ignition
- Thread starter manny
- Start date
When building a carbed 2.3L engine for a Lemons car I did some research at some "Mini Stock websites and what I found was that on a mostly stock engine, and an IT engine is or should be "stock", the OEM TFI coil and dist. are all you need. A better then stock TFI coil can't hurt but I'm not sure a MSD type unit will help a IT spec engine much if everything is running as it should.
Most mini stock racers convert to carbs and either go aftermarket for a dist, use the Duraspark part, or use the OEM TFI dist with fixed advance since the FI engines use the ECM for spark control. At the Lemons car first race we ended up going to this last option after the Duraspark dist. was damaged in a freak failure of the alt.
Most mini stock racers convert to carbs and either go aftermarket for a dist, use the Duraspark part, or use the OEM TFI dist with fixed advance since the FI engines use the ECM for spark control. At the Lemons car first race we ended up going to this last option after the Duraspark dist. was damaged in a freak failure of the alt.
2.3 liter Ford ignition
Manny,
Be careful when considering ignition systems for a four cylinder engine, as it's different from sixes and eights in one important respect. Your motor probably won't see much over 6,000 RPM, which is the equivalent of 3,000 RPM in a V8 (count the number of sparks being generated per minute). Any ignition will support a V8 at that low an engine speed.
On my BS car of the seventies, I ran single contact points at 9,600 RPM. That would not have worked on a V8 of the period...they needed double-contact point-ignition systems to work above 7,000 RPM. The problem was decreasing dwell time for the coil, as RPM increased with sixes and eights...the spark became weaker.
You should concentrate on having a powerful coil, well insulated wires, and a simple ignition system with proper heat range plugs. Fixed advance (Duraspark, TFI, or even a converted GM HEI will work fine. HEI had a bad reputation for weak spart at high RPM (on V8s...see paragraph above), but they work fine on fours. Parts for the above are cheap, available at ANY parts store, and proven. I've used all three systems on 2.3 Fords.
Ignition should be set at maximum advance for the highest speed the engine will attain, and then fixed solid. Starting procedure changes, if you have any difficulty at all. In the North, we have some difficulty during cold temps (below 45 deg F.) Crank the engine with the ignition OFF, then flip the switch to ON while the engine is cranking. No Problem.
Hope this helps.
Good racing,
Bill
Manny,
Be careful when considering ignition systems for a four cylinder engine, as it's different from sixes and eights in one important respect. Your motor probably won't see much over 6,000 RPM, which is the equivalent of 3,000 RPM in a V8 (count the number of sparks being generated per minute). Any ignition will support a V8 at that low an engine speed.
On my BS car of the seventies, I ran single contact points at 9,600 RPM. That would not have worked on a V8 of the period...they needed double-contact point-ignition systems to work above 7,000 RPM. The problem was decreasing dwell time for the coil, as RPM increased with sixes and eights...the spark became weaker.
You should concentrate on having a powerful coil, well insulated wires, and a simple ignition system with proper heat range plugs. Fixed advance (Duraspark, TFI, or even a converted GM HEI will work fine. HEI had a bad reputation for weak spart at high RPM (on V8s...see paragraph above), but they work fine on fours. Parts for the above are cheap, available at ANY parts store, and proven. I've used all three systems on 2.3 Fords.
Ignition should be set at maximum advance for the highest speed the engine will attain, and then fixed solid. Starting procedure changes, if you have any difficulty at all. In the North, we have some difficulty during cold temps (below 45 deg F.) Crank the engine with the ignition OFF, then flip the switch to ON while the engine is cranking. No Problem.
Hope this helps.
Good racing,
Bill
