Battery and coil ignition to run a Maytag 82

[Tom S]

Is there any way a person could use an external battery and coil setup with the original points to fire an 82 Maytag. In essence convert the mag to a distributor. I know I would have to drill a hole in the backing plate to run wires through, but it could be done in an inconspicuous way. The points are normally closed and then open at the time of spark. Anyone have a good coil or a parts engine? Thanks for any ideas! Tom

[Mark Birdeau]

Tom,if you are planning on useing the origanal coil and spark plug wire I'm not sure if it would be possable.It may work but I would guess it would take some expermenting.Then again maybe some of the great guys here would know.If all else fails you could hook up a regulor auto coil to the points the same as a standard distributor ignition.I did this on a Briggs engine that has a bad coil and it worked fine. Mark:

[Andrew Mackey]

It can be done, but the normally closed points will overheat the coil quickly. The original coil will not stand to have battery power put to it, the windings will fry! Your best bet is to either try to set up a wipe spark timer, utilizing the governor trip for the points as a timer, or try to find another coil and point set.
Andrew

[Chuck Martin]

I put together a hot tube to run anything that has a 1/2" npt plug.
It runs a maytag without any problem.

[Tom S]

I was thinking of taking out the original bad coil and use an automotive coil and battery on the outside. The wires could run in through a drilled hole in the backing plate below the main bearing. The bakelite spark plug cable holder could be drilled out to 9mm and the spark plug cable could then be routed right out the original hole.

I was afraid that with the points being closed the coil would use too much juice and get hot. Wish I could reverse the action of the points. Any suggestions?

That hot tube idea sounds like fun! with a Maytag you wouldn't have any governing. She might get a little out of control! How do you make it. It would be handy in a hit n miss gas engine thats missing an EK.

[BobRR]

Tom You could check with some of the site sponsers that deal in Maytag parts and see if they have what you need? BobRR

[Tom S]

Bob,
The 82 parts are relatively tough to find compared to 92 and twin cylinder parts which translates into expensive. If I dug deep enough I may even be able to find a coil among my junk.

What I really want to do is figure out another way and try it on this engine for the challenge of it. Thanks, Tom

[Elden DuRand]

Tom:

What you propose is easily done. Aside from the small hole in the backing plate for the wire from the points, nothing irreversible needs to be done to your engine.

- Disconnect (remove) the Maytag condenser.

- Bring the wire from the points out of the backing plate (I ass-u-me that the points close to ground) and hook it to the "-" terminal of the coil. Also hook the lead of an ordinary automobile ignition condenser to this point.

- Connect the negative terminal of the battery, the housing of the coil and the housing of the condenser to the frame of the engine.

- Connect the positive terminal of the battery to one terminal of an automobile ignition ballast resistor*. The other end of the ballast resistor goes to the "+" terminal of the coil.

*: If you use a 6-Volt battery with a 12-Volt coil, you probably don't need the ballast resistor. If it is needed and you do not use it, the coil will run hot and the points will quickly burn. You'll get one Heck of a spark, though.

Good luck - Elden
http://home.cybertron.com.~edurand

[Tom S]

Thanks Elden! I'll try it out!

[Frank Timmermeier]

what is a hot tube and how does it work?