what spark plug you using with electronic ignition?

have a 730 gas with electronic ignition, been using Autolite 3116 plugs in all our 2 cylinders but wondering if there is something better or if we
need anything different on the electronic system. its the Pertronix system with the flame thrower coil. we were told not to use copper plug wires with
these systems so we have carbon core wires on it.
 
Mechanical fit and heat-range stays the same regardless of the ignition system you are using. Flamethrower coil offers maybe 25% more maximum voltage potential over the stock coil. That voltage consistently runs higher only if you increase the plug gap over stock settings. Again, this has nothing to do with the make and part # spark plugs used.

Which Pertronix system do you have? Standard Ignitor, Ignitor II, or something else?
 
Dear jd, good question, here's my take: First of all a spark plugs heat range (hotter or colder plug) has to do with its heat dissipation capacity and its temperature (NOT a hotter "spark") and that's true REGARDLESS if a stock coil and points ignition orrrrrrrrrr a solid state electronic switch is turning coil current on and off. So, if a certain plugs reach and design and temperature is correct for a certain engine, that isn't changed (much if any at all) just because you switch coil current on and off with a solid state switch versus mechanical points.

HOWEVER there may be a bit more to the story and that has to do with the use of Resistor (like similar heat range Autolite 386 & 388) or NON resistor 3116 Autolite spark plugs. The thing is SOME of the high energy high voltage capacity after market electronic ignition systems REQUIRE THE USE OF RESISTIVE/SUPPRESSOR PLUG WIRES versus copper core stock type wires. YOU SHOULD CHECK WITH PERTRONIX FOR PLUG WIRE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CERTAIN OF THEIR ELEC IGNITION SYSTEMS and to be on the safe side don't necessarily rely on what's said here which may be right or it may be wrong. ASK PERTRONIX WHAT WIRES TO USE and if they said as you posted "we were told not to use copper plug wires with these systems" you might want to believe them. Also they make different systems and plug wire recommendations may change accordingly, so know your make and model and coil specs when you ask THEM what wires or even resistor or non resistor plugs to use. Best I recall no warranty the heat range of the Autolite 3116 NON resistor plug is somewhere mid range of the 386 and slightly hotter 388 Resistor plugs....

If you or someone here someone has their catalog or web page and knows what switch and coil you have that could be a good source of information also. I don't have your specs or their data so I can't advise any further then the above, sorry.

John T
 
(quoted from post at 13:14:55 07/13/19) have a 730 gas with electronic ignition, been using Autolite 3116 plugs in all our 2 cylinders but wondering if there is something better or if we
need anything different on the electronic system. its the Pertronix system with the flame thrower coil. we were told not to use copper plug wires with
these systems so we have carbon core wires on it.

Plain boring stock Napa coil is more than enough .
Use spiral wound suppression wires instead of solid core or graphite resistor core
 
we were tired of fighting ignition problems so we just did the whole ball and wax and that was the coil they sent us.it wouldn't hold a condenser for more than an hour or 2, and we tried a new regular coil from Steiners and it made it run even worse, so finally we bit the bullet and put in the electronic kit.
 

Note the little bitty small diameter distributer cap used on points if ignition systems.
When automotive manufactures went to electronic ignitions and wide gap plugs, they used larger diameter distributer caps with more space between the terminals . That still didn t work and cross fired so now automotive manufactures have done away with distributors and use one coil per spark plug .
Even a stock coil will arc across the inside the factory Jad distributer cap if the plug gaps are too wide .
30 thou, an ordinary Pertronix, spiral wound wires and autolite 3116 plugs at 30 thou gap is as good as it gets .
If you want to make gains , chuck the 3116 plug in the lathe and cut the shoulder back to about 3/16" thick . This way the plug will turn all the way down To the bottom of the block threads and place the electrodes in the combustion chamber .
 
probably, don't know what it was though, went through 4-5 condensers and tried everything else too before we made the switch (points, coil, resistor, cap and rotor, insulated stud through distributor, etc). i just don't know what we were missing, we have plenty of other gas tractors that are running on the original setups just fine, just couldn't get this one to work for us for some reason.
 

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