High Energy Ignition (HEI)

[Bookwus]

Hiya All,

What can you tell me about High Energy Ignition? Good and bad.

I have a friend in Australia who installed a kit like this.................

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Mod ... doy=search

He is amazed at the results. Noticeably more power and better gas mileage. All while using stock points.

So, I'm wondering. Have any of you had experience with this sort of set-up? Is this for real? What's the downside to it?

[hambone]

NO experience, but I'm dubious!

[Amskeptic]

I have a friend in Australia who installed a kit
He is amazed at the results. Noticeably more power and better gas mileage. All while using stock points.

Some of this is "experimenter's effect" whereupon we rationalize results to justify investment.

Interesting that the points are still being used. Think of the Pertronix Mad Dogs who blame the points for miserable performance/mileage.

The only dry rational downside I can think of to this system is that HEI systems don't like your running the engine with a pulled spark plug wire. I pull wires all the time to do a comparative rpm drop test or to see if a cylinder is not firing correctly. With a stock system, I have lots of flexibility. A really frisky HEI system, can of course, kill you.
Colin

[twinfalls]

A well designed ignition is just perfect as long as it is maintained right.
Yesterday my Golf II gave me hell on a cold humid morning.
I am not going to rush to a "better ignition".
I will put it back on specs.
Two drops of oil at the felt in the dizzy.
May be, new dizzy rotor, cap and wires. Or just cleaning.
Wires are damn costly.


Back to, bay window bus ignition;

What do you think about, this mod:
Fitting a coil that needs a ballast resistor.
And, do a wiring trick to "remove" the ballast while cranking.

[Amskeptic]

What do you think about, this mod:
Fitting a coil that needs a ballast resistor.
And, do a wiring trick to "remove" the ballast while cranking.

If you HAVE to use a ballast-modified coil, then yes, you need to run a wire from the starter solenoid to the coil for a full 12 volts. But remember, VW knew all about the 26 feet of wire from the battery to the ignition switch and back to the coil, it is already "ballasted."

But a decent application-appropriate coil will fire 4 little plugs at a measly 7.3:1 compression ratio at a piddling 5,400 rpm just fine.
Colin