Electronic ignition against points & condenser

[neil 524]

Has anyone fitted the Electronic ignition kits to a Kohler engine ? How do they compare to standard points ignition? How easy are they to fit , how do they fit ?

[Stormin 4,458]

  I fitted electronic ignition to my Mountfield last year. Not a kit like that and not sure if it would fit a Kohler. So I'm not really much help, except to say I was happy with the result. See my post  "B&S 11hp April '14".

[Ian 2,417]

No idea Neil, but it could be interesting to find out..

[S1g 579]

I've fitted the blue atom many times to kohlers, they allways start easily and run well. You simply cut the wire to the points and condenser and connect up.I've found with the blue atom though that you have to connect the wires back to front to the instructions. My father ran a kohler gem commercially for about ten years with one and never had any issues. Would imagine the one photod will work the same.

[neil 524]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KOHLER-ENGINE-K-SERIES-ELECTRONIC-IGNITION-MODULE-/321690909832?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4ae645bc88

Here is the Ebay link that made me curious

I did buy a set once from a different supplier but never got round to fitting them. I heard that they were a good reliable solution , before I buy another set I am curious to find out any pitfalls or preferences to standard points ingnition

[Wristpin 399]

I've fitted dozens of the Meco brand units to various engines over the years to both 2 and 4 stroke engines but interestingly the only case of incompatibility was when I tried one on a Kohler - timing issue and nearly snatched my hand off. 

However, the unit that you illustrate is the one sold by a man who specialises in Kohlers so should be fine in that application. 

The Atom units used to come in different colours for different applications but I haven't seen them on offer for ages.

The great plus point of the electronic modules is that they are "fit and forget" so when used on old Villiers 4 stroke engines etc they eliminate the need to remove cowlings to scrabble about cleaning and adjusting points through the port hole in the flywheel.

Allegedly the clever electronics give automatic advance and retard but that's a bit smoke and mirrors to me!

One word of warning, if you are thinking of fitting one to an engine with the type of centrifugal ignition rev limiter  such as on a two stroke  Allen Scythe be aware that by eliminating the points you disable the rev limiter !!!! There is a way round that issue but I digress!!

Edited March 29, 2015 by Wristpin

[S1g 579]

I've fitted dozens of the Meco brand units to various engines over the years to both 2 and 4 stroke engines but interestingly the only case of incompatibility was when I tried one on a Kohler - timing issue and nearly snatched my hand off. 

However, the unit that you illustrate is the one sold by a man who specialises in Kohlers so should be fine in that application. 

The Atom units used to come in different colours for different applications but I haven't seen them on offer for ages.

The great plus point of the electronic modules is that they are "fit and forget" so when used on old Villiers 4 stroke engines etc they eliminate the need to remove cowlings to scrabble about cleaning and adjusting points through the port hole in the flywheel.

Allegedly the clever electronics give automatic advance and retard but that's a bit smoke and mirrors to me!

One word of warning, if you are thinking of fitting one to an engine with the type of centrifugal ignition rev limiter  such as on a two stroke  Allen Scythe be aware that by eliminating the points you disable the rev limiter !!!! There is a way round that issue but I digress!!

I believe that the atoms were discontinued about 10 years ago, having said that I had a few in stock and used my last one last year on a howard 350.

[Stormin 4,458]

For magneto ignition only. Not battery ignition.  

[meadowfield 1,900]

I have to say I'm a fan of the magnum setup, no points, magneto type setup. Like Briggs and Stratton. I doubt it can be added to the older k series though

[hitchinsm 4]

I have sold and fitted hundreds of them.

 

Works perfectly on all K series with magneto coils, takes about as long to fit as to fit points and a condenser, once it is fitted just forget about it. Engine will start easier and run smoother. When I go out to non starters I do not waste a micro second on points and condenser, I automatically change to electronic ignition.

 

The issue that I have is with the poor quality of the points that are being manufactured today, watch the moving side of the points floating about whilst you are trying to set the ignition timing.

 

The module does not vary the ignition timing, it senses peak voltage in the magneto coil generated by the fixed flywheel magnets then triggers ignition. If you put a strobe timing light in the circuit you will see that the timing is dead on at all rpm.

 

The Mighty Atom modules that where developed and made in Australia have not been about for sometime, they worked on similar principles to the one I sell.

 

By the way the picture is copy righted.

 

Mike

[Ian 2,417]

That's good to know Mike   I will have to invest in one when I next get something with a K series engine,