17 replies to this topic

[Minto1]

I've bought an electronic distributor (as it was only about £20 more than the kit, and my distributor is looking a bit knackered anyway) which I intend to fit soon, was just wondering if anyone has any handy tips for when you change the distributor and for setting the timing up again?

It seems to be a fairly simple process, just take the old distributor out, put this new one in, take the ballast out and put the new coil in, connect the wires up correctly and then change the position until the timing is right. I mainly wondered about setting the timing up again, as thats likely to be the most fiddly part

[Tamworthbay]

Have you got a timing light? Set it up roughly right and get it running with the clamp loose. Then slowly rotate the dizzy until it runs as smooth as possible. If you have a timing light you can then use it to get it spot on. I got away for years without a timing light but its best to use one if you have one.

[Minto1]

Nah I don't have one, I did think about getting one but everyone I spoke to says the same as you, that you can just get it about right without a light.

As for setting it up in the first place, presumably you just get the engine to TDC on cylinder 1, see where the rotor arm is, get the new one to this position and put it in? Actually, couldn't I just move the car until the rotor arm is pointing to cylinder 1 (or any cylinder really) and just put the new one in at the same position?

I do hear that sometimes the timing on the electronic distributors ends up being different to ones with points though....

[Tamworthbay]

Nah I don't have one, I did think about getting one but everyone I spoke to says the same as you, that you can just get it about right without a light.
As for setting it up in the first place, presumably you just get the engine to TDC on cylinder 1, see where the rotor arm is, get the new one to this position and put it in? Actually, couldn't I just move the car until the rotor arm is pointing to cylinder 1 (or any cylinder really) and just put the new one in at the same position?
I do hear that sometimes the timing on the electronic distributors ends up being different to ones with points though....

It can be out by a fair bit I did it that way and it was close enough to get it running.

[CityEPete]

I did the old run it up the bypass with a slightly lose pinch bolt adjusting until it was optimal, setting it up to the manual with a standard light made it run terrible, I then bought a proper fancy timing light so I could set it to 32 degrees btdc at 4000rpm, turns out my bypass method was bang on!

[dklawson]

You can static time many aftermarket electronic ignitions to get them "close" based on the factory timing specs.  Static timing takes nothing more than a bit of patience and a test light that you can make yourself from a turn signal bulb.  If you are not familiar with static timing, take a read through the PDF linked to below.

 

https://www.sites.go...icTiming[1].pdf

 

Please let me know if the link does not work.  The document is on a Google site and posting direct links can be problematic at best.

[Minto1]

Finally got around to putting this in, I've run a new wire from the switched live on the fuse box to go on the positive terminal of the new (non ballast) coil, and I shall disconnect the white and yellow and white and pink wires (as they form the ballast I believe). One of the wires from the negative terminal on the coil needs to connect to the distributor (as it was before), but there is a second black and white wire coming from the negative terminal which disappears into the loom, is this an earth for the coil/distributor? Looking at the wiring diagram theres supposed to be an earth from the distributor but I can't see any

 

Also, there was a wire on the old coil from the positive terminal which simply went to an attachment on the coil mounting, is this some sort of weird engine earth thing?

[cal844]

The white/black, is this on the module loom? My lucas (factory) dizzy has a white and white black as its newer than 1990, i BELIEVE the wires from the module

white is positive,

white black is earth

The wire which went to an attatchment, could you post a pic? I suspect this to be a condensor

HTH

[KernowCooper]

The White/black wire into the loom is for a rev counter take off, the odd thing you describe on the coil + sounds like a suppressor to keep ignition noise from affecting old type radios and not really needed nowdays, unless you have a very cheap/old radio on MW/VHF

Edited by KernowCooper, 17 April 2014 - 03:06 PM.

[Minto1]

There were two white/black wires connected to the (original) coil, one of which connects to the negative for the dizzy, and another which I have no idea what it does, but if its just for a rev counter and not an earth or something, been as I have no rev counter I'll just connect it up again to the new coil.

Googling a coil suppresor comes up with similar images to what was on mine, so I presume that is what it was....

[dklawson]

The supressor is not needed now that you have an electronic ignition.  Remove it.

 

Yes, there could be two white/black wires.  

A short white/black will run from the coil (-) terminal to the distributor when points are used.

A second white black wire will leave coil (-) and go to the sense terminal on the tachometer.

 

Do not go looking for a distributor earthing wire as such.  

The distributor itself is connected to earth through its mounting in the block. 

Inside the distributor there will be a high-flex earth wire running from the dizzy housing to the breaker plate.  That's the only real earthing wire associated with the distributor.

[Minto1]

The thought had crossed my mind that it was earthed through the block but I thought I might as well check before I go connecting stuff up. I removed the supressor anyway, so I'll stick the black and white wires back on and do it that way, cheers guys

[dklawson]

I'll stick the black and white wires back on and do it that way, cheers guys

 

After conversion to an electronic ignition, only the one white/black wire is needed, the one going to the tach (if fitted).

 

Also, this may sound like a trivial point but it is important if you are going to work on electrical wiring of any type.  With two-tone wires, the dominant color is listed first when you describe the wire colors.  In this case, the wire is white/black, not black/white as the wire is white with a black stripe (not black with a white stripe).  Again, this may sound trivial but in some Lucas wiring schemes there is also a black/white wire.  The most common use for that color combination is a low brake fluid level monitoring switch.

[KernowCooper]

At Lucas we were in the training courses to write the colour codes as White/black, so the dominant colour had a capital letter, something I try and do, unless I reply on my phone, where you press 2 each side of the letter you want

Edited by KernowCooper, 17 April 2014 - 03:09 PM.

[Tamworthbay]

Autoelectrics is a dark art at the best of times, the tips above are very useful as wiring diagrams vary from the easy to the almost impossible. Then add in twenty- fifty years of owner mods and it can be a nightmare (when I was 16 I helped my mate rewire a DT50 with wire donated by a neighbour. It was all brown. The bike ran fine but what a nightmare it would have been to track a fault on even something that simple).

When working on my cars, I photocopy the diagram and them colour it in with my daughters crayons. Makes life MUCH easier.