As enthusiasts it's our job to unload our wallets buying up all sorts of power-enhancing gear.It's why we work; it's why we save; it's what we do, and we wouldn't do anything else. But all too often, we dump our dollars into increasing engine air-flow and fuel delivery without completing the entire package. There are three parts to the power puzzle, and it's all too easy to overlook the missing ingredient: FIRE!. What good is cramming additional air and fuel into your combustion chamber if you're not gonna use it all? More air demands more fuel, which ultimately requires more spark.
So what does an ignition do for your engine?
Consider its role in a four-stroke combustion engine.On the piston's down stroke, an intake charge composed of fuel and air inhaled into the cylinder chamber.The piston's upstroke compresses the mixture in the conbustion chamber. Following compression, the ignition system explodes the mixture, and the subsequent expanding gases force the piston back down, during which exhaust gases are routed out and the engine cycle repeats itself all over. It is during this ignition stage that all the power is made. Without a good spark, the combustion stroke will not be as efficient as possible or not happen at all. You'll achieve maximum power and efficiency when the entire intake charge is completely combusted.
To improve you ignition system, you've got to understand how it works. Ignition systems can generally be broken down into two sections:
-the primary side
-the secondary side
which are connected by a coil.
The primary side has a low voltage level of appproximately 12 volts and feeds into the coil. The coil is the transitional bridge between the primary and secondary sides. It works as an inductor, stepping up the voltage level from low to high. The charge leaving the coil and entering the secondary side is significantly higher.
A traditional ignition system uses the following basic components on the primary side:
-a battery
-ignition switch
-ignition trigger
-and the wires going to the coil.
The components of the secondary side include:
-the distributor
-plugs wires
-spark plugs
primary side(low voltage) -----> coil(step up) -----> secondary side(high voltage)
Stock ignitions are engineered to be adequate for the stock motor. In order to improve the factory ignition, we must first consider where the stock system falls short. Almost all factory ignition systems are inductive. Inductive systems store spark energy in the coil until triggered, and that energy is subsequently released to the spark plugs. The coil takes 12-volt energy from the battery and converts it to a much higher voltage. Dwell is the amount of time the coil is allowed to charge before releasing the energy to the plug wires. Inductive systems are optimized for mid-length dwell times. When there is a longer dwell time, excessive heat builds up in the coil. When there is insufficient dwell time, coil output energy is reduced, significantly affecting performance. As engine speed increases and the engine revs higher, dwell time decreaces, resulting in weaker spark energy directed towards the plugs.
Building a performance vehicle, whether adding a basic intake or a more complex forced-induction system, requires more air and fuel. Although simple bolt-ons such as intake, header and exhaust do not necessarily warrant improved ignition, they all facilitate greater air-flow into and out of the engine. High-performance power adders such as turbos, nitrous or superchargers drmatically increase air and fuel mixture, making improved spark performance a must. With increasing quantities of air and fuel in the combustion chamber, that same old spark isn't going to get you a complete combustion. You're going to need a hotter, longer-lasting spark to complete a consistant burn cycle.
In a quest for more horsepower, one option to consider is a capacitive discharge ignition (CDI). CDI systems are fundamentally different from inductive systems, since energy is stored in a capacitor and amplified by the CDI's circuitry instead of the coil during dwell. The capacitor's ability to recharge is nearly instantaneous to the point that dwell time is no longer an issue, resulting in improved throttle and idle responses and improved top-end performance.
The coil is the ignition system's heart and soul. Its sole reponsibility is to step up the voltage so the spark can jump the spark plug's gap. The coil is both an electromagnet and an inductor. The coil consists of an iron core and a primary winding of heavy, copper-gauge wire. Lying under this thick wrap, which is several hundred turns long, are thousands of smaller-gauge wires, tightly wound around the iron core. During dwell, the battery's current flow through the primary windings, creating a magnetic field. When triggered, the current is broken and the magnetic field breaks down onto the secondary winding. During this process, voltage is stepped up and the high energy spark needed to jump the plug gap is released. However, not all coils are created equal. Performance coils engineered for higher output far surpass what the manufacturer engineeer into their stock coils. When used in conjunction with devices that increase the primary side voltage, you can expect to see dramatic increases in voltage from a performance coil.
