Cruiser
I have built the Pioneer Engine as well. I have also used Roy Sholl's Capacitive Discharge ignition ( CNC Engines) on multiple engines but it is not a good choice for this engine and I do not recommend it for the Pioneer. Keep in mind that this is a NON compression engine and all of the conventional wisdom does not apply to the pioneer. I just wish Rudy had placed more emphasis on a statement he made in his video about the necessity of a "very fat spark". I tried the CD system more than once and could never get it to reliably run on the Pioneer. Two things you need to consider. (1.) a very hot fat spark, (2.) a huge gap in the spark plug.
While this is against conventional wisdom, keep in mind that the .030 gap normally recommended for a plug is for a compression engine. I used a "rim Fire" plug from CNC Engines and bent the gap open about .125. The reason is; on a compression engine the air which is an insulator in compressed and it takes a small gap to insure the spark will jump. Also there is more fuel in the mixture and it is more violatile. Therefore a small gap and a CD system will work on a normal compression engine. Go back and look at Rudy's video and he made his own plug that does not even have an adjustable electrode. The spark just jumps across the gap from the center to the edge of the plug.
The second thing is the coil. In my opinion, the best thing to us is to get a 12volt automotive ignition coil and a ignition capacitor. I use a gel cell 12volt battery that is used on security systems and can be purchased from Radio Shack, or most any battery place. I charge it using a $5.99 float charger from Harbor Freight.
When I first completed my Pioneer a few years back I reported it was a fussy engine to start and run smoothly. I and another Pioneer builder from Tucson spent almost two years experimenting with it and once we realized the differences, and did these two things, the engine is well behaved and is extremely easy to start. My 4 year old Granddaughter now starts it with one finger....
Bottom line is it has gone from what I considered to be very difficult to start and run to my favorite engine... I hardly go to the shop wthout giving it a choke and flip and it just sings...
You can see my early work of it running on YouTube - Search on Pioneer Engine. My login is Hlee1946 and you can also find it that way.
Here is my granddaughter starting it with one finger:
http://s934.photobucket.com/user/hrlee/media/Pioneer Engine/2013-07-31181935_zps8f69c296.mp4.html
I hope this will help you... You patience will be rewarded with a very sweet running engine.
