to the bulkhead behind and above the engine.<\/p>\n

If you’re building up a strip burner basically from scratch, you’re going to need to decide what kind of ignition system you want to use. \u00a0Unless we’re already building on a car that’s got a computer, our choices are going to be limited to standard electronic or points-type systems. \u00a0I’m going to discuss the pros and cons of each to help you decide which one you want to go with.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
An example of an electronic ignition distributor. You can tell it’s an electronic ignition model because there are two connectors on the side of the distributor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What Tells Fire to Go to Your Spark Plugs<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The ignition spark comes from the ignition coil into the center tower of the distributor cap. The spark travels through the cap and to the rotor underneath. The spark then travels along the conductor on the rotor to the plug tower corresponding to the correct spark plug.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Your ignition system is the electronic\/electrical system in your car that sends properly timed sparks to your spark plugs to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. \u00a0On most ignition systems, the charge that creates the spark is created and contained by an inductive ignition coil. \u00a0However, some performance ignition systems use a capacitor to store this charge.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This image shows a cap and rotor that is in dire need of being changed. Pitting on the cap and rotor terminals can easily be seen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether an ignition system uses a capacitor or an inductor, the circuit creating the charge is broken, causing an electrical field on the ignition primary side to collapse, sending the charge to the proper plug on the secondary side. \u00a0Points-type and most electronic ignition systems use a cap and rotor to pass the secondary, high current-voltage spark to the plugs. \u00a0DIS systems use a series of sensors and switches to open and close the primary ignition circuit and fire the secondary side.<\/p>\n

Standard Points Type Ignition System<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/a>
Close-up of a points-type distributor. You can barely see the rubber nub riding on the distributor shaft cam with the points closed. Counting the cam lobes, you can see this is from a six cylinder engine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The points-type ignition system uses a set of contacts, known as points, and a capacitor (to filter AC noise), known as a condenser, to break the electrical circuit, creating the spark. \u00a0The points are attached to a plate in the distributor. \u00a0As the distributor shaft rotates, a cam riding on a bumper on the points rides up and breaks the points contact. \u00a0For this reason these are also known as breaker-type ignitions.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This image shows an eight cylinder distributor with the points open. The coil has just fired or is firing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pros and Cons of Points-Type Ignition Systems<\/strong><\/p>\n

These ignition systems are capable of passing large amounts of current and electricity, which makes them great for high performance automotive ignition systems. \u00a0They’re also extremely accurate, also making them great race cars. \u00a0I had an old Mopar (a Charger) that I first used on an Accel dual-point (the distributor held two sets of points instead of one) distributor in it. My big Holley 1100 double-pumper almost couldn’t pump too much fuel to burn. \u00a0They’re also really easy to troubleshoot. \u00a0No spark at the plug? \u00a0Got power to the ballast resistor\/coil? \u00a0Pull the cap and make sure the points are opening and closing properly and are properly gapped.<\/p>\n

\"Points<\/a>
Points and condenser plus condenser mounting strap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The problem is keeping even single-point distributors properly adjusted. \u00a0Performance engines vibrate, causing the adjuster to move over time. \u00a0You’ll be adjusting the points between each pass on your strip burner to get the best performance on each run, I guarantee it. \u00a0Also, even when you use the recommended lube on the cam and rider pad, both wear over time, especially the pad, as do the springs and plates inside the distributor, making them even harder to keep properly adjusted for maximum performance.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/a>
Close-up of a set of points.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, when converting from a stock points system, they’re the easiest to do. \u00a0Typically it’s just a matter of sticking in the new distributor, hooking up the power, installing a new coil and wiring it, and putting on new plug wires, and then timing it. \u00a0It can be done in a couple of hours in your garage with minimal tools.<\/p>\n

