Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 17 Author Share Posted February 17 7 hours ago, Scott NC said: I learned a missing engine does not neccessarily mean a fuel problem real quick. My grandfather always said "90% of fuel problems are in the ignition." He was a master mechanic on the old cars & trucks and taught me a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 How long did it take you to learn what a missing engine means? Where I grew up it meant your car had been stripped. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Irondragon, Did your grand dad ever put unshielded plug wires on an engine? It wont work anymore becuase everything is digital, but back in the day running unsheiled plug wires would cuase TV and radio to be interruptions for about a 1 block radius from the car. Kind of like what happens when you drive under power lines while listening to AM radio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 18 Author Share Posted February 18 If I remember that was long before resistor plugs or shielded wires. I once saw him shut down a single cylinder motorcycle by grabbing the frame and plug wire connection at the spark plug, grounding it out. I never had the nerve to try that. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 I was at a swap meet not so long ago and a fellow had an old, old truck there that had barb wire for plug wires. Probly showing off. He never fired it up but while I was there, but I imagine it worked, isolating the wire someway. I wish I had looked closer. Randy, I've been blasted a few times by a leaky wire. I wonder how many volts and ampheres that actualy is. I suppose it goes up with the rpms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 MAN you're stretching my memory way back. I think the high performance coil (Mallory IIRC) I put on my 62 Vet was 24,000v. Getting bit by it was WAY worse than touching an electric stock fence. I believe they have very little amperage or getting shocked would probably kill you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Oops about the amps. Would you believe I din't know any better? Oops about the amps. Would you believe I din't know any better? I wsa wondering if they both increased with rpm's, increasing the shock value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 I don't know how they work now but not the same that's for sure. I believe old style coils are capacitors, they build charge until shorted and they discharge. That's a gross over simplification a real mechanic can fill in the details and correct my mistakes. Please. I did have an auto shop teacher in high school who got the attention of students disrupting class or just being stupid. He kept a coil in a desk drawer with 2 9v. transistor radio batteries taped to it and connected to the coil. It has a bare copper wire out of the tower and another wrapped around it. He'd flip a switch, button, whatever and by time he got it up and tossed it to the student the coil had enough charge to wake anybody up with a yelp. No doubt it went the way of paddles and belts. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Modern ignition systems can have upward of 40,000v. Scot, to answer your question in short, no. RPMs do not increase the voltage from the distributer. The coils job is to maintain a consistent voltage through out the RPM range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 20 Author Share Posted February 20 Then the condenser stored the charge until the points closed and sent the charge to the plugs. We used to charge up a condenser and leave it laying on a bench or counter in the shop and invariably someone would pick it up and get zapped. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 19 hours ago, BillyBones said: Scot, to answer your question in short, no. RPMs do not increase the voltage from the distributer. The coils job is to maintain a consistent voltage through out the RPM range. Thanks Billy. Automotive or Electrical 101 I suppose. I should say I used to do all my own maintenance and repair work and with all the junk I've owned over the years I probably would be bankrupt if I hadn't. I even restored my old 8n from the ground up, I wish I still had it. Not anymore though with all the electronic gizmos that make things go. I don't know where I got the rpm concept in my head. It's an Embarrasing Moment.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 The old Ford tried to kill me a few times in thanks for fixing it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Tractors are known for their ingratitude and vengeful nature. I think tractors were the origin of the old saying, "No good deed goes unpunished." . . . "Change MY oil will ya! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcostello Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 I built an electronic ignition kit from Radio Shack, remember Them? It immediately smoothed out the idle on an 68 Camaro that had no problems that I could tell. One day I accidentally brushed against a spark plug wire and the next time I looked up I was laying on the ground looking at the clouds, wondering how I got there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 When something like that happens to me, I look around wondering what else I could do while I'm down there. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 If that happens to me it reminds me why I pay to have professionals do it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 An M1 Abrams tank has 8, 24v batteries that are run in series to power it. I was working on the tank one day and climbed up on the rear sprocket to disconnect the batteries. They are in the back deck so i was just standing on the rear sprocket. The armored access door was a bit in my way and i had to reach up and over it some. I turned the wrench just a bit to far and after picking myself up off the ground i decided i would just get on the back deck and do it that way from then on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Is that how they teach you to access the batteries or a field necessity, say dodging bullets? Or were you just winging it? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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