ASSIGNMENT 6

1.
a. Draw electrical circuit for High Tension Magneto and label it.

b. Explain the function of each labelled part.

Capacitor: to store the electrical energy and give this energy again to the circuit when
necessary.

Cam: a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming

rotary motion into linear motion. It is often a part of a rotating wheel

Breaker Points: to not only control the primary ignition, but send the electricity to each spark
plug. It allows the coil to saturate or fill with electrical current and then discharges through the
secondary circuit.

Ignition Coil: a high voltage (low current) transformer that converts the vehicle's 12 volt power
supply to the 25-30,000 volts required to jump the gap of the spark plug, thus instigating
combustion.

Distributor: to route secondary, or high voltage, current from the ignition coil to the spark
plugs in the correct firing order, and for the correct amount of time.

Spark Plug: To ignite the air/fuel mixture. Electrical energy is transmitted through the spark
plug, jumping the gap in the plugs firing end if the voltage supplied to the plug is high
enough.

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2.
a. What is flashover?
• an occurrence inside the high-tension magneto where a spark jumps to the
wrong electrode

b. How to prevent flashover?

• Made distributor larger to increase the distance.
• Use low-tension magnetos – supplies low voltage to a high-tension
transformer at the spark plug.
• Pressurized the magnetos with air above ambient to make spark difficult to
jump at high altitudes.

3.
a. Explain E-gap.
• rotating magnet at the specific number of degrees passed/beyond the neutral
position.

b. What is ‘Full Register’?

• When the magnetic poles are aligned with the pole shoes, maximum number
of flux lines flow through the core. (flux flow from north to south)

4.
a. Elaborate ‘Safety Gap’.
• Protect the secondary winding in a magneto coil.
• Provide alternate path for current if there is an open in secondary circuit.
• Any excessive voltage induce into the secondary winding jumps to safety gap
to ground.

c. List down the Auxiliary Ignition System.

• When magneto turns at slow speed, its produces relatively little voltage.
• As magneto speed increases the amount of current induced into primary
circuit increases and produced higher voltage spark.
• At low magneto speed, voltage generated is insufficient to fire a spark plug.
• To produce enough voltage to fire the spark plug is known as coming –on
speed.
• Speed is between 100 – 200 rpm.
• To start an eng. starter cannot crank eng. fast enough for magneto to reach
its coming – on speed.
• Spark normally occurs prior TDC on the compression stroke.
• Normal ignition timing can cause an eng. to kick back.

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• To prevent kick back, magneto use a second set of retard breaker points to
retard the spark during eng. starting.
• Retard mean to delayed the spark until its reaches TDC on the compression
stroke.
• Retard ignition, make it easy to start but does not increase the voltage.
• All magneto incorporate ignition booster or auxiliary ignition unit.
• Ignition booster includes:- the impulse coupling, induction vibration, shower
of spark ignition system and booster magneto.