Re: Grounding spark plugs

[frankr]

quote VinTin:

My understand is that it is not that the voltage has no place to go or that the voltage builds up…..neither is the real cause of the problem. The problem is that with no load the voltage in the secondary winding runs much higher than it does when loaded by the air gap in a spark and this high voltage can ‘punch’ through the insulation on the coper wire in the secondary winding. Once there is a path through the insulation the voltage will follow the path of least resistance and the coil is shot.

Well you are correct of course. Yes, the problem is that the no-load voltage runs much higher than normal. But the reason it runs much higher is because it has nowhere to go. When time to fire, the secondary voltage rises over time until it reaches its maximum capability or is released by jumping a gap, whichever comes first. The time lapse is almost instantly, but still takes time. As always, electricity follows its fundamental rule–it follows the path of least resistance, whether the path be arcing across a spark plug gap or arcing through the insulation around the copper coil windings. So everybody’s right.