TCI Replacement 2020 It Works

[Team Junk]

So the Gonzo Box is good to 8500 RPM at least.
300 cc single so pretty close to the 650's 325 cylinder size.
Little more sharply tuned than the 650. I think the Gonzo advance curve is fine.

 

[Team Junk]

Acme Industries is proud to announce the successful initial testing of a new design.

The Gonzo Coil

Coil pack for v6 Government Motors v6 $9.00 Amazon
2 of the 4 plug wires in autozone wire set $5.00 ($10 for the set).
2 NGK plug caps. ~~ $4.00 Each Auto zone.

Pictured is a ballast resistor. turns out not needed

I don't trust the VOM I used to test the primary resistance but it is very low.

Low enough that I think the Gonzo will fire the stock points coils in parallel.
Will try that next.

 

[Jim]

I don't trust the VOM I used to test the primary resistance but it is very low.

Low enough that I think the Gonzo will fire the stock points coils in parallel.

You know off hand what the pri resistance of the GN250 coil is?

 

[Team Junk]

Have never been able to find a spec. Actually the more pertinent spec would be the coil for the Loncin 300 coil as I now am convinced that what these boxes are actually produced for. The fact Loncin copied the GN250 design ( I hope by license ) makes it work on the Suzuki.
Two 650 coils in parallel should be higher than this coil.

I hope to do some more tests in the next day or so.
Was 72 degrees today but several days from now forecast for snow and a low of 10. The old saying in Texas is if you don't like the weather wait 15 minutes and it will change.

 

[Team Junk]

Found my better VOM and this coil has a sub 1 OHM resistance. The odd thing is the ammeter that feeds the test stand doesn't register any current flow when its running. ???

Anyway this is encouraging because it looks like the power transistor in the Gonzo box has a pretty high current capability so pretty much any non CDI coil should work with it.

I ran it for a good 5 minutes without any issues.
I found my other stock points coil so will wire the pair in parallel and see how it does. Would be nice to have the option of using the stock points coils.

The good news is I have spare gonzo boxes now so tests to destruction are possible.

Reports from the western front to follow.

 

[jetmechmarty]

You're saying I should hang onto my 0.5 ohm Accel coils? Have you tried a coil like that? I'll send you one if you need to try it.

 

[Team Junk]

You're saying I should hang onto my 0.5 ohm Accel coils?

.

It's looking like low ohm coils will work. I think this GM coil is somewhere in the same neighborhood .4 -.6 ohms.
One thing I can say is that it's throwing a brighter spark in comparison to the MP08.
So far the gonzo is retaining it's smoke firing it.
More to come. It's over 50 degrees outside now which is the point I can hangout in the barn.

 

[Team Junk]

Test conditions
D555 ACDelco coil pack 1996-2005 Buick LeSabre V6 3.8L
Pair of very high mileage Bosch spark plugs from Ingrid my Volvo 740 (she's Swedish don't ja know)
gap .040 inch
New set of wires from Autozone Duralast wireset 4636

 

[Grimly]

A purpley white spark is good.

 

[Team Junk]

Stock points coils wired in parallel. No condensers
~2.1 ohms

 

[Team Junk]

Working on a setup to record the signal from the pickup so that I can run the gonzo without having to listen to the racket from the test dyno so I can do longer runs.
Will test the stock points coils for an extended period. Reduces the cost of points conversion significantly and allows the possibility of a points backup ignition. win,win

 

[Jim]

Will test the stock points coils for an extended period. Reduces the cost of points conversion significantly and allows the possibility of a points backup ignition. win,win

Since you're paralleling the coils, what's the odds of a slight resistance imbalance between the coils causing one hot and one weak plug?

 

[Team Junk]

Both coils get the full 12 volts on the hot side and the gonzo simply grounds them both so I would think both should give whatever jolt to the plugs they are capable of . I have to tell you that these coils came in the pickup truck load of stuff I bought last year and the wire that is hooked up to one plug that I show sparking looks like crap and the other is somewhat better looking cheapo yellow wire but they are both sparking pretty well.

 

[Jim]

and the gonzo simply grounds them both

Whoops... yeah, brain fart, forgot we're just workin' the gnd side of the coils.... never mind.

 

[Team Junk]

Been walking past this sight all morning and listening to bikes go by so screw it ,had to go for a ride.

 

[Team Junk]

They say money can't make you happy but the last 5 weeks has been expensive, property taxes, the R3, a clutch install on Ingrid, BBK and associated stuff, anniversary dinner last night that included a a. very nice filet and lobster mac and cheese. I can tell you I feel pretty happy

 

[Team Junk]

I might add that most of that is courtesy of my former employer. I "retired " 2 years ago this week. The 5 "Managers" they have gone through trying to replace me have screwed up things so badly that the publisher had to hold her nose and has had me trying to clean up the mess. She made me a "offer I couldn't refuse " that has paid for the play prettys. They say the best revenge is to live well.

 

[Team Junk]

A comparison of the GM coil and the MP08 clone.

 

[Team Junk]

You're saying I should hang onto my 0.5 ohm Accel coils? Have you tried a coil like that?

Been thinking about it and those should work fine with a $5.00 ballast resistor. That should give enough margin to be safe long term.

 

[lakeview]

A Pair of Magic Boxes
Ordered a couple weeks ago and delivered by a uniformed government employee today.