Thunderbolt ignition

green4themoney

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 21, 2004
Messages
318
does anybody have a good site or anything besides a shop manual on thunderbolt ignition... like why is it called "thunderbolt" what makes it so good or is it even good? what makes it different from the rest?... i pretty much an do anything mechanical to fix my outboards but the dam ignition system... it would be nice to get a better understanding thanks guys!
 

Laddies

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Sep 10, 2004
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12,218
Re: Thunderbolt ignition

Thunderbolt was a favorite monicker of Carl Kiekaefer the originater of Mercury Marine, he named many new things from complete engines to the ignition system with it, almost like a trade mark. There are three basic types of Thunderbolt ignition systems, battery powered, ADI and CDM. If you would like a explanantion of how a system works and a build sheet showing the inner wirring and componets PM me.
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
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Mar 25, 2004
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28,103
Re: Thunderbolt ignition

Don't MerCruisers also use the Thunderbolt name for their ignitions? They are completely different from the OB Thunderbolt ignitions!
 

Laddies

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Sep 10, 2004
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12,218
Re: Thunderbolt ignition

Why wouldn't the same company interchange the same name, for a ignition system that uses the same Hall pulse effect in place of points on both a inboard engine and outboard engine that they manufacture, Chris? Anyway the original question was on outboards which you did not answer, thats exactly why I told G4TM to PM me, so if you and the talkers want to talk about Inboardoutboards or tulips or whatever you could.
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
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Mar 25, 2004
Messages
28,103
Re: Thunderbolt ignition

Laddies, the inline Dissy motors use the Hall Effect triggers, and are still called thunderbolt. The MerCruisers Thunderbolt Ignitions have the reluctors in the Dissy.

Why so hostile? This is a fun post about the eccenticities of Carl K.
 

Laddies

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Messages
12,218
Re: Thunderbolt ignition

Chris, I have corrected the use of Monroe effect which is the inverted cone on a explosive charges to concentrate a burn through steel and other hardened surfaces, not the magnetic pulse or flux which can be used to trigger a ignition system inplace of points. In fact the first Thunderbolt ignition systems were triggered by points and the second year of production the Hall effect was used for the trigger device. Some times this old mind confuses some of the things it has used over the years. Sorry!
 
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