In the olden days the auto industry used to make the rotor button a bit too
short. So in addition to the big plug gap there was another big gap in the
circuit that went unnoticed, between the rotor arm and the contactor post
inside the distributor cap.

It worked to prevent bleed down problems, but with the carbon wires at 7,000
to 10,000 ohms, there wasn't much energy in the plug gap when it fired. I use
the Monel inductive type wires and two MSD-6Ts with .010" to .012" plug gaps
on the race car.

    I got bit one time by this system running at idle. I got my wrist watch
too close to a plug boot while clipping on the timing light. It is like being
hit between the eyes with a 2X4. Now I hook up before I start the engine, and
unhook after the engine is stopped. Another painful discovery, is that the
damn thing fires once when it is turned on, and again when it is turned off.
This, without the engine turning.
We get a season out of a set of plugs on 87 octane car gas with redline 2
cycle oil. Lynn E. Hanover

 Ed, The reason the air gap plugs worked well was that they forced a high
 > secondary voltage. The
 > > > reason CDI works well in firing across "dirty" plugs it the very high
 > voltage they can produce.
 > > > The dc to dc converter used in the CDI usually steps the voltage up
over
 > 300 volts when the cap is
 > > > fired through the coil you get tremendous secondary voltage. Bill
Jepson

 > > And the rapid rise time has a lot to do with it.
 > > Paul Lamar

In the olden days the auto industry used to make the rotor button a bit too
short. So in addition to the big plug gap there was another big gap in the
circuit that went unnoticed, between the rotor arm and the contactor post
inside the distributor cap.

It worked to prevent bleed down problems, but with the carbon wires at 7,000
to 10,000 ohms, there wasn't much energy in the plug gap when it fired. I use
the Monel inductive type wires and two MSD-6Ts with .010" to .012" plug gaps
on the race car.

    I got bit one time by this system running at idle. I got my wrist watch
too close to a plug boot while clipping on the timing light. It is like being
hit between the eyes with a 2X4. Now I hook up before I start the engine, and
unhook after the engine is stopped. Another painful discovery, is that the
damn thing fires once when it is turned on, and again when it is turned off.
This, without the engine turning.
We get a season out of a set of plugs on 87 octane car gas with redline 2
cycle oil. Lynn E. Hanover

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