The level of spark that your ignition generates can make or break how your car performs, and not getting enough can go beyond poor performance and lead to engine damage in high-horsepower applications. FuelTech has been developing ECU and ignition solutions for racers all over the world and their new FTSPARK ignition module will give your ignition the jolt it needs to perform. The FTSPARK does more than just put fire in the pipes of your racecar — it gives you a new level of control that will make your ride run better than ever.

Racers have always tried to get the proper level of spark in their engine based on their application from many different angles including the type of spark plug they use, plug wires, stronger coils, and even adding extra spark plugs in each cylinder. Some of these solutions worked, but racers needed more and that’s where FuelTech stepped in to fill the gap, according to Luis De Leon.

“As we go out there listening to racers to design our products, we found out that a stronger, yet lightweight and easy to handle ignition system was something every racer wanted. We started developing our CDI ignition system, the FTSPARK, after finding our inductive ignition system, the SparkPRO, was so effective.”

The FTSPARK is a powerful Capacitive Discharge Ignition (CDI) module that is compatible with any ECU and is designed to work on just about any engine that makes up to, and over, 5,000 horsepower. Generating spark isn’t an issue for this unit as it cranks out up to 600mJ (mJ=mili Joules) of energy and 125 amps of current to the coil. To put that in perspective, the FTSPARK has five times the energy and 10 times more current generating ability than the SparkPRO.

With those kinds of numbers, you would think the FTSPARK is just for cars that make insane levels of power, but you would be wrong. FuelTech has designed the FTSPARK to work with nearly any type of engine combination you can think if, including rotaries. “This unit is intended to be used on any engine that requires a strong and reliable spark; from a high-power street car to a twin turbo alcohol-fed Pro Mod making close to 5,000 horsepower. It’s able to ignite really rich mixtures, with single channel version for distributor applications up to eight channels version to coil-on-plug applications,” De Leon says.

Users will have access to a simple interface with the FTSPARK for programing.

Since the FTSPARK is a complete standalone ignition it can be used with almost any aftermarket ECU available, so any racer or enthusiast can take advantage of its features. Where the FTSPARK really begins to shine is when you pair it with a FuelTech ECU.

“When connected to the FuelTech ECU through CAN bus network, the FTSPARK allows you to select energy power level by RPM and Boost, making sure you’re using all that power when you need and not stressing the ignition system when not needed This aids in having your plugs, wires, and coils last even longer,” De Leon explains.

The FTSPARK packs all of its power into one box and receives energy from the battery, while their proprietary technology amplifies it without needing any mechanical parts. De Leon is also quick to point out the other features the FTSPARK offers.

“It does not require any kind of different alignment — your crank trigger that syncs your EFI will also sync the ignition system. The unit talks to the FuelTech ECU to get the maximum power where it needs according to the user and also gives feedback to the user with diagnostic channels on the ECU log. Besides being a great racing coil, it takes better advantage, even OEM “dumb” style coils, making it easier to adapt to a modern engine with pencil-style coil-on-plug.”

The data logging feature will allow users many different streams of data to analyze for tuning adjustments at the track.

Another unique feature of the FTSPARK is its data logger channels that look at things like discharge time, supply voltage, supply voltage drop and capacitor data.

“The FTSPARK sends everything that’s going on to the FT500 or FT600, so the ECU is able to log all the data from the pass, all that energy the system was making, per cylinder, getting the racer an amazing tool to diagnose the ignition system.

“It will provide the discharge time, that means the spark happening inside the chamber, per hole, then the power voltage going to the system and the voltage drop, to indicate if there’s any power feed loss. It also shows the internal temperature that can trigger an internal protection to prevent damage to the unit if it’s too high. It also looks at the capacitor banks to see how much time they’re taking to charge and what voltage they’re keeping,” De Leon explains.

The FTSPARK is a robust unit that can help any engine combination create the spark it needs. Make sure you head over to FuelTech’s website to get all the information and order yours today.