Over the mini starter wiring

Bird, you have restored my faith in mankind. I have spent so much (wasted)time on "another forum" trying to explain how automotive ignition systems work. I break it all down, and they keep coming back with nonsense. On more than one occasion I have just given up trying to explain it all. You are among about three people I have ever met who understands the way the system works. Keep up the good work.

MAKE that TWO of us trying to esplain the same thing....but I got tired of it also....too lazy to do a search or a google or something for the obvious, well me tired too.....got a post here in ridecule of the 'knowledge' base over there even yet, even....

:clobbered::bounce::trumpet:

Gene,
Thanks for the second reply! On the other ones first let me say this. I work in a nuclear pharmacy maintaining a particle accelerator where we make radioactive isotopes. I get asked what I think are stupid questions ALL the time. Do you glow is one of my favorites and they are serious. When a new employee comes in they are always overwhelmed with the job. To me it's easy because I do it everyday. I don't have an electronics degree but I wish I did. When I ask questions it's to learn, I'm not sending my car to a mechanic when I can LEARN how to do a job.
On the electrical side of this for most people that are not in the know. When someone says check how many amps it is pulling they may have no idea what an amp is. The same as if I was trying to tell someone how to adjust the beam strike on the target of a cyclotron. (well you just move the collimator up or down a mm or two) That is easy for me. Did you or anyone else understand that…NOPE! You would need more information like where is a collimator. To me that would be a stupid question. What I am trying to say is give us electron challenged people some slack. :drink:
 
Here's one for you Gene. A healthy point type ignition has a blue spark. What does an orange spark denote?


weak spark voltage? What do I win?

I thought the capacitor/condensor was there for 2 reasons, one: to reduce corrosion of contact points and two: to give the contacts a cleaner "break" (absorb current spikes)

Coils with a R of 1,5 Ohms? Some are as low as 0.5 and others are up to what 2 Ohms?? maybe higher? I think your 1,5 only roughly applies to points.. and who but bird uses points these days :D
 
Gene,
Thanks for the second reply! On the other ones first let me say this. I work in a nuclear pharmacy maintaining a particle accelerator where we make radioactive isotopes. I get asked what I think are stupid questions ALL the time. Do you glow is one of my favorites and they are serious. When a new employee comes in they are always overwhelmed with the job. To me it's easy because I do it everyday. I don't have an electronics degree but I wish I did. When I ask questions it's to learn, I'm not sending my car to a mechanic when I can LEARN how to do a job.
On the electrical side of this for most people that are not in the know. When someone says check how many amps it is pulling they may have no idea what an amp is. The same as if I was trying to tell someone how to adjust the beam strike on the target of a cyclotron. (well you just move the collimator up or down a mm or two) That is easy for me. Did you or anyone else understand that…NOPE! You would need more information like where is a collimator. To me that would be a stupid question. What I am trying to say is give us electron challenged people some slack. :drink:

Believe me when I say these guys were not addressing you. It is the guys that argue that we are wrong.
 
weak spark voltage? What do I win?Not the answer I am seeking

I thought the capacitor/condensor was there for 2 reasons, one: to reduce corrosion of contact points and two: to give the contacts a cleaner "break" (absorb current spikes)One in the same

Coils with a R of 1,5 Ohms? Some are as low as 0.5 and others are up to what 2 Ohms?? maybe higher? I think your 1,5 only roughly applies to points.. and who but bird uses points these days :D
Yes. I am talking points. :lol:
 
I thought the capacitor/condensor was there for 2 reasons, one: to reduce corrosion of contact points and two: to give the contacts a cleaner "break" (absorb current spikes)

The condensor does do 2 jobs: Protecting the points contact from burning and it maked the mag field of the coil collapse faster producing maximum spark for that coil.
 
The condensor does do 2 jobs: Protecting the points contact from burning and it maked the mag field of the coil collapse faster producing maximum spark for that coil.


I wuz going to scratch my ass to remember the ans swear, but I kept reeding and found it.....

Quit making me scratch my ass, i'ts sore enough allready....

:quote::bounce::thumbs:
 
Believe me when I say these guys were not addressing you. It is the guys that argue that we are wrong.

Yeh, not directed at anyone here, but sometimes I get tired of guys too lazy to go look up a elementary electrical book in the library even....

or Radio Shack, or maybe even the NET, for free, but all it seems is to be a short explanation with more questions unanswered, or some one selling information.....

After being in electronics for so many decades, and remembering vacuum tubes, much less morse code from ham radio daze, it's all a natural....so it feels like I can visualize an electron stream, and magnetic fields, and
the measured affects on instrumentation....used to be a design ET, working for engineers who knew much more than I did....PHD in EE, and PHD in Nuclear/Physics.....PHD in Chemistry, MS in Mech E.....

I just set down and listened unless quipping a joke.....
 
Come on Gene, Turbo84 got it.

Where, over 'there'?? I lost the thread....

as for the orange color, it's arching too high a voltage back through the primary of the coil, the cap is bad....

I used to know the value of the caps.....but I forget....

I want to say .5 mfd.....??


:surrender:

Haven't worked with points since '75? or so.....
 
as for the orange color, it's arching too high a voltage back through the primary of the coil, the cap is bad....

I used to know the value of the caps.....but I forget....

I want to say .5 mfd.....??

yeah, .2 to .5 mfd is about right :yahoo:
 
yeah, .2 to .5 mfd is about right :yahoo:

GOD, maybe me longer term memory is better than short term....I can't remember dinner last night even with today's reminder....

:yahoo::yahoo::censored:

Tidied up a small amount under the hood on the vette today, needed to move that relay controll pack of 3 relays from under the hood to behind the map pocket, so run 7 extra wires through the firewall....woopie doo, just follow the leader, so to speak....anyway that silly underhood kludge is very slowly being cleaned up....

first prove what wanted, WORKS, is my attitude, then get around to cleaning it up, not that it's a show car or anything, but not SO embarrasing to pop the hood....

actually vette owners are taken aback a bit....then they look at the fit/finish and don't trust the basic engineering...oh well....

I feel like a grumpy old man.....

:yahoo::yahoo::flash::waxer:
 
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