The distributor must not be overlooked, since it serves an equally important role in getting the spark to the cylinders. Typically, the distributor is composed of a cap with spark plug contacts, a rotor that touches the contacts, and the basic distributor housing, which is synchronized with the crankshaft. Some engine designs use distributors with internal coils. Others employ an external coil pack that delivers the voltage to the distributor. The typical distributor delivers perfectly timed sparks thousands of times per minute to each of the spark plugs in your motor. If the timing is offset even slightly, the engine will stumble and you'll lose horsepower.
Plugs wires also play a vital role on the secondary side. They are the means of delivering spark to the plugs and carry a high voltage load. Remember as voltage increases, so does electromagnetic interference (EMI). Durable and insulated spark plugs wil deliver the voltage properly and will insulate EMI away from your under-hood electronics. EMI can affect your sensors and components that compose your electronic fuel injection (EFI) system as well as your vehicle's ECU compenents. With inadequately insulated plug wires, your EFI sensors may read incorrectly and result in lost performance.
Spark plug technology has come a long way, and with the latest innovations in materials, we've seen some pretty exotic stuff. Regardless of the end tip's style or the electrode material, you need to select the proper plug and heat range that will compliment your ignition set up. Some of the seemingly endless possibilities are platinum, iridium, one tip, V-tip and in some cases four tips.
Many of the newer engine designs rely on some of the latest ignition technology, which includes distributorless ignition system (DIS), where the ECU controls the ignition timing without a mechanical distributor sending the spark through the plug wires. Instead, a DIS relies in other devices such as magnectic pickup, optical or Hall effect triggers to signal the release of the energy to the plugs. These triggers, like the distributor, are synchronized with the crankshaft to ensure the spark timing is spot-on. In addition, a DIS utilizes a different coil system adopted for its reliablility and durability. Improved technology within the DIS requires less maintainance then older counterparts.
There are several different DIS coil systems. One type has multiple coils that each service two cylinders utilizing two plugs wire contacts that fire two cylinders at opposite cycles. When the coil fires, one cylinder is being ignited while the other is on its exhaust stroke. This is known as a wasted spark system. The second DIS system is a coil system using an individual coil for each cylinder connected with plugs wires. The third type is known as "coil on plug". This type of ignition eliminates plug wires altogether and has an individual coil mounted to each spark plug. The SR20DET engine utilizes this type of system. Keep in mind, both the CDI and DIS systems can compliment each other.
Whatever your horsepower goal is and regardless or whether you're keeping your system simple or complex, there's an ignition system suited for your needs. It cant hurt to have too much spark, but it certainly hurts to have too little. Wire it up and fire it up.
-taken from import tuner, re-written by Fluffy.
*if there's typo errors, whoops.
So what does an ignition do for your engine?
Consider its role in a four-stroke combustion engine.On the piston's down stroke, an intake charge composed of fuel and air inhaled into the cylinder chamber.The piston's upstroke compresses the mixture in the conbustion chamber. Following compression, the ignition system explodes the mixture, and the subsequent expanding gases force the piston back down, during which exhaust gases are routed out and the engine cycle repeats itself all over. It is during this ignition stage that all the power is made. Without a good spark, the combustion stroke will not be as efficient as possible or not happen at all. You'll achieve maximum power and efficiency when the entire intake charge is completely combusted.
To improve you ignition system, you've got to understand how it works. Ignition systems can generally be broken down into two sections:
-the primary side
-the secondary side
which are connected by a coil.
The primary side has a low voltage level of appproximately 12 volts and feeds into the coil. The coil is the transitional bridge between the primary and secondary sides. It works as an inductor, stepping up the voltage level from low to high. The charge leaving the coil and entering the secondary side is significantly higher.
A traditional ignition system uses the following basic components on the primary side:
-a battery
-ignition switch
-ignition trigger
-and the wires going to the coil.
The components of the secondary side include:
-the distributor
-plugs wires
-spark plugs
primary side(low voltage) -----> coil(step up) -----> secondary side(high voltage)
Stock ignitions are engineered to be adequate for the stock motor. In order to improve the factory ignition, we must first consider where the stock system falls short. Almost all factory ignition systems are inductive. Inductive systems store spark energy in the coil until triggered, and that energy is subsequently released to the spark plugs. The coil takes 12-volt energy from the battery and converts it to a much higher voltage. Dwell is the amount of time the coil is allowed to charge before releasing the energy to the plug wires. Inductive systems are optimized for mid-length dwell times. When there is a longer dwell time, excessive heat builds up in the coil. When there is insufficient dwell time, coil output energy is reduced, significantly affecting performance. As engine speed increases and the engine revs higher, dwell time decreaces, resulting in weaker spark energy directed towards the plugs.
