Topic: Help me figure out this ignition coil!

[flat black]

Hi folks,

I bought a universal ignition coil for one of my little non-SOHC hondas, but I'm not sure about it.
I was hoping to probe the collective knowledge of the single overheads. 

...

It's an emgo universal ignition coil. It's described as "universal ignition coil for both 6v & 12v points or CDI".
it's got one plug lead, and one spade connector. The bike I got it for is a little 350 honda twin. The coils
that came off that bike had two spade connectors. One each for switched 12v, and points input.

So what's the deal with this ignition coil? 

[kslrr]

Don't sound like it would work, unless the spade is for the points and the mounting would be the "ground".  But then it would be opposite of how the Honda coils work.

[flat black]

That's what I'm thinkin. Maybe if you isolate the mount from the ground, and run it
to your switched 12v power, it could work. I'm trying to think of ways to make these
work. I don't even know if that's sane or not. 

[HavocTurbo]

I would call emgo... or the dealer where you got it from and have them find out for you.

A schematic should be easy if it is a brand new part.

[Green550F]

That won't work. Most CDI systems discharge through the coil to ground, whereas a point system connects the coil to ground through the points.

So when you try to put a CDI coil on a point setup, there is no energy source to the coil. It gets grounded on both sides.

The only way to make that may work would be to isolate the grounding plate of the points and tie it to 12V.

And that still probably won't do. the CDI systems that I know of are building a couple hundred volts to the primary of the coil instead of 12V. Wouldn't get enough voltage out to make a good arc.

I've thought of making a CDI setup for my 350. but why complicate a system that works fine?