Racing Ignition Coils & Components

More power, more torque, more fuel, more air – more is always better in the performance world. However, it means that all parts for performance and racing vehicles should be strong and powerful enough to withstand the stress they are subject to, and ignition coils are no exception. The function of the coils is to convert the low voltage from the car’s battery into the high voltage needed by spark plugs to ignite fuel. It is one of the most important parts of the ignition system, and if it fails or stops working, your vehicle won’t start at all.

A typical ignition coil has three main components: primary winding, secondary winding, and a core. Passing through the primary winding, the voltage creates a magnetic field inside the iron core. When enough energy is collected in the field, the contact breaker opens and breaks the field, which induces a high voltage in the secondary winding. This voltage is then delivered to the plug to provide a spark and ignite the air-fuel mixture. Many ignition coils found in modern vehicles, including racing ones, use heavy gauge windings, as well as more windings per coil, allowing to deliver the energy to the plugs more efficiently.

Depending on the engine and ignition system, there are several types of ignition coils, including canister, ignition block, coil on plug, and in-cap. While can-type coils are mostly found in vintage vehicles, ignition blocks are widely used in newer vehicles and feature several coils that control several plugs. They come with single- or dual-spark technology. As for the coil on plug type, these ignition coils are installed right on the spark plug, so the voltage is supplied directly to the plug with minimum power losses. They are mostly used in cars with electronic ignition. In-cap coils are a great choice for performance applications. Located in the distributor cap, the coil is very small in size yet delivers more voltage, thus improving engine performance.