Sports ignition coils and performance coil packs

[obi_waynne]

Lets look at the job of the coil in the spark system and see what it does. Just as a power transformer converts mains 240 volts into a usable 9 volts for your charger or appliance a coil will increase the voltage. A car battery/alternator will produce a paltry 12volts, certainly not enough to jump an air gap and create a spark. An ignition coil raises the voltage in some installations between 20 and up to 40,000 volts and this allows the creation of a spark which can jump the air gap between the plugs.

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[Aerial Andy944]

The coilpacks on Skyline are notorious for shorting out quickly. Some users would put tape around them to try prevent it. I replaced mine with RBM ones but they kept failing so eventually managed to get some Splitfire ones which were phenomenal so I'm in the 'they are a good upgrade' on the right engine.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

With forced induction depending on boost levels the plug gap may have to be closed a little to prevent spark blow out and installing replacement coils with higher performance coils will/should eliminate this.

Obi you may want to edit the 2nd last paragraph in the article as it to me doesn't make sense as "the cylinder"can't possibly damage the spark plug IMO

Plugs can be damaged by detonation OR incorrect heat range (been there done that resulting from a bad tune from a so called guru)

 

[obi_waynne]

With forced induction depending on boost levels the plug gap may have to be closed a little to prevent spark blow out and installing replacement coils with higher performance coils will/should eliminate this.

Obi you may want to edit the 2nd last paragraph in the article as it to me doesn't make sense as "the cylinder"can't possibly damage the spark plug IMO

Plugs can be damaged by detonation OR incorrect heat range (been there done that resulting from a bad tune from a so called guru)

Thanks for that, in all the years that article has been up I've never spotted that error!

 

[HDi fun]

I remember being fascinated by plug technology and selection for differing applications, thanks to a bunch of early 80's motor mechanics mags I picked up at a junk sale. Materials and technology have both changed, the chemists and metallurgists are clever. And road car engines today are far more highly tuned in terms of volumetric efficiency (bhp-per-litre), which puts greater demands on components.

 

[obi_waynne]

Plugs that last 4-8 years were unheard of 20-30 years ago! They just fouled up and needed cleaning every 6 months! Things really have moved on a lot.

 

[HDi fun]

Yes. I had 80,000 mile plugs in the 528i.