Ignition System

The ignition system is designed to transform the low voltage from the battery or generator to the high tension voltage required to produce the sparks that ignite the compressed mixture of air and fuel in the combustion chamber. This system consist of the ignition coil, the distributor, the spark plugs, and high and low tension wires.

Ignition Coil- This is a transformer designed to step up the 6 or 12 volts from the battery to approximately 20,000 volts.

Distributor- The distributor which is driven by the camshaft, sends the high tension current it recieves from the ignition coil to the proper spark plug at the correct instant that the corresponding piston reaches the top of the compression stroke. The high tension current enters the distributor cap at the center and passes to the rotor. As the rotor rotates within the distributor housing, it distributes the current to each cap terminal in proper firing order.

Spark Plug- This type of plug consist of two electrodes. The central electrode is connected to the cap terminal of the distributor. The side electrode is connected to the ground. The gap between the electrodes causes the current to create a spark which explodes the mixture of air and fuel.