Unknown Electronic Ignition

[pacerpilot]

This a little embarrassing but, can somebody remind me what kind of ignition this is? I pulled it off my Sonerai many beers ago and have forgotten its name etc. Thanks

[1600vw]

To me it looks like some sort of alternator. But I know nothing about this, its just a guess.

[Dana]

Electronic ignition, or some kind oddball magneto?

[rwanttaja]

The two wires coming out of the end don't look like they're connected to a built-in distributor. And there's only two wires, which makes it unlikely that the unit is a ignition system for the 4-cylinder VWs they put on Sonerais. Can you shoot another picture, showing the end where the wires come out?

Also, it looks like it has a fairly narrow mounting flange. Don't see any long oblong slots that would let it be turned to adjust timing.

My vote is also on it being a generator/alternator of some sort.

Ron Wanttaja

[pacerpilot]

Here's a couple more pics Ron. It's definitely the ignition, the trigger assembly or something. I can't remember exactly. The leads are like 18ga-22ga so it's not producing power. I do remember they went to the ignition "box"-CDI. It's mount is standard crank drive/mag style VW. I still have the "drive puck" and flange clamps. It mounted in the middle of an X mount. Thanks for the help!
4780
4781

[rwanttaja]

Can you post a picture of the end that has the distributor cap (opposite to the drive end)?

Ron Wanttaja

[cub builder]

This is likely a hall effect trigger for a CDI type ignition. LightSpeed sells something similar to replace a magneto that can be used to trigger their ignition. It couples to a magneto gear in a similar manor. I wonder if this isn't an early model of the light speed ignition trigger set up for a VW engine? Look at the bottom of this page for their latest model. http://www.lightspeedengineering.com/Products/Ignition.htm


The wiring connections make sense. 12v in spliced together to supply both halves, ground spliced together to ground both halves, and 2 separate triggers to fire a pair of dual coils with a waste a spark type ignition.

-Cub Builder

[rwanttaja]

The wiring connections make sense. 12v in spliced together to supply both halves, ground spliced together to ground both halves, and 2 separate triggers to fire a pair of dual coils with a waste a spark type ignition.
Gotcha, thanks for the explanation. I'm too used to traditional mags.... :-)

Ron Wanttaja

[pacerpilot]

That's it Cub Builder!!! Thanks, I remember now. I pulled it to install a slick and secondary electronic ignition when I went to dual plug heads.

Thanks again,

Guy