Home › Forum › Ask A Member › General ignition question…. › Re: General ignition question….
Interesting topic. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I’ve seen the progression through the years. Back in the early 1960’s we had lots of trouble with those larger and inefficient motors wet fouling spark plugs. So that glorious battery CD ignition was invented. State of the art, but not very good. Then along came the Mag CD systems that are still being used in many motors. Let’s face it, they work pretty well. And lawn mowers, motorcycles, and chainsaws use systems that are patterned after it. However, most but not all lawn mowers are single cylinder and can get away with a simple coil unit and a pair of magnets and for the most part run at constant speed (well not motorcycles). But outboards present bigger challenges. We now have stuff like V-6 engines with electricity-eating power trim, etc. So ways to make those 6 cylinders fire at the right time and also have room to put a 35 Amp alternator in there were needed. Not to even mention the need to make it run wonderfully at any speed.
So I know this doesn’t answer the question why a lawn mower unit won’t work on a Lightwin. I guess it is progress and we need to learn to live with it. This same progress is why I can’t work on my own car anymore.