Make and break ignition - GIF

Make and break ignition.

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Previously:

<div style="display:inline-block; white-space:normal;"><span style="display:inline-block; text-align:center; vertical-align:top; width:150px; margin:0 15px 20px 0;"><img src="https://homemadetools-images.s3.amazonaws.com/hmt/1605731600_space_shuttle_ignition_thumb.jpg" style="width:150px; height:100px; object-fit:cover;"><br><span style="display:inline-block; height:60px; overflow:hidden;">Space Shuttle main engine ignition</span></span></div>

That looks more like a rotating valve mechanism than an ignition timing setup. No visible wiring and a little copper tube that may be for lubrication. Fiat did things like this, so it may be one of their early models.

I have never seen anything like it. If you search for "Make and Break Ignition" the above video shows up on Utube with a description;

(copied and pasted)

46,739 views Mar 11, 2026
Long before spark plugs became standard, early internal combustion engines used a system called make and break ignition to ignite the fuel mixture. Instead of firing a spark from a plug, the spark was created directly inside the cylinder using a pair of electrical contacts.

As the engine rotates, a cam-driven mechanism briefly pulls two metal contacts apart at precisely the right moment. When the electrical circuit suddenly breaks, the collapsing current produces a high voltage spark that jumps between the contacts and ignites the compressed fuel and air mixture.

This system was common in early stationary engines used for farms, pumps, and small industrial machines in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While reliable for the time, the moving contacts wore down quickly, which eventually led to the adoption of modern spark plug ignition systems.

Original Video Credit: IG/chrisrini (No copyright intended. All content is used strictly for educational purposes, with full credit to the rightful owners)

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I stand corrected. Thank you.

The original video appears to be from an Instagram user named chrisrini. Here is another video showing the entire engine. Click the X on the popup asking for a login.