High Energy Distributor Rotor Options

[HarveyH]

Every now and the, someone asks about modified distributor rotors for use with high energy ignitions. The higher voltage and current produced by high-energy ignition systems has been known to burn out the internal resistor in distributor rotors. Of course, these failures always seem to occur at the most inopportune times, so it’s a good idea to be ready. You can buy modified rotors from Aircooled.net for less than $20, or make your own if you’re feeling cheap. I seem to remember that a while back Aircooled.net had this process posted on their website, but I can’t find it. I’m cheap, and I’m also ready for an arts and crafts project, so I’m going to make up a couple and document the process.

Harvey

Things you’ll need:
Rotor, new or used. Since the primary failure of a rotor is in the internal resistor, if the tip and contact aren’t too badly burned, they can be polished up and re-used.
Soldering iron, solder, and flux.
#12 wire. AWG #12 wire is rated at 20 Amps, so that should be more than enough.
Epoxy. Since there is no real structural use here, choice of an epoxy is not too critical. Generally, longer cure times tend to indicate higher bond strength and higher temperature ratings.