straightshooter Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 right all when I bought my Bobby, I really didn't use her at all now that she is nearly ready for the dredded MOT. I have been running her up etc. setting up timing, sorting out the emisions etc. Now the problem is when I let her warm up then turn her off she is very difficult to start I noticed that the coil was getting very hot and as time has gone by she is becoming more and more difficult to start. The other day the coil got so hot the coil has become disfigured and I was hearing a load of crackling which I presum means the coil has burnt out. now I have a spare mounted just for such a problem connected that one and bang she started straight away, but now that coil has been on there a while same symptoms seem to be coming back. so what I have done so far is checked the current going into the coil which reads 13.4V which I have read on the net that I must be running with a non ballast system, but both the coils the spare and the burnt out one are ballast coils which should be running on a regulated 9v so I am presuming that this is why they are burning out? or am I wrong? so the question is if this is causing the problem do I a) get a non Ballast coil or b) get a ballast in place? and by the way it's running on a dual point distributer and yes the best would be to update the whole lot but funds are ight and I really can't afford that option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alsace_rangie Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Not a "sparks" but I have played around in this area... A ballast system has a resistor circuit in parallel with the main feed to the coil; this means that you get less than the full 13.4 volts (e.g. 9V) during normal running. But when you turn the starter, the ballast resistor is cut, so you get a short boost at full voltage. So if you are getting the full volatge all the time to a 9V coil intended for a ballasted system, the cold will burn out. So either rewiire the ballast system, or do without the startup boost and put in a "12V" coil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Mine had a little resistor pushed on one of the coil terminals to do as described above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 If you've got a ballasted coil, then it's going to be driven by points. They'll burn out with a non ballasted coil. So you either need to fit a ballasted coil and electronic dizzy (move from stone age to iron age), or fit a ballast resistor (stay in stone age, cheaper than iron age). Or fit EDIS and move to the space age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightshooter Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 right guys thanks for the replies ok what I have done so far I have purchased a Genuine LUCAS High Performance Standard 12v Sports Coil DLB105 which is non ballast upgrade I have also sorced a Lucas 35DLM8 Dizzy which I spent yesterday afternoon overhauling (fingers crossed it still works) so out of the stone age into the iron age that is all i can afford at the moment lol! but this is contrary to what you said TRE as I didn't wait for your replies so will the non ballast coil system be ok with the dizzy I have aquired? I also decided purchase a new rotor arm so that should be with me tomorrow and I can see if this little lot will work. In the mean time thought I would mount the coil and remove the old ones well the one that fried really did fry never looked closely at it but I did today and it had leaked the oil out of it and rattled like a gooden, so thats defo dead! another point she also had a aftermarket power amplifier fitted should I leave this in place or bin it? see below: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightshooter Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 Found an interesting article on the web if anyone is interested: http://www.burtonpower.com/tuning-guides/tuning-guide-pages/ignition-systems.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 You're quite right. I just didn't type what I was thinking in my earlier post. Points + Ballast + Ballasted coil is ok Electronic dizzy + non ballasted coil is ok Points + non ballasted coil is not ok Point + ballasted coil - ballast is not ok Interesting you had an amplifier fitted - it would probably have been ok with a non ballasted coil. An electronic dizzy is still an upgrade though. Remove the amplifier for the electronic dizzy - the dizzy has all the electronic wizardry built in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightshooter Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 The amp was already there when I bought the RR but as you say no need with the dizzy and the performance coil well we shall see tomorrow if the rotor arm arrives I can get it all set up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightshooter Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 right got the rotor arm today and rushed down the garage to fit this set up everything went in nicely and she fired up straight away apart from the fact that the battery was flat the coil is performing ok still getting a little hot but nothing like the others right now the problem is I went to set up the timing by ear and she needs to be turned further than she will turn ie the vacum advance thingy on the side of the dizzy wont allow me to turn any further as it's against the water pump housing I only need 1/2 cm if that but no go any suggestions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Move all the HT leads round 1 notch, then rotate the dizzy to compensate. Should give you loads more space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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