Electronic Ignition Systems<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A close-up look at the inside of an electronic ignition distributor. As the reluctor passes the pickup, the primary ignition circuit opens, firing the coil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Electronic ignition systems use a magnetic field to open and close the ignition primary circuit. \u00a0Instead of an ignition breaker, a special type of transistor (which is called the pickup) that works with a magnetism is used. \u00a0Instead of a cam spinning on the distributor shaft, a component known as a reluctor rotates with the shaft. \u00a0This reluctor has several small magnets on it which pass the pickup as the shaft rotates.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The reluctor and pickup from an electronic ignition system. Sometimes you get lucky and this is all you need to change to convert to electronic ignition, along with adding a control module.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The primary circuit is opened when the reluctor magnet passes the pickup, sending a signal to the electronic ignition control module. \u00a0The control module reads engine speed and throttle position to determine the timing and temperature for the spark. \u00a0The ignition control module then opens and closes the primary circuit on the ignition coil, sending the spark to the distributor cap, through the ignition rotor, back through the cap, and finally to the plug.<\/p>\n

Pros and Cons of Electronic Ignition Systems<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This is an aftermarket performance electronic ignition system from MSD. Installation\/conversion of this is much more involved than a factory system.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you’re converting a car that wasn’t factory-equipped with an electronic ignition, the cons start with the difficulty of the conversion process, unless you install a factory electronic system (See image above the Direct Connection Mopar Performance ignition system I used). \u00a0This is what I did with my Charger. \u00a0Out with the old distributor, in with the new, mount the new racing coil I bought, and hook up a few wires and connectors. \u00a0The hardest part was finding a spot for the control module and the over-sized racing coil that I liked.<\/p>\n

Take a look at the MSD performance electronic ignition system in the image above. \u00a0Not only will you need to replace the distributor and find a coil mounting location you like (although this coil actually fits in the factory location and mount), but you’re going to have to route the wires for the control module through the bulkhead between engine and passenger compartments. \u00a0On top of that, you’ll have to find a place that you can securely mount the ignition control module. \u00a0Taking that one step further, if you get one that allows you to make adjustments on the fly, you’ll have to find a place to securely mount in and that you can safely reach to make those adjustments.<\/p>\n

\"If<\/a>
If you’re not looking for all out racing power, this performance electronic ignition conversion kit from Mopar Direct Connect is ideal. It’s also quick and easy to install.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More things can go wrong with an electronic ignition system, too. \u00a0The plate that the pickup is mounted to can wear and move, causing the reluctor and pickup to move out of adjustment and stop working. \u00a0The reluctor itself can wear and chip in extreme cases. \u00a0Competition systems have chips that control the function of the controller that can fail or wiggle loose and are not easy to diagnose right away. \u00a0Don’t get the controller properly grounded and you can experience an intermittent ignition failure that is as hard to track as the Abominable Snowman.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
An OEM ignition coil (left) and a performance aftermarket coil from Accel – an Accel SuperCoil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The aforementioned ability to make ignition system adjustments while driving is one of the major selling points for high-end high-performance competition ignition systems. \u00a0Most performance controllers are also equipped with rev limiters that can save both you and your motor in a runaway condition at the track. \u00a0Keeping the spark timing (and heat) properly adjusted is much easier with electronic ignition systems. \u00a0No moving parts that rub together and electronics that learn over time make this possible.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A performance standard points\/breaker-type ignition upgrade consists of these items: New coil, distributor with cap and rotor, and new wires.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Electronic ignitions also allow for ignition coils that deliver more spark, such as capacitive discharge (CD) systems. \u00a0Since they’re mostly solid-state, there is less to wear out. \u00a0They’re also not as susceptible to timing problems when things in the engine compartment get wet.<\/p>\n

Installation time varies depending on a few factors. \u00a0The longest and most difficult install is going to be the conversion from an old points-type ignition system to an aftermarket competition electronic ignition system. \u00a0Install time can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of afternoons, depending on how familiar you are with tools and how much you know about automotive electrical systems.<\/p>\n

Distributor-less Ignition Systems<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This is a coil pack for a six cylinder engine with DIS, distributorless ignition system.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These are the new kids on the block. \u00a0They’ve only been in regular use since about the year 2000, although they aren’t the only electronic ignition systems in use at the moment. \u00a0They are the most involved ignition systems, although as the name implies, we’ve done away with the distributor. \u00a0Now we use sensors to trigger the opening and closing of the primary ignition circuit.<\/p>\n

