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Fitted Electric Ignition To My Classic Mini And Having Problems?


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#121 Captain Mainwaring

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 10:03 AM

Quote- Taking the distributor body at starting speeds as just a means of turning the rotor arms and the trigger, can there actually be anything happening inside the body to cause the timing to advance at starting then go back to a normal condition?

 

Only thing I can think off is the advance weights not returning fully? poor machining high spots ?

 

 

Yes agreed, but after that happened the OP would have been able to set the timing in the wrong (advanced position) - he should have got one good start and then the bob weights would have held the baseplate in the advanced position - the way the OP mentioned, the timing was flying all over the place - you've got to wonder if #3 was getting a spark from the rotor instead of jumping to the electrode on the cap for #1.

 

Supposedly this distributor has been spun up in a rig...but who knows...?



#122 Captain Mainwaring

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 10:21 AM

Morning,

 

I'm off work today but have some I have some other things to do.  If I get chance, I will try the separate feed and report back. 

 

When we tested it on sat, we used the dizzy I bought from Powersaprk, he didn't try another one.  However, we did swap in a new module, which is sat in the dizzy at the moment.

 

As far as the battery voltage under off load conditions is concerned.  The 12.7v shown at least proves the alternator is working, which the mech tried to suggest was at fault. 

 

If I was getting low volts under starting conditions, wouldn't that show up under all starting conditions not just no turn over with dizzy advanced?  For there to be a volt drop wouldn't something have to be using that voltage? another component or a bad earth perhaps?  When my alternator was packing up, I thought it was a bad earth so I went mad and fitted three new earth straps (as well as the remaining straps) Plus there are only a handful of electrical systems running on this car (it is only a mini don't forget) what could be causing the drop?

 

 

12.7 doesn't show the alternator is working - Mitsubishi alternators for example can have a diode pack break partially, causing AC to be injected to the ECU causing all the warning lights on misti ECU'ed cars to illuminate. 

 

You could find a battery that wouldn't pull the socks off a dead man still reading 12 plus volts at rest.

 

If you were to ask the Captain the best way of moving forward, I'd suggest that you tempt the wife out the house with a Mars Bar, pull the coil HT lead to stop it starting, then get her to crank it for just a second or two while you check voltage at the battery - if that's still good, grill off and repeat the test between block and starter main terminal, and see what sort of difference you have, if anything. 

 

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that if you have much less than about 10.5 volts at the starter then electronic ignition could be doing very odd things - I'd also say that you could do to find the cause of that voltage drop.

 

I'd also ask powerspark to confirm what is the minimum stable voltage that their system can tolerate is. Remember that if you see 12.7 on a meter, doesn't mean you get it - I use a meter with built in data logging so I can record max and min, if not the built in smoothing and anti ripple makes it impossible to see exactly what is happening while you crank.

 

As you've seen, the thing can run OK when it gets the right amount of volts, but we don't know what the minimum is, powerspark don't have that info, and we do know that if the thing gets the wrong amount of volts, the timing goes all over the place, making cranking voltage drop even more.


Edited by Captain Mainwaring, 04 July 2013 - 10:22 AM.


#123 KernowCooper

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 10:24 AM

If you have a Battery thats charged and showing 12.7v (12.65v is 100% Charged) after standing 4+ hrs and the battery is showing 8+v while cranking, its more than likely the advance is preventing the engine from spinning and kicking back and with those reading you can also have a weak cell in the Battery. I have seen batteries that show 12+v standing and when tested one cell collaspes and you now have a 10v battery with volt drop on test/cranking 8+v, this may not be so apparent not advanced up.



#124 Captain Mainwaring

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 11:15 AM

If you have a Battery thats charged and showing 12.7v (12.65v is 100% Charged) after standing 4+ hrs and the battery is showing 8+v while cranking, its more than likely the advance is preventing the engine from spinning and kicking back and with those reading you can also have a weak cell in the Battery. I have seen batteries that show 12+v standing and when tested one cell collaspes and you now have a 10v battery with volt drop on test/cranking 8+v, this may not be so apparent not advanced up.

 

 

Completely agree - the OP now needs to see what voltage he gets cold cranking with no ignition and ask powerspark what their threshold is - I have a feeling they won't know.

The point now is to take the car electrical installation out of the field of questioning and force the OEM to actually start handing out some figures.


Edited by Captain Mainwaring, 04 July 2013 - 11:16 AM.


#125 Javiagus

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Posted 08 February 2016 - 08:28 PM

Does anybody resolve the original post'w problem? I have a stage 1 998cc 1980 running very nice with points and I upgrade it with an electronic distributor and it runs nicely but starting is another story... It is like the engine became very heavy to spin. Timing is correct, new engine with only 2500 miles. I need help please!! I saw this Jet Motors's video and I want my mini to star like that.
Regards everyone


#126 KernowCooper

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Posted 08 February 2016 - 11:33 PM

Have you confirmed the timing is correct, the trigger point of the hall effect trigger is different to the heal on the points cam and the timing needs to be checked adjusted after fitment, and also confirm your wiring is correct ? the fitting guide is in the FAQs



#127 InnoCOOPER

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Posted 19 April 2018 - 05:31 PM

i had exactly the same problem when installing the Aldon Kit.   it cranked over but very , very slowly, battery was good, Earth straps good.  Disconnected Distributer + & - and it turned over very fast.  Checked Distributer in right position @ NO1 Piston at TDC on compression which was ok.  So retarted (anti clockwise) a bit and started straight away.  Sorted.






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