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Author Topic: Coil On plug retrofit  (Read 25990 times)

bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #45 on: June 13, 2006, 10:28:59 PM »
Hmmm, I do not doubt that the master tech guy knows his stuff...but cutting off the tabs should not hurt anything.  The magnetic field carrying capacity of the bracket was surely designed around the size of the main portion of the bracket.  The bosses for the bolts probably do not have any effect if removed.  Now, I guess we will just have to see, but I would put $ down that cutting them off does not do anything.

To say that the coild will not charge at all...that was my tipoff that the tech, while knowledgeable, perhaps does not understand the theory behind E&M (not that I am a physicist myself or anything).  Cutting them off might change some fundamental resonant magnetic frequency, or lower the maximum instantaneous field carrying capacity of the bracket, but it in NO WAY would cause the thing to stop functioning/charging the secondary coil.  It was either a BIG exaggeration, or a showing of not understanding how the device works.  A lot of mechanics, especially older ones, just do not have the grasp of electronic principles needed to know HOW modern cars work (since modern ones have waaay too many electronics).  Anyway, not trying to be rude in any way, just saying my $.02.

I drew up a bracket real quick in CAD.  Not quite adhering to the KISS principle, but I do not want anything falling off.  Here are a few pics (I got lazy on the shading/bump mapping, that's why it looks like crap).
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5
« Last Edit: June 13, 2006, 10:41:36 PM by bmwman91 »
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D. Clay

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Oh yeah!
« Reply #46 on: June 13, 2006, 11:57:21 PM »
Hooray for CAD! I especially love the slots for the OEM plastic piece. Aluminum can be purchased in strap of different sizes and heat treats maling fabrication easier.

A TIG welder might eliminate a few pieces.

A question: do the coils need to be grounded. I have the Haynes manual for an E36 and there are steel pieces that connect the coils to each other and a ground wire to a stud on the front of the motor. The 318is coils are probably grounded to the fender apron.
 
bmwman91, that's some serious modeling. I for one appreciate it! That stuff has come a long way with the computer power available on a desktop. I can remember when it would have taken 20 minutes to render each of your drawings.
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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #47 on: June 14, 2006, 12:23:23 AM »
Haha, yeah things have come along quite far.  Here I am bitching about it looking crappy, but yeah, 5 or 7 years ago, even that would have been something.  Oh well, if I am not getting paid to have it look flawless, it probably won't, at least not something this quick.

These will be grounded, through the brackets that are getting welded onto the coils' outer metal ring (I have a MIG welder, fine for steel, which I was planning on using), which connect to the main bracket (hehe I guess it functions as a bus bar sorta), to the 2 smaller brackets, then into the valve cover through the 2 bottom bolts.

I avoided welding it together for assembly reasons: you have to be able to do the 2 bottom bolts without anything on top...there is NO way to get a wrench in there otherwise.  I also did not want my coil packs to be permanently attached to the main bracket, just the small bucket-brackets.
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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #48 on: June 14, 2006, 12:28:43 AM »
Heh, crap I need to rotate one of the 2 lower brackets 180deg.  The connector will not fit on the coil over cylinder 1!  At least not safely...I do not want any wires to be all crammed in there! (the coil connectors will be facing the firewall)
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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #49 on: June 15, 2006, 12:27:14 AM »
Hokay,

I fitted the coils on and checked out the fit with the S50 coil/plug boots.  Leaving the valve cover alone, they DO make contact, barely.  Not good enough...after the springs inside settle this will be a big problem.  I want another 4-5mm of seating depth before I feel confident enough to drive this 400 miles to SoCal for a road trip.  Sooo...

This weekend when I helicoil my head (the threads that hold on the valve cover are like 9/15 of holes stripped), I will machine the valve cover.  Those ~9mm raised bosses around the plug holes are gonna get taken down ~5mm.  It is that simple...then the coil will sit where I want it to on the plug head.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I modeled a coil for fun.  If anyone wants a copy of the file, I can export it to a number of common formats, although some parts will lose their texture data.  I guess if you just want to be able to get the measurements off of it, then its all good.

Pics:







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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #50 on: June 15, 2006, 12:33:48 AM »
And an obligatory wireframe shot.  Yes, I did EACH individual slat in the transformer core.  There are 45 layers...didn't count...measured thickness of 1 and divided it into the overall thickness.  I wasn't THAT bored.

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D. Clay

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Better and better.
« Reply #51 on: June 15, 2006, 11:17:27 AM »
This is turning into a real professional bit of work. Milling the valve cover gets out of the plug and play approach. Check the terminal nut below. It could be extended with a sleeve or washers and resecured with loc-tite. A longer threaded piece doesn't seem to be available. This would still maintain the plug and play concept and preserve going back to OEM. If that doesn't get it a new terminal nut could be created . Another possibility:
ISO (International Standards Organization) is an international organization which establishes standards for the production of automobiles and there parts. The ISO height for a spark plug from the seat to the top of the terminal nut is 50.5mm (1.98")

JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) is a Japanese organization which establishes standards for the production of Japanese automobiles and there parts. The JIS height for a spark plug from the seat to the top of the terminal nut is 53mm (2.086")

« Last Edit: June 15, 2006, 11:57:20 AM by D. Clay »
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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #52 on: June 15, 2006, 02:23:53 PM »
Hmmm, I forgot that the terminal was just threaded in there...I guess I can check & see how much I could space it out from the top.  If I machined the valve cover, it would still work with the OEM setup just fine.  I would not mill it flat...there would still be 4-5mm sticking up for the plug wire boots to go over.

Zerofrez got some coil to plug boots that are 6-7mm longer than the ones I am using.  They sound perfect for the application, however they were a lot more costly (they were from the Euro M3) than the US S50 ones I got (mine were $7/ea through Pelican Parts, his wuold have been $20/ea + special ordering shipping).
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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #53 on: June 15, 2006, 02:36:48 PM »
Hmmm, I DO have some stainless round bar stock at home.  I could turn out a custom one on the lathe in my garage if need be...not ALL terminals are removable.
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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #54 on: June 15, 2006, 10:34:21 PM »
Lol, postwhoring it up again.

I added some detail to the coil.  Enjoy.

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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #55 on: June 16, 2006, 01:14:57 AM »
Alright, sorry for the 4-in-a-row.

I took a bunch of pics over the past couple days.  I put them in a quick webpage with descriptions (ripped off the format from my suspension rebuild documentary lol).

Enjoy:
BANG!  ...ow my eye
« Last Edit: June 18, 2006, 03:04:16 AM by bmwman91 »
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zerofreez

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #56 on: June 16, 2006, 11:22:03 AM »
Lets see it with all four coils on the valvecover and wires ran :)

Possibly a test run?
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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #57 on: June 16, 2006, 11:34:21 AM »
Quote from: zerofreez
Lets see it with all four coils on the valvecover and wires ran :)

Possibly a test run?


This weekend.  Hopefully it will fun fine.  I doubt the welding damaged anything, but who is to say.

I think I will run 2 side-rails of like .25x.25" bar, with cross pieces over the tapped boltheads where I will use threaded studs to secure them down.  I think I will add grounding straps to the coils as well...like drill small holes into thhe iron slats and screw on some 12ga wire.
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zerofreez

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #58 on: June 16, 2006, 04:37:59 PM »
I highly doubt that you need grounding straps.  Almost every other coil ive seen doesnt have an external metal mount, its all plastic.
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bmwman91

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Coil On plug retrofit
« Reply #59 on: June 16, 2006, 05:31:49 PM »
Really?  Well, that is good to know.  There is NO place where the coil's body seems to ground?
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