First ride, first breakdown

[Ventodue]

<snip> I understand how the coil works, as well as points and condenser. What I did NOT understand is the way these components work together in this particular ignition system <snip>

Just to post a very good point that Rick first made (albeit in a message that has since disappeared). Thank you Rick.

Confusion may arise because the Mark 3 ignition is an energy transfer system. The relevance of this is that battery-fired and ET systems work in opposite ways. The first operates by rising field, the second by collapsing. So the points in each system perform an opposite function too.

Diagram Kettering vs Energy transfer.jpg

[Rick]

I read what I posted and realized I made a mistake- got distracted before I corrected it, here is what I should have written:

In the battery/coil system power comes into one end of the primary coil and the other end of the coil goes through the contact breaker to ground- with the points open there’s no current flowing through the primary winding. When the points close, current flows to ground and uses the secondary windings to induce a field around the core- when the points open again the field collapses and generates the spark.
In the energy transfer system the contact breaker is wired in parallel to the primary coil input and other end of the coil is connected directly to ground- not through the points. So, with the points closed current is diverted from the primary side to ground - when the points open the inrush of current through the primary winding generates the spark.

Rick

[Romomoto]

Thanks Rick and Ventodue. I understand it now.

[Harvey]

I read what I posted and realized I made a mistake- got distracted before I corrected it, here is what I should have written:

In the battery/coil system power comes into one end of the primary coil and the other end of the coil goes through the contact breaker to ground- with the points open there’s no current flowing through the primary winding. When the points close, current flows to ground and uses the secondary windings to induce a field around the core- when the points open again the field collapses and generates the spark.
In the energy transfer system the contact breaker is wired in parallel to the primary coil input and other end of the coil is connected directly to ground- not through the points. So, with the points closed current is diverted from the primary side to ground - when the points open the inrush of current through the primary winding generates the spark.

Rick

Giday Rick and all, it is a tricky system to understand, but if you look at it as ‘Energy Transfer’ it makes sense.
With the points closed the energy produced, is low voltage, high amps, flowing through the points to ground.
When the points open the energy changes from low amps, to high voltage (about 350V) that flows through the primary winding and with the turns ratio, the secondary produces the high voltage for the spark.