coils,

[1977cherokeechief]

can i replace my stock coil with this one???:
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM%2DG5220&N=700+4294925143+4294890813+4294891681+4294890812+ 115&autoview=sku

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/norm/sum-g5220_m.jpg (http://store.summitracing.com/largeimage.asp?part=SUM-G5220&Prod=Summit+Street+Coils&img=sum-g5220.jpg)


someone please school me on ign, systems!!!!

is there a way to get rid of the stock ign.module without really having to replace anything?

[joe]

I'd say do a search for "HEI and "TFI" but the search function here won't do 3 letter word searches. :(
It's a beat to death topic but here goes anyway....I'd consider swapping to a one wire HEI system from Zack(Z&M), Bulltear, Tom Wendell etc. Clean/easy swap. TFI is good too but with a 77 you'd have to swap the dizzy anyway to a Duraspark dizzy so may as well go HEI all at once.

[1977cherokeechief]

i am considering that, but just for now i was wondering if this coil would work so i could at least get a little hotter spark. until i could afford to go to junkyard and look for a complete 79+ chevy HEI distrubiter.


the main question i was wondering was, do you need to have 2 wires to run a a coil, or just one switched on/off with the key?

[Blue & Gray]

The coil has to have at least 2 wires going to it, one -, one +. It's a switch of sorts that has to have a signal from both wires to work.

If your wanting a nifty bolt on swap that looks sexy, investigate your local parts store, you'd have two choices usually, a yellow Accell "Super Stock" coil or the better choice an MSD "Blaster SS". Either way it cost roughly the same as your mail order deal your looking at. Easier to return also if for some reason you change your mind. The round "Can Coil" is somewhat generic really either option would work an give you a nice looking coil and maybe a bit warmer spark.


Changing a coil with "Hi-Po" brand like MSD or Accell isn't gong to give you an entire new system, it works the same as before and it could be argued if you gain much of anything really except the reliablity of new item that is used every time you drive.


You didn't say what system your looking at replacing the coil on, the V8 or I6 rig, both use a can coil and both are BID's I think. To rid either rig of it's little gold module you have to have something doing it's function. For both trucks there is the alternative of swapping in HEI, the V8 your kinda stuck at around $150 for the custom made dizzy, the 6 I told you about allready, it could cost what that coil cost if you find it right. Either way the HEI system gets rid of the stock module and stock can coil, as that HEI has it's own much smaller module underneath the rotor. It's a neat and clean system and lots of folks like it for that.


For the V8 you can swap in a later model ignition system and you have options there also. You could do the TFI upgrade to a later model ignition system or wire in an MSD box that has you using the dizzy and can coil only, the MSD box replaces the stock ignition module, it now serves that function. If you were to go HEI on both engines you could still swap in the an MSD box, it wires in place of the little module under the rotor, same principal, the MSD box replaces all wiring really no matter what system you install in on. The MSD box has 2 wires to the coil, 2 wires to the dizzy, 2 wires to the battery and one to switched 12v. I hope this helps.

[aerocorey]

Nate, when I was learning about ignitions and asking the questions you're asking now I found this:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/ignition-system.htm

Don't know if it's too dumb to help you out, but it helped me have a better frame of reference to use when I thought about ignition stuff.

[nograin]

You can do a search on 'coil' or ignition.

Basically, if the coil is working, there is little if no gain to be had by removing weight from your wallet.

High performance coils often differ from stock coils in that they have a different turn ratio and primary and secondary resistances. That's fine if you have moved your power band up in the rpm range, say to 3000-5000 rpm.
It is also useful IF something has been changed that required higher voltage to jump the gap on the spark plugs. However, if nothing has been changed, then ability to produce a higher voltage spark is irrelavent. Voltage is determined by the spark plug gap and resistances on the way there.

On a standard oil filled coil, it is difficult to make it more efficient. So the high performance coils basically have traded off the ability to generate a higher voltage for less current discharging. That's not a gain for spark quality.

The 'TFI Coil' is a coil with an E-core style winding. It is more efficient, has a different shape housing to accomodate the 'E core which is set in epoxy or other solid material rather than oil. I've looked at MSD's Blaster SS, but looking at the specs versus other torque oriented coils, my suggestion is that of MSD's products, their TFI replacement is probably closer match to most FSJ needs.

My .02 is that you'll better spend that money on high quality cap, rotor and wires WHEN they need replacing. High quality is not the same as high performance. There is a lot of junk sold in the high performance market unfortunately.

[BarryL]

Listen to nograin. He has summed it up nicely.

[1977cherokeechief]

sorry i did not specify which truck it was goin into,

i was looking for a different coil for my j10 that has the 258. what i was looking at was trying to get a "hotter" spark until i can find a HEI out of a chevy like what blue&gray has mentioned before. i am having a hard time finding a junk/salvage yard that has one. i have called about 8 different salvage yards and each one said no dice.