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Hi all , can people here using non OE ignition coils please list what they have used successfully in their MPFI/turbo powered Ls .

I hear mention of a few conventional coils as well as some Bosch type transformer coils . I just need to know what works so I stand some change of buying something new that works without frying anything at least on an early 86 L RX Turbo .
I have been told by one parts place that coils are sameish between early and late MPFI EA82s .

1) Bosch Alfa Sud oil filled electronic ignition coil .

A .

Listen to Coxy, you must have been chewing his ear - all this talk of Alfa parts !!

MEC 717 got me out of trouble, then back into it, until the new genuine ex japan went in. Also GLTA #1 came with a Bosch Motorcraft coil complete with white ceramic resistor, like for points !! Dunno of its performance - was in the boot!

Subaru say they are two different coils, between flapper and hot wire models. I do note that the coil I snatched from my 89 Touring Wagon mpfi is same as the coil in my 87 VorTex spider, mpfi of course, so too the transistor.

I fear any than non genuine spec may cause something to shoot itself and feel very comfy with genuine price and quality.

How did the MEC 717 get you back into trouble ?

A .

i recall using MSD Blaster 3 coil with my ea82T. It worked fantastic on its own,
however I mostly used a CDI to drive it, which meant conserving the
ignition module drive power.....something i think your concerned about i think
if its failing ?
IMHO, the GTR40 coils etc i tried were complete, utter rubbish - sudden quirks of loosing power intermittently under boost/load and the revs
going up.
The OEM coil is good, but not as good as the Blaster 3 coil I had.

How did you go wiring the CDI into I'm assuming an early RX Turbos ignition system ?
Would it have been an MSD 6A or 6AL etc ?

A .

steptoes ears pricked up......

discopotato03 wrote:How did you go wiring the CDI into I'm assuming an early RX Turbos ignition system ?
Would it have been an MSD 6A or 6AL etc ?

A .

very good question, because I suspect you know about how the ea ignition module works?
The CDI was none of those, it was a ETI342. It was first used in a prior car
that had the mechanical points and it worked flawlessly there. When I went to install it in the subaru I was a bit flummoxed at first why it wasn't working so well - get started was difficult, rotate and rotate and eventually it starts, then it worked ok. So hence I studied into how that
electronic ignition thing works.
The trick it does is that it controls the dwell time. This is the amount of time when the "points" are "closed" but not actually passing current.
AS you might know, ignition coil is an energy conversion device, when current is passed into the primary, energy is stored in the magnetic field.
When the points are opened, the primary current stops and the magnetic field collapses, and voltage rises in the secondary coil until the gap in the
spark plug is overcome.
This dwell control primary influence is at very low rpm, like when starting, it optimizes the amount of time the current flows and its why there is no need of any ballast resistor.
But when the usual CDI is connected, it now finds insufficient time for it
to charge up its internal capacitor, because the points "closed" time it sees in insufficient.
Thus this needs additional electronic solutions to operate with this signal.
my 2nd version used a PIC chip to manage the trigger time, which worked brilliantly and had it in the car for a few years until its demise.

if this interests you and can pm me an email address i can send you pages that fully explain what i did rather than attempting to repeat myself here.......



so interest seems to have evaporated?