Distributorless spark ignition system?

[BioHazard]

I see the trend for industrial engines is using a distributorless spark system as do probably all cars these days. I hate distributors. I know there are aftermarket parts available for converting older engines, often using Ford parts. Somewhere I saw an aftermarket controller for this posted for a couple hundred bucks - anyone know what I'm talking about? I thought it was here but I can't find it now...

[sailawayrb]

Perhaps you are thinking of this one:

http://www.autosportlabs.net/index.php?title=MegaJolt_Lite_Jr._Users_Welcome

Bob B.

[BioHazard]

That's it! 

[BioHazard]

While we're talking about this, is there any kind of "kit" one can buy for a single cylinder engine? Sort of like the ignition setup Arrow uses on some of their engines...

[Tom Reed]

Uh, you have a single cylinder engine with a distributor???

[wiebe]

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=10996
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=6291
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=7868

I dont have any of the products but its a good shop .
Its alway,s a try and see stuf if it works its fine .

Greetings Wiebe.

[Tom Reed]

Nice link Wiebe! Just mount a magnet on a flywheel and you're good to go for about $30.00!

[TimSR2]

There is the issue of ignition advance..... use of a  distributor makes that easily  tunable. The vacuum advance pulls down the advance for the start.  Low vac equals automatic retard.  Sparkies like to start with the ignition retarded, around 6 to 8 deg BTDC, but like to run in the 25 to 30  degree range BTDC  for constant duty.

Racers, on high test gasoline push it to 36 to 40 deg total but that is unsustainable for long runs. Stuff melts.  

I'm not sure if you can get a reliable cold weather start with the ignition fixed  so early. Crank trigger ignitions always have an ECM and  temp sensors to richen the start mixture and retard the timing. Without those you might well have a cranky starting engine.

[Tom Reed]

Most small engines that run up to 3600 rpm don't advance mechanisms and work reasonably well with out them. If you really want some advance mount 2 sensors on a switch and use 1 for start and the other for run.

[Ronmar]

A Megasquirt would do it, and offer complete programability to whatever ignition curve you care to run.  You need a crank angle sense, and perhaps an engine temp sensor.  It can drive up to 4 coil packs(coil on plug for a 4cyl or wasted spark on a 8cyl)...  I have been running one in my Turbocharged toyota pickup for nearly 2 years now.

[BioHazard]

Actually, it looks like that hobby ignition has an advance built in - the engines they sell with it say "CDI Electronic Ignition with auto advance". Seems like a perfect little module if you wanted to convert a diesel engine to spark. I think my little 2 stroke chinese generator has a similar ignition, though it must be powered from the gen head since there is no magnet on the flywheel. I'll have to take it apart again and look at it...

They've got some cool little 2 strokes too,
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=11973
Wouldn't that make a sweet little portable generator!  (why must I try and make a generator out of everything I find? )

[BioHazard]

Here's a 2 cylinder version of that ignition system:
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9906

[wiebe]

Smallest i have seen .schreeming little bugger.

Greetings Wiebe.

[BioHazard]

Smallest i have seen .schreeming little bugger.

Greetings Wiebe.

That's cool...now I really want to build a generator smaller than 20 pounds full of gas.