electronic ignition

tyney

anybody fitted an electronic ignition module recently. are they still being made? i'm not sure if i'd be bothered with the full rebuild the distributor type, but if I could get a hold of the one that handles the coil voltages, I might give it a try

overdriver

She's running alright, no? So why not leave it be?

mustang68

they do make them, try demon tweaks, maybe. If you are worried about electronic ignition failure you can always carry the old bits in the car, however they are quite reliable if you don't go for a cheap one.

Abelloid

I've used Pertronix Ignitor for years in my Beetles, it replaces points to give a consistent spark throughout the revs,
which means easier starting, slightly better fuel economy and no more adjusting/replacing points
I think it's available for most motors too, around the £60 mark.

Next step up would be a CDi box like the Mallory Hyfire or something.

Abelloid

overdriver wrote:

She's running alright, no? So why not leave it be?

....because the saying goes; "If it 'aint broke, fix it until it is"

Eric318

Electronic ignition conversions provide great improvements to the drivers ego and secret satisfaction, but absolutely none to the performance of a normally well tuned classic car they would be fitted to... They also require no maintenance.

Abelloid

It will do nothing for your ego, if it's an ego boost you need buy a Jag. :rolleyes:

Eric318

JustinOval wrote:

if it's an ego boost you need buy a Jag. :rolleyes:

yeah, I agree: there is nothing like driving the most beautiful car on the road, by far, every day.... hard to beat that!!!

Abelloid

overdriver

You guys both have Lotus Esprits???

Eric318

we are talking automobiles here ... not toys...

mustang68

Eric318 wrote:

Electronic ignition conversions provide great improvements to the drivers ego and secret satisfaction, but absolutely none to the performance of a normally well tuned classic car they would be fitted to... They also require no maintenance.

I've got an MSD electronic ignition and all the ford guys use them (or another EI), much better starting and provides more power for spark. The MSD do a dual spark too.

tyney

mustang68 wrote:

I've got an MSD electronic ignition and all the ford guys use them (or another EI), much better starting and provides more power for spark. The MSD do a dual spark too.

Does it use the existing points as a signal, or do you have to modify the distributor. and where could one source such an item. I just don't like setting points. It reminds me of drying out distributors at the side of a country road after driving through a huge puddle. Usually in the dark when I was too cool to wear a raincoat. I like the idea of less maintenance. More power is also nice, although I have a rare breed of italian that starts first go. although, It's not proper winter yet. I live in hope.

tyney

Eric318 wrote:

yeah, I agree: there is nothing like driving the most beautiful car on the road, by far, every day.... hard to beat that!!!

i'll just quote the missus after we looked at an xjs. she said " you're not that old yet, wait another few years and we'll get one"

overdriver

As Clarkson said

" Jags do still have the whiff of the golf club about them"

Abelloid

What are you driving? Pertronix ignitor is a magnetic switch which directly replaces points and
Lumenition do one for Bosch/Lucas dissys, this one is an optical switch.
Both are a 15 minute fit and forget job.

ds20prefecture

I use a 123 electronic ignition system in the DS which replaces the distributor completely. Apart from replacing the points & condensor, this has the advantage of replacing the centrifugal weights which control the advance curve of your engine with a pre-programmed curve which not wear with time or use. Fitting is a 10 minute job removing the old distributor and fitting this. It is virtually indistinguishable from the stock distributor.

details here : www.123ignition.nl. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have one for a fulvia.

Lyre61

I went to get the 123 ignition system for the SM but they seem to be having some problems with it, one of the UK resellers refused to sell it to me until he thinks they have solved the issues (re the SM). Believe its super on the DS.

ds20prefecture

It is - from a reliability perspective i havent had to touch the ignition in almost 4 years. The engine revs much more freely as well, willing to fly up to 5500rpm, whereas before it laboured at 4000. Economy is the same.

MercMad

My only issues with aftermarket electronic ignition are that if it packs up in the AON how will you get it going. You have a good chance of doing some adjustment with regular ignition which should see you through, whereas you have no chance if a component goes, and no chance of getting one locally !

I'd also worry that the cheaper kits are "universal" to a certain degree, and will the company still provide reppacement spares in a few years time ?

A well serviced a perfectly tuned ignition system will never cause problems, though it IS true that certain cars require more adjustment that others, and more regularly.....................but I dont won one of those cars !

Also strictly speaking the minute you fit and adjust the dwell and the timing and start driving, the points are wearing and therefore efficiency is immediately being reduced !

I ran my 230SL every day for a long time and kept a set of points and a condensor in the glovebox and I replaced them every 12,000 miles and each time they looked almost perfect !

Obviously the perf et combination would be to use a well designed system that is discreet and well established, AND keep the old parts in the boot AND know exactly how to re-install !

My final word is that if I had to drive across some deserted land for thousands of miles, I'd be driving a Mercedes with points ignition..............or a diesel !!

tyney

If you use the type that lets the points be the trigger, then you only have to plug everything back the way it was before you started.
Anyhow, I was e-mailing a crowd of specialists in England, and they say that they can supply one alright, but they take out more aftermarket ingition kits than they fit. So for my particular car, I'll be leaving it alone for the moment.

MercMad

If you are using then points as a trigger then you are subject to the same wear and reduction in correct timing. The only thing you are doing is prolonging the life of the points !

I've heard that too about aftermarket kits. I wouldn't touch them !

Abelloid

I still think electronic has the edge over traditional ignition - I've had points stick, burn out, and condensors fail,
I've never had an issue with any of the electronic kits, maybe I've just been lucky.....

MercMad

Well I hope your luck continues indeed I'm sure it will, electronics are only getting better really, but the fact is if service properly points wont stick or burn out.

A condenser is only about €6 !

ds20prefecture

The only time the DS let me down was with a blown €6 condensor which caused the rarer-than-hen's-teeth SEV cartridge-type points to burn out. Car had to be flat bedded to the garage. One week later we managed to source the points online. In France.

Prevention is better than the cure, and solid state electronics prevent better than mechanical points. Simple electronic ignition systems have practically eliminated the #1 reason for car breakdowns in the 70s and early 80s. Granted proliferation of other electronics in cars have moved maintenance beyond the grasp of the amateur, but that's like saying that you'd be better off with a typewriter when your computer crashes. You wouldn't.

MercMad

I didn't say that electyronics werent better, they are !

There would be no contest between a factory electronic set up and a conventional system. My point ( excuse the pun) relates to aftermarket fitments only. I would only trust the large players and only if they set up was designed for the car and not a universal type.

Like I said, a spare set of points, a rotor arm, and a condensor as spares all the time and you'll never be stranded !

Eric318

MercMad wrote:

Like I said, a spare set of points, a rotor arm, and a condensor as spares all the time and you'll never be stranded !

I second this, with the added mention of a set of thickness gauges, the appropriate screwdriver to undo the points flange and a good flashlight (since these things preferably get done at night )

mustang68

Eric318 wrote:

.... and a good flashlight (since these things preferably get done at night )

May I recommend not to get a shaky-shaky induction torch for such a time of emergency, having to do the shaky-shaky thing every min or so makes tasks difficult also they all have a big magnet in them that everything stick to it in a tool box. I'm not even going to go down the path of how you look when you have to give the torch a vigirous charge!!;)

alfarocks

You mean to say your cars don't come equipped with a worklight built into the bonnet ?? Thankfully I've not need to use mine yet