willcolumbine Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I've been looking at my ignition system with a view to getting it sorted before the HCR. There's nothing wrong with it as it is but it does look pretty old and crusty and I'd like it to be reliable! The coil in particular looks ancient and doesn't hold the ht lead quite as it should.So the question is, what brand / type of coil should I go for. I think mine is the ballasted type so is it worth changing to a 12v one and what's involved with that?Also, is it worth changing to electronic ignition? I haven't got the time to change to megajolt so should I go magnetronic or optronic?Cheers in advance guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealligator Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 LUCAS SPORTS IGNITION COIL is a good cheap coilYou will need to short out your ballast resistor to run it as its a 12v coil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 H and H ignition solutions in the midlands, do; your distributor, reconditioned, new cap, coil and electronic ign for around £130.00Well worth it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I have use dthe pertronix stuff and found it good, use the retrorockets site. Shame the £ has fallen so much, but still cheaper than the aldon stuff (aldon stick a badge on the pertronix kit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don cook1 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 But upgrade the leads as well, manky ones can't cope with the higher voltage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 and while the aldon spec is 6 to 18v i have found cars that wont start because the ballasted line is close to the 6v when poor battery and cold weather kick in results in the aldon feed being below its operating window ,,,change it all to a 3 ohm coil and 12volt and all is OKPete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willcolumbine Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Thanks for the tip Pete! If I want to use a 12v coil what do I need to do? Am I right in thinking it's just a case of loosing the pink and white resistor wire and replacing it with a normal wire? Also - whats the thing that looks like a little ballast resistor thats attached under one of the coil clamp screws - does that need to go?Looks like I've got some homework to do! I'm looking into the H and H kit, the petronix and the luminition kits. Plenty to think about. I've already got the plug leads thanks Don - Magnecor kv85's. They're what's making the rest of the system look bad! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieB Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 willcolumbine wrote: just a case of loosing the pink and white resistor wire and replacing it with a normal wire?Or just bypass it with another wire.willcolumbine wrote: Also - whats the thing that looks like a little ballast resistor thats attached under one of the coil clamp screws - does that need to go?Possibly a supressor? Post a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nige Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I run my 1500 without all that tedious ballast resisor/wire, with standard points - i can fix at the roadside when they go wrong - point (forgive the pun) taken with the electronic ignition it shouldnt go wrong - but if it does your up the creek often without the preverbial padel. I use a blue bosch coil.. yes i said it.. a Bosch coil..had too may issues with cheapy coils.. had it years and in my VW bus.. never had a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotoflex Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 CharlieB wrote:Possibly a supressor? Post a picture.That's what it sounds like to me. A little capacitor to suppress ignition noise from interfering with the radio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Will, as said just dump or bypass the pinky , you are unlikely to need the radio suppressor with a electronic unit , and debatable if it ever had any effect in the first place make sure the coil is 3 ohms as ballasted coils can be marked 12v but they are 1.5 ohms if you punch 12 volt thro' a 1.5ohm coil the HT is far too high for the rest of the system to contain ,rotor's and such breakdown and the dwell to charge the coil is all wrong Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodders1 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 OK, cat among the pigeons....What is wrong with replacing the existing 6v coil, like-for-like?Most contributors to this thread seem to be recommending 12v coil conversions of one sort or another, but what is wrong with the 6v system?It is designed to give a normal spark when the engine is running and a boosted spark during startup by by-passing the ballast resistor while the engine is cranking. It seems to me that this is an excellent solution to the problem of boosting the spark when you need it, without going down the electronic ignition route.Surely, if you remove the ballast resistor and go for a 12v coil, you loose the starting advantage or, if you go for a high output coil that gives a monster spark all the time, you shorten the life of the other HT components - especially rotor arm and plug leads.bodders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieB Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 bodders1 wrote:but what is wrong with the 6v system?Not much until you get an intermittant break in the ballast resister wire, took me ages to find why my engine would randomly cut out, usually while overtaking!Most other cars work fine with a 12V non-ballasted system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodders1 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 CharlieB wrote:Not much until you get an intermittant break in the ballast resister wire, took me ages to find why my engine would randomly cut out, usually while overtaking!Most other cars work fine with a 12V non-ballasted systemBut that fault was a broken wire. It could happen on a non-ballast system as well. *MANY* cars in the '70s had ballast-resistor ignition in the pre-electronic ignition era. Almost all manufacturers adopted ballast resistor ignition at one time or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piman Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Hello Will, I agree with Bodders, the ballast system is a good one. Replace the coil, if you think it is suspect with a correct replacement.I also feel that the cost of converting to electronic ignition is just not worth it, especially if it does fail and you are stranded. Points can normally be fixed by the road side.Alec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 A compromise then... run a new 12v feed to the aldon that keeps the original coils 8v cold start 12v boost and the aldon feed will always be above the 6v minimum when started , Ive seen too many with a poorish battery voltage when the ballasted line will drop below 6v quite easily and the electronic unit gives you some odd running Have fun Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willcolumbine Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 Well I've spent a lot on my car recently so I think I'm going to leave the electronic ignition for a bit and just get a decent coil. At least then I can fix it on the hard shoulder if the worst happens...This is the little thing by the coil. Is it a suppressor? The car was fitted with a high end stereo at one time in its life so it might have been fitted then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Yes that is a capacitor which has been used as a "suppressor". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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