What is a 'Black Box' you run with a distributor? It is mentioned here at Joe Panek's Roto Faze website in Torrance,CA. http://www.roto-faze.com/catalog/printsarchive/2008/index.htm Click on Next Page and you will see a couple mentions of it. Thanks
I didn't see any mention of a black box...what page are you talking about, in the catalog? Even without seeing the reference, it probably means an ignition amplifier, designed to be triggered by a magnetic pickup coil, or possibly with points.
Thanks Squirrel Here is one page it is mentioned on. http://www.roto-faze.com/catalog/printsarchive/2008/index.htm It is in the paragraph about 'Firewater' a hydroplane boat. Third article down after 'Webster 4 liter' one. Does not say anything about a coil. They do come into the shop at Roto Faze.Anybody wants to contact them you can leave a message. Just thought I could clear this up on my own.
I found a Delta Mark 10 B in my grandpas stuff, hooked it up on my Elco in the 90's.......it worked for awhile. It's not a "black" box, but it's a gold one .
found it.. I don't know what that is...sounds like it needs to be something pretty hot, to fire under those conditions.
Hook one of these up to a stock single points distributor and you have a nice simple ignition that will run real nice.. I am removing my HEI for a 1962 Iron single points distributor and a CD box similar to this one. If the box doesn't work, I'll get a Vertex Z-6 CD box...If you go this route, look for the iron distributors, they all seemed to work better back when I had access to a distributor machine.. I think the stock GM single points distributor is one of the easiest distributors to tune..
I used this black box unit on my T coupe. The instruction sheet had information how to switch your car from positive to negative ground if needed and also how to polarized your generator so it definitely was an old piece.
Ignition. Videoizer must have meant something else back then. Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
These are great boxes, and I am still using several. Heathkit sold the Delta Mark 10 boxes as a kit, and I built several back then. The normal point of failure in these boxes, is the SCR (silicon controlled rectifier). This is the component that is the heart of the secondary side of the unit, and I have had to replace the SCR a couple of times, until I attached a heat sink to this component. This completely solved the problem. If it is necessary to replace the SCR, The schematic calls for the equivalent of the GE C107d, which is the 400 volt unit, but you can increase reliability by purchasing the C107e, which is the 600 volt unit. Anyone with reasonable soldering skills can make this repair. Just make certain to use resin core solder, rather than the normal acid core solder. I have the troubleshooting guide, and would be willing to post the information for anyone needing it. Bob
There are at least a couple of electrolytic capacitors in those things that should be replaced. They are well past their "best by" date at this time. That should help keep other components from roasting, including rectifier.
I don't want to get involved in the two schools of thought regarding electrolytic capacitors. I have a capacitance tester, as well as the ability to measure the power factor and the internal resistance of all types and sizes of capacitors, and have been taught to replace only when the device fails the test. This has worked well for me over the years. If a person doesn't have the test equipment, then I believe that it is the preferred method to replace them all (the shotgun method). Bob
When were these ignition boxes last made? 1960s? 1970s? I wouldn't think twice about replacing them. If they "clunk" when thrown in the garbage can, they were bad. There aren't "two schools" of thought on electrolytic capacitors, though you're right, most people don't have the means to test them. What I'm getting at though, if someone wants to use these ignition boxes, this is something that needs to be looked at. Electrolytics in particular fail after long periods of disuse. The typical problem with any sort of electronics old or new, is when a $3 capacitor fails, they tend to cause damage to parts that are either A. Expensive or B. Proprietary and/or generally unobtanium or C. Unrepairable. That's why I suggested this. Replacing electrolytic capacitors can't hurt anything, but the converse is definitely not the case.
Actually, I am still using 4 of these boxes, and in over 45 years of use, some of them on equipment that has been in the weather, I have only had three failures, of which only two were attributable to the boxes. The other failure, was actually the condensor (capacitor) that was part of the distributor point system. The CD boxes cut down the current to the points, and the extend the life of the points indefinitely. The current on the primary is 1/100th of the current through a set of points on the standard point ignition system, and the voltage on the secondary side is boosted by up to 50,000 volts (depending on the plug gap). These benefits decrease start time, and start difficulty. It also prevents plug fouling, and dramatically extends the life of the plugs. The best part is, that if the system should fail, the original point type ignition system is restored by the selection of a switch. Not everyone needs an MSD system. Bob
I built a couple in 1971 from a Popular Science article. One quit after a year so I pulled the other. https://books.google.com/books?id=XgEAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=popular+science+dwell+extender&source=bl&ots=jL_d0YTAP1&sig=ACfU3U0RMTPlQ4JP60eH6HDdKEJ977aw7g&hl=en&ppis=_c&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjrofyL-qrmAhUKnOAKHX25DBEQ6AEwAHoECAgQAg#v=onepage&q=popular science dwell extender&f=false
I noticed Heathkit and Radio Shack (Archerkit) offered their own versions. The Heathkit looks like a clone, how did they not get nailed for patent infringement?? There was a "Tiger" brand similar offering - also based out of Grand Junction, Colo. What are the odds of two CD ignition companies setting up shop in the same small Colorado town? Maybe there's a story behind that. Another cluster of CD manufacturing in Santa Ana, California, (and of course) Carson City, Nevada. Mallory. At one time ignition sure had a lot of folks competing.
The Heathkit version was just an unassembled Delta Mk10. The boxes I assembled had the Delta logo on the inside. If I remember correctly, the Delta logo was on the transformer. Heathkit also sold the assembled unit. I also have a Tiger unit, and back when I bought it, I concluded that it was probably a knockoff of the Mk 10. The Tiger that I have, was different in that the unit was a round finned aluminum can that had extra fins to act as a heat sink. The construction looked cheap compared to the Mk 10, but it was just as reliable. Bob
I have a Tiger unit that ran well for a while then got to where it would get hot and stop firing. Finally it succumbed. What would you guys suggest as a replacement SCR as the one in it is not marked and the schematic that came with it doesn't specify? I liked it because you could flip a switch and go back to the regular ignition if there was a problem.
The GE 107e (600V), or the 107d (400V) will both work. If you can't find either of those, I can get you a list of substitutions, or I will be able to provide you with one. PM me, and I'll send you the data sheet, so you can correctly install the replacement. Take a picture of it, before you desolder the SCR, so you can remember to put the pins in the proper pads on the board. If you do a search with this search string on epay, you will find what you need at an excellent price. GE C107E1 SCR 500 Volts 4 Amps Bob
This is exactly why I suggest replacing any electrolytic capacitors once they get old enough to vote or buy booze. Preventive maintenance. "Modern" cars since the 80s have a passle of them that are now failing. Sometimes you'll hear people say "they look OK", guess they have X-Ray vision or something, I dunno.
The Jalopy Journal
