rogerwblain
04-02-2009, 01:28 PM
When I first got our Catalina 30 about 5 years ago, I installed the electronic ignition system from Moyer Marine, along with a new cap, rotor, plugs and plug wires (all Moyer). I knew from tinkering with cars that the company who manufactures the electronic ignition kit for Moyer also makes an epoxy coil. (Moyer now offers it, but did not offer it at that time.) I bought one from a mail-order auto parts place, but unfortunately bought the wrong coil, one lacking an internal ballast resistor. I had to wire in an external ballast resistor (older Chrysler) in series with the wire from the ignition switch to the coil. Every cloud has a silver lining. There is an extra terminal ( I believe labeled "R") on the starter solenoid that outputs 12 volts, but only when the engine is being cranked. I ran a wire directly from this terminal to the + terminal of the coil. Bypassing the ballast resistor, the coil is putting out about 40,000 volts when cranking the engine. Adding a new carb and electric fuel pump from Moyer Marine, I find that the engine starts very easily. The coil continues to work reliably.