Instead of a distributor with a cap and rotor direction the fire to the individual plugs, DIS ignition systems use a coil pack. \u00a0A car can either have a single coil pack for multiple packs. \u00a0Each coil pack contains at least one ground wire and multiple “hot” wires, all of which lead to the ignition control module, which have now become engine control computers that accept a wide variety of sensor inputs. \u00a0Either or both a cam and\/or a crankshaft sensor are used to tell the computer where the engine is in the rotation and what cylinder to fire.<\/p>\n

\"Some<\/a>
Some DIS systems put the coil on top of each individual spark plug like this. These are called coil caps.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pros and Cons of Distributor-less Ignition Systems<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because DIS systems use a larger number of input parameters to control spark duration, timing, and temperature, they are much more accurate, especially at higher engine speeds. \u00a0This is extremely cool if your strip burner is also your daily driver and\/or you’re operating on a tight budget. \u00a0No need to dive in with tools and meters to adjust this and that. \u00a0The computer takes care of everything. \u00a0Even better, if you’ve upgraded your computer, you can plug your laptop in and make adjustments to everything on the fly. \u00a0You can also swap out system “maps” between passes at the push of a button and click of a mouse.<\/p>\n

If you’re working on an older car that was factory equipped with a points type ignition, forget converting to a DIS system unless you’re installing a special crate motor of you’ve got the tools, time, and experience to assemble a DIS motor. \u00a0Cam and crank timing are minute with points and older electronic ignition systems, but they become microscopic when computers and DIS systems come into play. \u00a0In most cases, every bit of wiring is going to need to be replaced.<\/p>\n

Again, the level of control that a computer-controlled ignition system puts at your fingertip is amazing. \u00a0Removing the wear item that a distributor is just makes your ignition that much more adjustable and adaptable. \u00a0Over time, as wear gradually occurs, the computer can make small adjustments to keep performance at its peek.<\/p>\n

Conversely, quite a bit more can go wrong, too. \u00a0With points and older electronic systems, if ignition timing goes out of adjustment, fixing it is quick and really easy. \u00a0DIS systems make you hook up meters and testers. \u00a0Finding out why no spark is getting to the plugs involves quite a bit more testing and checking – wiring, coil packs, connections, sensors – some of which can be located behind the engine, and more. \u00a0A no start condition can take you hours to find, but be nothing more than a connector with a wire loose because we’re talking about such small voltages and currents.<\/p>\n

What I’d Choose to Install in My Next Strip Burner<\/strong><\/p>\n

What kind of ignition system I’d install in my next strip burner would depend on what year and make it is, the condition of the existing wiring, and if I’m building up a Nostalgia Drags car or something more of an Unlimited Drags car. \u00a0If I’m going Nostalgia and electronic was available from the factory, then points it is.<\/p>\n

However, if I’m going overall “ease of use”, which means both during install and on race day, I’m going with a high-performance aftermarket system like the MSD system pictured above. \u00a0They’re not as hard to install as they look, they look cool, and they work really well. \u00a0There’s also the fact that I’m not going to build anything that first hit the streets after the year 1980, and there’s no way I’m plunking down all the dinero that going high-performance DIS would require.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This is a GM HEI ignition coil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A GM distributor rotor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"An<\/a>
An aftermarket performance ignition system upgrade kit from Accel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A drawing showing a high-performance dual point ignition system.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are multiple ignition systems out there for you to choose from. What works best for your vehicle?<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":16896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5013,11,9],"tags":[281,3123,1074,461],"class_list":["post-16861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-electronics-wiring","category-how-tos","category-tech-tips","tag-how-to","tag-ignition-systems","tag-mike-aguilar","tag-tech-tips-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/NEWITEMS004_crop.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-4nX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16861"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16899,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16861\/revisions\/16899"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}