I was trying to check the output voltage of a spare coil pack. I hooked some test leads from my trolling motor battery to the + and - terminals on the coil pack. Then I tried to read the voltage from the spring to the "E" terminal and/or the - terminal with a good high voltage meter. I got no reading at all and after about a minute the coil pack get pretty hot. One thing I didn't try was to read from the spring to the hole that bolts the pack to the engine. My questions are: What is the "E" terminal? Where does the spring voltage reference to? (ground, I know, but where on the coil pack?) What should the voltage be? I have a lot of experience with steam boilers and the ignition voltage there is usually 6,000 to 10,000 volts. Also, I think I read where someone tested their coil packs and they were 11 ohms. My spare and a good one off the car both read one ohm. (testing the + terminal to the - terminal) I thought injectors were supposed to be around 11-12 ohms. What are coil packs supposed to be?
The boiler ignition transformers get weaker over time and lead to failure of igniton. Even though the igniter will still spark, the spark is smaller and weaker. I'm wondering if new coil packs would improve performance, even though the old ones do work. OK, let the debate start.

 

my coil packs tested at 11.2 across the board. that was a test between the two left most terminals at the plug, i never found any other routes to test, particularly off the spring, which I would have liked to know. i'll be watching

 

yeah, I know what your saying. I haven't played with them for a while. It would make sense that between the spring and the third terminal should be the secondary coil. but the mounting point would be a much better (shorter) return path for the high voltage.

 

e might be the trigger wire for them to fire

 

but thats what the transistor pack is for, but its a possibility.

 

i know i have a vg but whatever. i put an ignition box and coil and i noticed a big difference. maybe not power wise cause of all the other mods i have. but the fact that i save so much gas. i dont keep track now but i saved almost 10 bucks the first week i had it. and i used to commute 2 hrs a day for school. ive had mine for a year and it has already paid itself off.

 

Yeah, I don't know why more vg people haven't upgraded their coil, it doesn't even have to be an MSD upgrade to see a difference.

 

I wondered about that. That might explain why I couldn't read an output, because I wasn't making it fire.

 

that's my theory