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new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:53 pm
by kevin lee
Hi everyone, my name is Kev. Iam an engineer from the UK and set/operate cnc lathes for a living.

Iam an engineering enthusiast with lots of auto modifying experience.

Anyways Iam currently waiting for parts too arrive so that I can start building my first pj. I have spent many ours researching all over the web, mainly this site :) I have been itching to make a start on something. So this eveningi. decided to have a go at making an ignition system. Now I fully understand there are probably many easier options that I could choose, but being from an automotive background I decided too use a points ignition distributor, ballast resistor and coil. This is all powered by a battery drill. I think ill swap the drill for an electric screwdriver! The screwdriver runs at 140rpm which should give me 8ish sparks per second.

Is 8 sparks per second adequate?

It's still in mock up mode at the mo, mostly bodged for testing!

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Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:58 pm
by kevin lee
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc_HYWc ... ata_player

That isn't flat out in the video and I would expect a healthier spark once the wiring is completed properly.

I have also had a go at triangle injectors like grims thread, look pretty good but no pics.

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:42 pm
by Mike Everman
Welcome, Kevin, and that will work fine.

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:23 pm
by kevin lee
Mike Everman wrote:Welcome, Kevin, and that will work fine.
Hi Mike, thanks for the welcome. I must say that this site is fantastic. Everyday Iam finding much interesting things too read. Today its jars + snorkelers :)

Thanks for confirmation on the ignition, I saw Erics model t YouTube vid and tried to similar results. Also hands free ignition allows me to adjust other things like air and fuel.


Tonight Iam fiddling some more.

I found some 1.5inch, 2inch, 2.5inch exhaust pipe and a gallon gas cannister. I'll attempt a basic pj tonight

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:53 pm
by Tonskulus
You dont need to use distributor beetween spark plug and ign.coil. Just put that HT wire between ignition coil and spark plug and its fine! :)

So only purpose for the distributor body here is to switch on and off primary voltage for ignition coil to get high voltage pulses for spark plug.

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:23 pm
by kevin lee
Im sure you need the on/off switching for the spark to be generated!

I'll look into it :)

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:54 pm
by kevin lee
This evening I raided the scrap pile and knocked up this pj, my first lol

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It loosely follows pyrojoe's recipe

Exhaust is 1 caliber 56mm x 20 cal
Inlet is .85 cal x 2.65 cal with flare
CC is 3.2 cal x. 3.2 cal

No fuel system yet but hopefully ill have something rigged up by tomorrow evening. I'll use a grim spec triangle injector to begin with and ill use propane :)

Id love to eventually run pjs on diesel!

Can I use combustion chamber pressure to pressurize a full tank? I'll go search :)

Wish me luck with running the beast!

Re: new member introduction, about too make some fire

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:25 am
by kevin lee
edit

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:05 pm
by kevin lee
Well guys, I have an update!

MY FIRST PJ RUNS :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMY4vFh ... ata_player

Observations from just over a minute of running. It warms up nice, it self starts with no compressed air. It sounds fantastic. Needs more fuel (its flatout in the vid, blue flames protruding long way out of inlet. It's running roscojector.

Tomorrow Iam testing on liquid propane. And ill change the exhaust slightly.

Also ill be making another pj and maybe s snorkler :)


Massive thanks too this forum and especially pyrojoe :)

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:41 pm
by PyroJoe
Good work!
Always love to see one roar to life, theres nothing like it.

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:45 pm
by Mike Everman
Yeah, congrats! It's refreshing that someone searches the board for answers this much. Don't breathe that fuming galvonize! galvonization?

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:59 pm
by kevin lee
Thanks guys! Iam very pleased and I may have breathed a little of the smoke but we went outside pretty quickly. Iam still alive at this stage!

I love reading up before I attempt any new task, I hate going in blind :)

I'll be back tomorrow with more updates and more video!

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:18 am
by Tonskulus
kevin lee wrote:Im sure you need the on/off switching for the spark to be generated!

I'll look into it :)
Yes, for primary coil. Contact brakers are doing this job. Distributor cap and rotor has nothing to do with generating spark.

It is absolutely waste of spark power if you feed high voltage through distributor in this case.

Anyway, congratualtions! Its running very nicely!

Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 10:01 am
by kevin lee
Here's a poor pic of my engine running

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Re: new member introduction, also can i get opinion on ignition

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:30 pm
by kevin lee
Tonskulus wrote:
kevin lee wrote:
Yes, for primary coil. Contact brakers are doing this job. Distributor cap and rotor has nothing to do with generating spark.

It is absolutely waste of spark power if you feed high voltage through distributor in this case.

Anyway, congratualtions! Its running very nicely!
I tried this out and it works :) sorry I was confused by your first post and thought you said ditch the entire distributor and just hook the coil upto a battery haha

And thanks man, Iam very pleased for a first atttempt built from junk