Points ignition output voltage and length?

[Charlie Cheap]

With an electronics diploma from Elkins Institute night school, I am no great electrical genius, but I do understand basics. Twenty years working on home entertainment equipment and building cars frame-up, I learned to build my own ignitions and wire cars completely. My concern is modern electronic ignitions used to fire plugs and time the spark. It seems to me the spark will be higher but shorter, creating the reason for MSD or Multiple Spark Discharge. My 1965 Mustang 6 has a points distributor I built, and I feel no increase with later type ignitions some builders suggest. I build drivers that work in the 1,000 rpm to 5,000 rpm range, not race engines. Below 5K it looks like a points system could make a longer spark more than hot enough to ignite the 14.7-1 air-fuel ratio. My ignition system has an ACCEL 42,000 volt coil (1.4 primary resistance - 96 to 1 ratio), a 1.3 ohm ignition resistor, BWD Select cap, rotor, points, condenser with the best available wires feeding double platinum plugs. Because I am the "go-to" guy for 6-cylinder old Mustangs on-line, I need technical proof, if true, for why we do not necessarily need the latest Super-Whamey-Double-Throw-Down modern ignition in our street driven 1965 thru 1973 Mustangs.

 

[Charlie Cheap]

I spent 50 years building cars frame-up with cars winning shows and being featured in magazines, even made a cover/centerfold once. A car guy with lots of spare change built a 4-car shop in my backyard so I could build just for him...which I did for several years. At 75 years I know what I don't know, and I am wise enough to ask for help. Suspensions, brakes, steering, roll-center, engines/motors (even my engineering buddies still argue about which is which) and automotive related questions I answer often for the Mustang 6 Association on-line as Old Geezer. Though not an engineer, I have many books on the subject and put most of the info into building cars. I sold my milling machine and MIG when I retired, but still have a Lincoln AC/DC 225 amp welder, a 60 gallon compressor and lots of tools. If I can help anyone, it is my pleasure. My shop has a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine being fitted with a Ford 2.3 engine and automatic overdrive at present, I write for the M6A and do a column for the Buffalo Gap Newspaper on politics and the Constitution. I was a federally Licensed gunsmith working for a police department, working on Fire equipment, Ambulances, Police cars and Police guns. Officer Rogers killed a bad guy to stop him from killing his partner, with a gun I returned to him the day before he fired it. I was happy it got LOUD both times Officer Rogers pulled the trigger. For over a decade I had a Nextel phone on my hip 24-7 because I was responsible for all emergency equipment, PD and officers personal firearms and most city vehicles. I understand why things need to work...every time!

 

[anorlunda]

Welcome to PF Charlie. Glad to have you.

If you have questions about ignitions, post them in the Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering (automotive) forums. This is the new member intro forum, so most PF members won't see them here.