Building a performance vehicle, whether adding a basic intake or a more complex forced-induction system, requires more air and fuel. Although simple bolt-ons such as intake, header and exhaust do not necessarily warrant improved ignition, they all facilitate greater air-flow into and out of the engine. High-performance power adders such as turbos, nitrous or superchargers drmatically increase air and fuel mixture, making improved spark performance a must. With increasing quantities of air and fuel in the combustion chamber, that same old spark isn't going to get you a complete combustion. You're going to need a hotter, longer-lasting spark to complete a consistant burn cycle.
In a quest for more horsepower, one option to consider is a capacitive discharge ignition (CDI). CDI systems are fundamentally different from inductive systems, since energy is stored in a capacitor and amplified by the CDI's circuitry instead of the coil during dwell. The capacitor's ability to recharge is nearly instantaneous to the point that dwell time is no longer an issue, resulting in improved throttle and idle responses and improved top-end performance.
The coil is the ignition system's heart and soul. Its sole reponsibility is to step up the voltage so the spark can jump the spark plug's gap. The coil is both an electromagnet and an inductor. The coil consists of an iron core and a primary winding of heavy, copper-gauge wire. Lying under this thick wrap, which is several hundred turns long, are thousands of smaller-gauge wires, tightly wound around the iron core. During dwell, the battery's current flow through the primary windings, creating a magnetic field. When triggered, the current is broken and the magnetic field breaks down onto the secondary winding. During this process, voltage is stepped up and the high energy spark needed to jump the plug gap is released. However, not all coils are created equal. Performance coils engineered for higher output far surpass what the manufacturer engineeer into their stock coils. When used in conjunction with devices that increase the primary side voltage, you can expect to see dramatic increases in voltage from a performance coil.
The distributor must not be overlooked, since it serves an equally important role in getting the spark to the cylinders. Typically, the distributor is composed of a cap with spark plug contacts, a rotor that touches the contacts, and the basic distributor housing, which is synchronized with the crankshaft. Some engine designs use distributors with internal coils. Others employ an external coil pack that delivers the voltage to the distributor. The typical distributor delivers perfectly timed sparks thousands of times per minute to each of the spark plugs in your motor. If the timing is offset even slightly, the engine will stumble and you'll lose horsepower.
Plugs wires also play a vital role on the secondary side. They are the means of delivering spark to the plugs and carry a high voltage load. Remember as voltage increases, so does electromagnetic interference (EMI). Durable and insulated spark plugs wil deliver the voltage properly and will insulate EMI away from your under-hood electronics. EMI can affect your sensors and components that compose your electronic fuel injection (EFI) system as well as your vehicle's ECU compenents. With inadequately insulated plug wires, your EFI sensors may read incorrectly and result in lost performance.
Spark plug technology has come a long way, and with the latest innovations in materials, we've seen some pretty exotic stuff. Regardless of the end tip's style or the electrode material, you need to select the proper plug and heat range that will compliment your ignition set up. Some of the seemingly endless possibilities are platinum, iridium, one tip, V-tip and in some cases four tips.
Many of the newer engine designs rely on some of the latest ignition technology, which includes distributorless ignition system (DIS), where the ECU controls the ignition timing without a mechanical distributor sending the spark through the plug wires. Instead, a DIS relies in other devices such as magnectic pickup, optical or Hall effect triggers to signal the release of the energy to the plugs. These triggers, like the distributor, are synchronized with the crankshaft to ensure the spark timing is spot-on. In addition, a DIS utilizes a different coil system adopted for its reliablility and durability. Improved technology within the DIS requires less maintainance then older counterparts.
There are several different DIS coil systems. One type has multiple coils that each service two cylinders utilizing two plugs wire contacts that fire two cylinders at opposite cycles. When the coil fires, one cylinder is being ignited while the other is on its exhaust stroke. This is known as a wasted spark system. The second DIS system is a coil system using an individual coil for each cylinder connected with plugs wires. The third type is known as "coil on plug". This type of ignition eliminates plug wires altogether and has an individual coil mounted to each spark plug. The SR20DET engine utilizes this type of system. Keep in mind, both the CDI and DIS systems can compliment each other.
Whatever your horsepower goal is and regardless or whether you're keeping your system simple or complex, there's an ignition system suited for your needs. It cant hurt to have too much spark, but it certainly hurts to have too little. Wire it up and fire it up.
-taken from import tuner, re-written by Fluffy.
*if there's typo errors, whoops.
