why are there windings and magnets in my distributer?

[ryendube]

Re: why are there windings and magnets in my distributer?

A # of piston driven aircraft STILL use a dual-mag ignition.

Magneto voltage continues to rise with rpm, maybe that's why they've always bit me so hard!

mag ignition is widely used still.


the animation i posted above is aircraft.

 

[ryendube]

Re: why are there windings and magnets in my distributer?

actually i understood all of the primary ignition parts of the system. Just cars have not used magnetos since the modeal a so i didnt know much about the magneto part.

I was the same way about carburetors when working as a mechanic... Not that i didnt know what they were just didnt work on them. Every hotrod ive built has been EFI and if it wasnt an EFI motor I converted it. Not until I got into boats and small craft like Jetskis did I bother to learn how to set them up properly. there was no need and 99% of the mechanics I worked with set them up poorly anyways so it was actually a good thing.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: why are there windings and magnets in my distributer?

SkiBum..... That distributor is not a automotive battery sourced ignition component. It is in fact a magneto. The black wire that attaches to the side of it leads to one of the "M" terminals of the ignition switch, with the other "M" terminal of that same switch leading to ground.

Key OFF = The two "M" terminals are connected, effectively shorting out the two sets of points, rendering the ignition incapable of producing spark.

Key ON = The two "M" terminals are separated, canceling out any possible short, resulting in a proper ignition system.

Whether purposely or accidentially, if 12 volts is applied to that side terminal of the magneto, the coil, both points, and the condenser will require replacing.