Other EPIC question

[D-Roc]

but there are benifits to stronger spark, and having an ignition that doesn't cut out.

 

[QJS]

interesting, they do say that it does not delay timing in the FAQ. I am going to try a set to on my ski to see if there is any benifit. MSD TL makes very strong spark. I was looking for a way to possibly make the epic/flame have a stronger spark using the stock coils. do you think RF signals have anything to do with the units cutting out? using reistor caps or wires such as the hotwires could help?

You seem to think that ignitions that use the OEM coil have limited spark energy, this is not necessarily the case, I normally avoid giving out hype but as you have made the above comment, Flame has nearly 4 times the spark energy than OEM @ 6000 rpm. However these figures on their own are not as meaningful as you may think. Also you are trying to compare a charging ignition (EPIC) with total loss which is not like for like, a decent Total loss will always give more spark energy than one that relies on the OEM stator, its the stator that has the limitations not the ECU or the HT coil. That said EPIC does generate very good spark energy that carries on up the rev range higher than OEM.
As far as the cutting out is concerned to the best of my knowledge the latest flashes have this sorted (no one has reported anything to the contrary).
Re R/F, just use resistor rated plugs and everything is fine.
Chris.

 

[D-Roc]

so the epic uses the stator to give power to the coils or does it just go to the epic where it can then be boosted for the coils? sorry for so many questions, i am just trying to figure out how these ignitions all work. thanks for the info, things are starting to make more sense. Also would using different coils with different ohm ratings, such as the msd total loss coils , not make any stronger spark when used with the stock stator? I am very interested in getting something different if my msd brain goes again. also its nice to know that software is able to fix problems. thanks again.

edit: the flame makes 4 times the spark energy with oem coils/wires because it is the total loss system? but your epic also makes stronger spark using oem coils/wires/stator just like the msd enhancer claims.

 

[Matt_E]

In simple terms, the ignition coil is just an up-converter for voltage. (and a down-converter for current).
An OEM Coil doesn't have to be a bottleneck. It just depends what you put into it. Put higher voltage/ current in (higher energy), and you get more out.
The coil does not change the energy, btw.

 

[D-Roc]

what about different coil ohm ratings? what do they actually do? primary and secondary. So if there is indeed any difference in spark from the flame to the msd tl, is it possible that it is because it is able to send all the power to individual coils/plug vs firing both at the same time? my tl fires fouled plugs. I still feel that it is the best part i have ever bought for my ski so changing to another system is going to be tough. It will have to work as good or better than my current system for me to switch.

 

[Matt_E]

The ohm rating of the coil determines how much current you can put through it, and how much power is lost inside the coil.
It is also indicative of how many windings there are.

 

[easyrhino]

The ohm has to do with the impendence of the two windings. Step-up voltage is the ratio of the primary and secondary windings and input voltage. The primary (input) has fewer windings than the secondary and the wire is shorter and thicker than the secondary. This is why the secondary reads higher ohms than the primary, which almost reads as shorted. The other part of the coil is the core and is made up of metal laminates (?). It transfers the electrical field from one winding to another.

3 Important things to a coil (transformer):
1. primary to secondary ratio (step-up)
2. number of primary windings. The less windings the more current is needed to energizes and the more current out.
3. and the number of laminates in the core. The more the better. However if they are to thin, they’ll rattle.

 

[D-Roc]

thanks guys. how difficult is it to diagnose the flame system? if one has ever stopped producing spark, can the trigger wire be jumped to check for spark like the msd can?

 

[Matt_E]

Never heard of one going out.
If you don't have spark, try a fresh battery. The most common problem with older systems seems to be voltage dropping below 10V during cranking. That will cause a no-spark condition.