electronic ignition questions/advice.

[lantain1982]

Gentlemen, I intend to convert an existing Kettering system into an Hall driven unit. Hall system to be operated from the camshaft driving a conventional existing distributor. Engine in question is an inline 4 cylinder.

Main queies are;- Attach the Hall sender to the outside of the distributor?
or else where?
Use a single magnet [static] and have a rotating shutter with 4 openings?
Have a rotating disc with 4 magnets fitted to the circumference rotating pass the sender?
If using a shutter or disc what is the recommended material to make the shutter/disc from, ferrous/non ferrous.

Options are still open on a TM -6 or RcexL cdi unit.
Any practical advice would certainly be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[stevehuckss396]

Your choice.

I personally super glue my sensor to the bottom of the distributor and then have magnets in a disk above it. This is real easy and looks like the real deal with only the wire exiting the distributor.

The shutter works well when you mount the sensor outside the body on a bracket. There is a little extra work making the brackets to mount the sensor and magnet. Good part with this is the sensor being mounted outside the body, it is an easy repair if the sensor fails.

I make my disk out of steel and they work well. Some think im nuts and feel aluminum or plastic would be a better choice. The shutter should be made from steel.

Both your ignition options are fine and should work. My personal choice would be the CDI from Roy Sholl at http://cncengines.com/ic.html or the TIM-6 from http://www.jerry-howell.com/IgnitionModules.html. They work well and both support the hobby by attending the model shows. If I have any trouble or need advise I know who I'm talking to and so do they. Roy actually keeps up on the popular engines being built and puts together kits of the parts that work the best like the Snow engine and the Hodgson radial. Send him an E-mail of what your building and he will get you the right stuff.

 

[lantain1982]

Many thanks for your practical summary. I think I will go for the external maounted sensor and the rotating disc. It will fit into my existing set up.
Again, thank you. Bill , Australia.

 

[gbritnell]

Hi Bill,
Steve and I have built our distributors very similar over the years except I use the single magnet type with the timing rotor.
Here are some picture of my 6 cylinder distributor that I just finished.
gbritnell