I need help making a 'control box' for an Exhaust Flamethrower Kit for my hot rod. The flamthrower kit consists of a 'control box' that signals when the sparkplugs (installed at tip of exhaust) should fire. The kit is rather simple, but expensive to purchase ($150). It seems that the control box is a mini-distributor only firing two plugs. Enclosed is a daigram on how the kit is connected in the car. I'm hoping there is some kind of diagram/schematic out there on how this 'control box' can be built.

http://www.thehoffmangroup.com/THG/f...ions/FLAME.pdf

Paul
Parker, CO

 

Assuming that the vehicle you intend to modify does not have a catalytic converter or any form of electronic engine management then a reverse engineered circuit should comprise of little more than two "555" timer chips.

One operating in "monostable" mode connected to the activation switch and the relay on the blue wire, the other running as an oscillator , driving a power transistor or mosfet that will simulate the action of breaker points and give a nice fat spark from the one or more additional HT coils.

 

as mention above can't have catalitic converters and to produce the flame you have to rev up the engine and when you activate the circuit it cut out the ignition of the engine and spraks the plug or plugs at the tips of the exhaust for a few seconds and when you releases the circuit it reactivate the engine ignition good luck.
this is a circuit of similar idea but never had a chance of trying it out.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...e2.htm#cdi.gif
or this one http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...s.htm#buzz.gif

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http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/alaindes/alss33.jpg

 

It is a stupid way to waste gasoline.

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Uncle $crooge

 

Thank you Uncle Scrooge

 

hmmm, what's next, burning napalm tracks?

 

Cutting out the engine to make a flame is the worst way to do it. It is extremely hard on the engine. There are other methods of doing it. Look on eBay if you dont believe me.

 

Thanks for the suggestions everybody. This is my first time using the forum and I think it will come in very handy at times. Uncle $crooge, why the attitude? Waste of Gas? Basically I'm making my own cataletic converter by buring the excess fumes comming out the tips, not buring additional fuel. If you have anything contstructive to contribute to the project please do so.

Regards
Paul
Parker, CO

 

I agree cutting out the ignition is the worse way to build the kit. There is enough unspent fuel comming out the tailpipe that you don't need to go that route. The kit I want to built would be completely independent of the primary ignition system.

 

Apart from the relay connection the system is and will operate independantly.
Though I must express some concern about the amount of unburnt fuel you claim to have in the exhaust system is this by ignorence or design ?

 

Professor,

It wasn't until 1975 Chevrolet installed this newly invented device for handling unspent fuel emmission, the cataletic converter.

To answer your question about 'unburnt fuel in the exhaust system by ignorence or design', I'd say design, hence why my 1956 Chevrolet BelAir (notice my login name) doesn't use them.

 

If the car's exhaust makes black smoke (from unburnt gasoline, not diesel fuel) then there might be enough to make a small flame. This is not the same as reving the engine, turning off the ignition then igniting the fireball at the exhaust tips.

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Uncle $crooge

 

When I was a young man, the cops stopped me to ask if I had a "light" in the tail pipes. I think it is illegal in New York state.

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see my website: www.geocities.com/russlk

 

The 'proper' way to do this is to spray propane into the pipe while lighting it with a sparkplug or a piezo sparker. This is how the high-end kits work. The el-cheapo, low-end kits just cut off the distributor for a sec, which is very hard on the engine. If you like your car, I really think you should find another route instead of just using the stop-the-car-from-burning-fuel-for-a-second method.

 

ah yes back to past 1952 Mechanics Illustrated


And I like the warning from http://www.thehoffmangroup.com/THG/f...ions/FLAME.pdf

Only to use it off road! sounds a good way to start bush fires


Propane and the guts from a disposable flash camera might be enough for a spark http://www.geocities.com/lemagicien_.../maxflash.html

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