You obtain a set of points, condenser and coil from an old car built
from 1925 through about 1970 or 80.

Those old steel can ignition coils were filled with oil to cool the
primary coil inside the can.

Oil transfered heat much better than plastic used in recent GM Truck
coils. They were designed to survive with the points closed all the
time in case you left the ignition key on.

A ballast resistor would be a good idea. There is only one bump on
the rotor shaft because a one rotor fires only once per rev.

Pep Boys sells the old style coils for about $20 new.

NO distributor!!!! Not needed. No distributer cap. Not needed. No
ignition rotor. Not needed.

One coil per spark plug.

Use two sets of points if you use two coils. It will run on either
one. Fixed 22 degrees BTDC timing.

Make the points bracket out of Home Depot aluminum bar stock. Make
the points cam out off a short piece steel square rod. Grind off
three of the four corners. Weld it to the steel disk and bolt that to
the front pulley.  The pulley  already has four taped holes. You can
slot the holes in the disk to adjust the timing.

This is a reflection of the extreme simplicity of a Wankel engine.

This is almost as simple as the Wright Brothers ignition. They had a
set of points inside each combustion chamber. When the points opened
they sparked.

Dave, You can show this at Oz-Kosh if you want.

Paul Lamar


Paul, would this system limit RPM ?

Steve  Carlisle

Yes but what that would  depend on the pulse rate capabilities
of the points.

The 4 stroke distributor is running at half crank speed and there are four
lobes on the ignition cam in the distributor.

For a four cylinder 4 stroke rotating at 6000 RPM
the pulse rate for the points would be 12,000 pulses per minute.
Half speed times 4.

The same pulse rate for the one rotor gives 12,000 RPM.

In other words if you are using the same points and your four cylinder
four stroke will run at 8000 RPM so the one rotor will run at double that
or 16,000 RPM in theory.

Check my arithmetic and logic.

Paul Lamar

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