On 13 Sep 2002 at 9:02, Davgil@aol.com wrote:
> My question revolves
> around the measurement of dwell angle when using a Crane electronic ignition
> system instead of points....so I am curious as to what,
> if anything, the dwell angle in this case means.
Dwell angle is meaningless with an optical or magnetic pickup. It is
the amount of time the points stay closed. (Or is it open, I forget,
it's been so long since I worried about it.) You need a certain
amount of time for the current in the coil to build back up after
each firing. This amount of time is controlled by how the cam
follower on the points tracks the cam lobes on the dizzy shaft. In
other words, it is a purely mechanical matter. You can measure it as
either the gap when the points are fully open or as the amount of
time (acutally rotation angle) that the points stay closed vs. open.
You control it by resetting the gap but dwell angle is generally a
more precise measurement. But it isn't super critical. You can
spend your entire life setting the gap instead of the dwell angle,
and never miss a night's sleep over it.
--
Jim Muller
jimmuller@pop.rcn.com
'80 Spitfire, '70 GT6+
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