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Max old mate me ignition module just died again. I put this new engine in awhile ago and put the electronic distributor from the other engine in the new one (new one was points). Couldn"t work out how to wire up the Kubota generator so I put the old alternator back on but would not charge. Put a new RE55 regulator on problem solved. Two hours on the alternator dies. Done 70hrs on previous engine.Then got the Kubota generator sorted. After an hour and quarter the ignition module dies. So I put an new one in and have spark but very weak. I pull the coil out and replace with one that is same part number ( Bosch MEC717). I notice that the coil has cracks around the top. Can"t work out why this happened.So after much deliberation I bought a Crane HI-6 MSD, installed it and has never started and idled so good.Theory has it that it should now last forever as the module is only driving a microprocessor now and not the windings in the coil. Done an hour of ground running a couple of weeks ago and all is sweet. Go to start it tonight and it won"t go, ignition module is dead again. Never turned the key on since that time. It is currently charging 14.2V. (maybe a bit high?)What am I missing? Going back to points now.
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Hi just a question for you , have you got the ballast resistorwired in between the coil and the distributor? That"s the Sub dist. I"m talking about.
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Bloody hell, Mat., I"ve observed some people have bad luck with electronics. Hope it"s not your fear of a malfunction causing you to leap into a parallel universe and change the quantam reality ;D 14.2 volts is a perfect charge voltage. I"m beginning to think my Cheep charlie duel ignition is great. If you are going back to points make sure the coil current is below 3 amps with points closed. If it"s much higher you have a ballast coil and it will require a resitor. I"ll be down your way end of next month. Hope your sorted by then. I would of committed Harri-Karrei (or however the japs. pronounce it) by now if it wasn"t for my reliable EA81 keeping me airborne. Still sorting my high tech. EJ25! Just spent $1600 on electronics and still not running.
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KEVT, no I don"t have a ballast resistor in my machine. Any reason why I would need this with electronic ignition? Max I put the points distributor back in today and everything is good. This new msd box has its own coil. My theory is that the points shouldn"t be seeing much amperage at all as the msd is doing all the hard work. Will check tomorrow. If all else fails I will dig out that 100hp rotax and build a single seater, then I will bring it up there and park it next to MOG.
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Yes you need the ballast resistor. That"s why your blowing the module.It goes between the coil and dist. Different than what you would think!Put that there and the module will last for ever. Without it MAY last afew hours. Don"t ask me how I know.
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Listen to Kev., Mat., He"s a walking, talking, gyro engine electronics man of knowledge. (mainly through hard core experience). While I"m here Kev., I have 4 wires coming from my microtec ECU to fire the igniter. They say use only two, the grey/black and grey/red but they don"t pulse. So i tried the grey/green and grey/white. They make spark but it"s 90 deg. out. Micro-tech have"nt replied to 2 emails, maybe it"s got them beat?
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KEVT, why is the ballast resistor used in the subaru system, is it for voltage reduction or amperage control?
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Matt, ballast resistors were used in these engines to allow a good spark during cranking.The coil originally specified actually produced
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Just saw a Kiwi doc. of a helicopter flying around the alps with a low drag storage gismo under it"s belly and said to the misses, "Thats what we need under our long range EJ25 flying ship"! It"s got to be big enough to accommodate the doors so you can slip them on in the cold, ect. Hopefully carry all the gear for two on a long term flying adventure. The challenge of manufacturing that will keep me out of trouble for a week. My dream is to fly all over Aust. with the Misses when she retires and hang out with fellow aviation enthusiasts. (Stuff going over seas) Just got to fix that ignition.
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Hi Chook, The ballast resistor is there for a different reasonon the electronic dizzy.
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Kev if it is there for a different reason then it is not a ballast resistor.I have attached 2 cct diagrams I have lifted from the 1983-1984 factory service manual for 1600 - 1800 vehicles.The first is of the standard ignition showing the ballast resistor connected to the 15A fuse and then to the "ig" terminal on the ignition switch.You can see the 2nd wire also connected to the positive terminal of the coil which goes to the "st" terminal on the ignition switch. This wire circumvents the ballast resistor and performs as previously described.The second attachment is from the same manual and shows the breakerless ignition cct. There is no ballast resistor in this cct.Note that the connection of the colour coded wires is critical.Regards..........Chook.
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HI Chook, I half agree with you but "MOST"of the electronic dizzys have a ballast resistorbetween the coil
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KEVT, chook I just done some research regarding this. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/...-my-coil-ea81/ In this forum it discusses about the lower the resistance in the primary coil windings the more voltage to the module shortening it"s life. I was just wondering if MSD box having very little resistance
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Hi, that"s the information you are looking for.I was lucky enough to find a electronic dizzyin a wreck and got the standard coil & resistorwith it. It did about 800 hours without a problembefore I sold it. I had one on an aircraft with aGT 40 coil & no resistor. Every now and thenthe engine would just stop dead for a few seconds.The owner took me for a fly one day to demonstrateand it cut dead at about a 100" Got my full attention!!After a few secs, it just started and run normal againFitted a new module coil & resistor and it has nevergiven any trouble in several hundred hours.
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"HI Chook, I half agree with you but "MOST"of the electronic dizzys have a ballast resistorbetween the coil
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