Ignition systems
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1st Gear
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Canada
Ignition systems
In the early days with the old shovels and evo,s a lot used to be said about the ignition systems used on these engines and how they did increase performance.On todays engines not much in the way of performance is said about that subject, why is that?are the stock ignition systems on the late model engines that good that by changing them out for a crane fireball etc there would be no increse in performance.Just wondering.Thanx MOUSETRAP
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,543
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From: Ashland Ohio
New is better. AND... new also doesn't use 'wasted spark' anymore either. This is 2013, and NOT 1968. EVERYTHING electrical is simply light years better. More power, lasts longer, etc. There is simply NO comparison from then and now.
Most of us flash back to when we were young and screwing with cars and bikes. 60"s and 70's technology. And, just like our bikes... cars today are 100% different. Different metallurgy, different designs, etc. The 60's are LONG *** GONE!!!
A coil today will outspark ANY of the add on coils from yesterday, and not only that... will read each cylinder to see if it misses or if it has a ping and then the brains will try to correct those conditions! Thats right... it is the coils themselves that read cylinder conditions using what is know as ION sensing.
Old bikes used to use whats called 'wasted spark' ignitions. Older bikes had no way to tell which cylinder was coming up on TDC and compressing the fuel. So... with our 135* firing order allowed the engineers to fire BOTH plugs each time a plug needed firing. Hence the name wasted spark, get it? When one cylinder was ready to fire, the other cylinder was on the exhaust stroke and did nothing. It was wasted.
Also, engine design plays a big part in all of this. Shovels had Hemi Heads and ..... wait for it... they SUCK! Fuel would be on either side of the piston, and racers all over had to incorporate twin plug heads to get BOTH side of the piston to fire. Evos were better, in design, and todays heads are a leap forward again. Heads make the fuel easier to light off.
For more power, in these new Twin Cams... it is all about cylinder flow and fuel.
Most of us flash back to when we were young and screwing with cars and bikes. 60"s and 70's technology. And, just like our bikes... cars today are 100% different. Different metallurgy, different designs, etc. The 60's are LONG *** GONE!!!
A coil today will outspark ANY of the add on coils from yesterday, and not only that... will read each cylinder to see if it misses or if it has a ping and then the brains will try to correct those conditions! Thats right... it is the coils themselves that read cylinder conditions using what is know as ION sensing.
Old bikes used to use whats called 'wasted spark' ignitions. Older bikes had no way to tell which cylinder was coming up on TDC and compressing the fuel. So... with our 135* firing order allowed the engineers to fire BOTH plugs each time a plug needed firing. Hence the name wasted spark, get it? When one cylinder was ready to fire, the other cylinder was on the exhaust stroke and did nothing. It was wasted.
Also, engine design plays a big part in all of this. Shovels had Hemi Heads and ..... wait for it... they SUCK! Fuel would be on either side of the piston, and racers all over had to incorporate twin plug heads to get BOTH side of the piston to fire. Evos were better, in design, and todays heads are a leap forward again. Heads make the fuel easier to light off.
For more power, in these new Twin Cams... it is all about cylinder flow and fuel.
Last edited by wurk_truk; Aug 16, 2013 at 09:42 AM.
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