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sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363268]

Tue, 06 April 2021 10:59

boybach

Messages: 566
Registered: December 2020
Location: Vancouver Island

Karma: 4

Senior Member

Looking at the ignition pak on my old but hardly used solaire furnace, I was wondering if a faulty pak could be substituted using an automotive or say, a smaller motorcycle coil? Theoretically of course Twisted Evil

Are they not both basically coils doing the same thing, operating a spark plug?

Asking for a friend

Larry

Larry - Victoria BC - 1977 ex-Palm Beach "Ol' Leaky" 40,000 miles, PO said everything working but forgot the word NOT. Atwood helium fridge, water heater & furnace. SS exhaust system, Onan, Iota Converter, R134A, New fuel lines & heat exchange hoses

[Updated on: Tue, 06 April 2021 11:03]

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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363273 is a reply to message #363268]

Tue, 06 April 2021 13:13

JohnL455

Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL

Karma: 12

Senior Member

You would need to measure the Ohms of the primary side of a known good Solaire coil and see if your replacement was similar. Actually you should have some readings other than open across the primary and across the secondary of your old coil as a basic test.
However, I would examine your heat exchanger before doing anything else.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II

[Updated on: Tue, 06 April 2021 13:40]

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[GMCnet] Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363277 is a reply to message #363273]

Tue, 06 April 2021 14:37

richshoop

Messages: 190
Registered: April 2017

Karma: 0

Senior Member

That Sol Aire furnace is not safe, replace it. At least he very least, get a battery powered CO detector in the coach.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 6, 2021, at 11:13 AM, John R. Lebetski wrote:
>
> You would need to measure the Ohms of the primary side of a know good Solaire coil and see if your replacement was similar. Actually you should have
> some readings other than open across the primary and across the secondary of your old coil as a basic test.
> However, I would examine your heat exchanger before doing anything else.
> --
> John Lebetski
> Woodstock, IL
> 77 Eleganza II
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363283 is a reply to message #363273]

Tue, 06 April 2021 20:01

boybach

Messages: 566
Registered: December 2020
Location: Vancouver Island

Karma: 4

Senior Member

JohnL455 wrote on Tue, 06 April 2021 11:13

You would need to measure the Ohms of the primary side of a known good Solaire coil and see if your replacement was similar. Actually you should have some readings other than open across the primary and across the secondary of your old coil as a basic test.
However, I would examine your heat exchanger before doing anything else.

John, the furnace has very few hours on it and may still be in reasonable shape, it's just old like me.

The ignitor pak has 3 connections, pos/neg supply and the HT wire - how would I measure and differentiate between the primary and secondary? I'm guessing between + and - for primary and - and HT for secondary?
A known good sol-aire ignitor pak would be hard to find IMO, most have been trashed by now.

Larry

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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363285 is a reply to message #363268]

Tue, 06 April 2021 20:11

blur911

Messages: 166
Registered: December 2020
Location: Kingston, Ontario

Karma: 4

Senior Member

https://www.amazon.com/Ignition-Control-12vdc-Refrigerator-Projects/dp/B01CLLQ06I

How about something like this?

Burl Vibert
Kingston, Ontario
1976 GMC 26 foot, Sheridan reno, don't know original model but we call her Roxie

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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363286 is a reply to message #363268]

Tue, 06 April 2021 20:45

Hager

Messages: 19
Registered: December 2020
Location: Granite City Illinois

Karma: 2

Junior Member

That is the one I used you can modify the spark plug wire to plug into the new spark igniter. Has worked every time for me.

Hager and Sissy 1975 Eleganza #5 of that year Has a plaque on the glove box from GMC Mostly stock with Renogy charging system and a few changes to the interior Eagle rims and through the bumper hitch Granite City Illinois

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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363288 is a reply to message #363286]

Tue, 06 April 2021 21:44

boybach

Messages: 566
Registered: December 2020
Location: Vancouver Island

Karma: 4

Senior Member

Hager wrote on Tue, 06 April 2021 18:45

That is the one I used you can modify the spark plug wire to plug into the new spark igniter. Has worked every time for me.

Just to be clear, you use the igniter coil pack in the Amazon link above with your Sol-aire?

Larry

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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363296 is a reply to message #363268]

Wed, 07 April 2021 05:22

Hager

Messages: 19
Registered: December 2020
Location: Granite City Illinois

Karma: 2

Junior Member

Yes same one, but I bought off of eBay. It is smaller than the original but it will still tighten down in the OE holder

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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363301 is a reply to message #363268]

Wed, 07 April 2021 09:00

jhbridges

Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga

Karma: -74

Senior Member

Although the burner has been used sparingly, it's 45 years old. Old mild steel rusts, albeit more slowly than when it's hot.

I suggest replacing it.

--johnny

Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons. Braselton, Ga. I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell

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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363569 is a reply to message #363296]

Wed, 21 April 2021 00:20

boybach

Messages: 566
Registered: December 2020
Location: Vancouver Island

Karma: 4

Senior Member

Hager wrote on Wed, 07 April 2021 03:22

Yes same one, but I bought off of eBay. It is smaller than the original but it will still tighten down in the OE holder

Picked one up myself ..arrived yesterday, installed today - furnace works again!

thanks for the link!

Larry

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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363663 is a reply to message #363569]

Sat, 24 April 2021 17:31

blur911

Messages: 166
Registered: December 2020
Location: Kingston, Ontario

Karma: 4

Senior Member

boybach wrote on Wed, 21 April 2021 00:20

Hager wrote on Wed, 07 April 2021 03:22
Yes same one, but I bought off of eBay. It is smaller than the original but it will still tighten down in the OE holder
Picked one up myself ..arrived yesterday, installed today - furnace works again!

thanks for the link!

Larry

I might have to do that myself. My furnace won't light. No clickety-click.

Burl Vibert
Kingston, Ontario
1976 GMC 26 foot, Sheridan reno, don't know original model but we call her Roxie

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Re: sol-aire Ignitor Pak [message #363664 is a reply to message #363268]

Sat, 24 April 2021 19:39

boybach

Messages: 566
Registered: December 2020
Location: Vancouver Island

Karma: 4

Senior Member

These things will make it click again for ten bucks or so!

Pull the sparker out and have a look at it. My HVAC guy said these ceramic units never go, if you've got 12v coming in when you turn up the stat and no spark when you hold it close to the furnace sheetmetal, your ignitor pak is shot. The new one (which is smaller than OEM) will fit in the holder clamp if you put a piece of 3/4" ply wood under it.
Cut the HT lead and put an end on it to fit the tang on the new ignitor pak. Hook up the red and black retaining the ceramic resistor in the line (if you have one; I did, so I kept it.)

All hooked up, get somebody to turn up the stat. You'll see continuous blue sparks.

I was expecting to hear clicking when I reinstalled everything but I heard nothing (maybe I'm a bit deaf?) we only knew it was working because the fan kept running and when we looked through the inspection window there was the blue flame.

Larry

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