[Public-List] Electronic Ignition

Fri Oct 10 03:49:47 PDT 2014

Interesting discussion of risk and mitigations. 

Self-reliance is an important philosophy for me also, but it has limits.  An  impeller failure shuts down your engine though not as fast as ignition failure. You mitigate this risk by changing your impeller sufficiently often, but you cannot eliminate it. The ignitor has a very high "mean-time-between-fallure" that justifies changing it out at engine overhaul periods perhaps. Belts, condenser, plug wires, alternator are all similar- spares and regular replacement are all you can do..  

  The electronic ignition in my car sees much more use and many more critical situations than the one in my boat.   if the ignition failed in the car  while driving 65 MPH in the center lane of the DC beltway I think the result would be more disastrous then going up on the rocks in the boat.  If it is low enough risk and effect for the car, is it not low enough risk and effect for the boat?

 Maybe it's the other way round and driving is even riskier than I thought!

Mike 
Rinn Duin #272

Michael J. Meinhold
Senior Naval Architect, Leidos, Inc.
4321 Collington Road, Bowie, MD 21076
michael.j.meinhold at leidos.com
301 352 4734 office  240 350 6974 cell

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Connolly via Public-List [mailto:public-list at lists.alberg30.org]
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2014 09:56 AM
To: Bill Newman <newman423 at rogers.com>; Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
Subject: Re: [Public-List] Electronic Ignition

Hello all, 

Seems to me this maybe is a philosophical decision.  Sailors, due to the nature of what they do, strive for self reliance.  Do you as captain wish to retain as much ability to get yourself out of a fix as possible or are you looking for low or no maintenance? 

Same goes for the dripless stuffing box seals. Usually when they fail they can't be adjusted or fixed to keep the water out.  Whereas the traditional stuffing box can be usually be fooled with to keep the boat from taking on water. 

I also am in firm belief that installing fool proof, no maintenance, not requiring service components on a boat is inviting laziness.  The captain may get some false sense of security and fail to perform his regular maintenance/inspection schedule. 

According to "Murphy" your ignition system, whether points or electronic, will fail when most needed, e.g., blowing onto a lee shore, etc., fill in your own tight situation. 

Having a spare set of points or electronic module is not going to keep you off the rocks. Hopefully you have good ground tackle aboard to deploy. 

I really believe the decision depends on what type of sailing you do and where you sail. How able you are to make the repair and to the degree you wish keep on top of regular maintenance and be self sufficient? 

I installed electronic ignition on a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle it worked fine. It may have been an improvement but it was not a panacea for any ignition problems. 

My two cents, 

Michael #133 Lorrie Rose  

----- Original Message -----

From: "Bill Newman via Public-List" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> 
To: public-list at lists.alberg30.org 
Sent: Wednesday, October 8, 2014 4:51:58 PM 
Subject: [Public-List] Electronic Ignition 

I have been looking at electronic igition for my old style Alberg engine and will appreciate any comments on the advantages and/or disadvantages of making this change.  For example is it more reliable and what do you do if it fails? 

Bill Newman 
Marion Rose III 
newman423 at rogers.com 
416-284-2474 

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