I spoke to Kenne Bell today and they said the only real benefit would be to control or prevent spark plug blow out. I would think there should be more to it than that. If we increase the discharge capacity of our ignition, there has to be more power and torque to be made.
Ronnie, am I being over ambitious with my thought process?
These can be purchased on Ebay for $250.00 or I believe directly from Kenne Bell for $275.00.
Remember, if a plug requires 38,450 volts to fire (for example) and the ignition system CAN PROVIDE the 38,450 volts, the plug will fire. If the plugs need more for some reason and the ignition system has a voltage reserve, that is a good thing. The ignition system will keep on firing the plugs until...
As plugs wear, the voltage required to fire them goes up. What happens then, is a morbid downward spiral because now the plug's firing tip is worn and is perhaps firing weaker than normal; and actually LATER than it should. In effect, the timing of that cylinder, or cylinders, is too late (retarded). Power and gas mileage start to both drop.
Fortunately, modern ignition systems have enough energy to light a small town and rarely will a cylinder actually go into a dead misfire condition in "normal" performance use.
But it is still important to change plugs in these engines fairly often. A plug doesn't have to be in misfire mode to be costing you power and mileage.
As mentioned in the article, CD ignition systems have a high intensity albeit SHORT duration spark. That system (obviously),
will light a mixture. If for some reason, the flame goes out or tries to go out (for whatever the reason) an engine can't make make optimum power. In the case of CD ignition, it has a SHORT time to do it's thing. A longer duration spark or M.S.D. systems have the capacity to fire again and make sure the fire stays lit if there is an issue in that cylinder.
The design of a combustion chamber is part of the key. Without mentioning any particular brands, some combustion chambers are MUCH better in this area than others. Add cylinder pressure via forced induction, a higher static compression ratio to a cylinder head that already has "issues" and you are compounding the problem.
It is physically harder for an electric spark to jump a gap and light a fire under high(er) cylinder pressure conditions; like when forced induction is added or comparable mods to build more pressure than stock. So, the gap often needs to be reduced by the installer until a sweet-spot is found.
Regardless: Incomplete combustion, FOR WHATEVER THE REASON is lost power, it's that simple.
An ignition system that packs a whallop and has a long-duration spark may indeed allow that engine to produce more power. The parts work hard to bring a nice mixture into the cylinder with the hopes of building (high) cylinder pressure when it is lit. It is a shame when all of those components are let down by an inadequate ignition system.
I tend to gap plugs as wide as possible as it starts a larger flame front burning. And that is what it is, a BURN. A nice burn that starts with the spark plug, travels throughout the combustion chamber (which of course the piston is also part of that chamber at this time) and produces torque from that energy.
Detonation is often caused when the mixture is ignited by something else in the chamber (a hot chunk of carbon, for example, but there are MANY other causes) and then TWO flame fronts collide (one by the actual spark plug and the second by something else) and serious damage is often right behind..due to mechanical shock and heat.
Sorry, but I am out of time right now..
Hope this helps.
Ronnie
