Ignition Upgrades

arcticrover · Post by **arcticrover** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 1:43 pm

Hey all-

What are my options for modernizing the ignition system? I'd like to get rid of as much of the "mechanical" stuff as possible when I begin to replace the ignition electricals very soon. Keep in mind I am only a weekend mechanic and still not familiar with this engine. My rolling rebuild is taking off quickly!

Basil · Post by **Basil** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 2:14 pm

Hi Mate , you could fit an electronic dizzy out of a range rover, but don't go for the one that has the ignition module pack under the coil as these can be unreliable and expensive to replace or fit a lumenition kit these are easy to fit and work well.

I had the first option but went back to points as i was having problems a couple of year's ago and wanted to eliminate the dizzy as being at fault, turn's out it was and have stuck with point's eversince, have got a lumenition kit somewhere but just have not got round to putting it on.

Basil

Andy Dawe · Post by **Andy Dawe** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 6:52 pm

I must agree with Basil. Points are good. You can set them up with a cigarette packet and time it with a bulb and a piece of wire. You can also carry a full set of ignition spares for a very small outlay. Something the AA and RAC are not doing now as they get no call for Points and coils these days. All they do now is diagnose that your little black box filled with resin is broke

arcticrover · Post by **arcticrover** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 8:21 pm

Cool. I am trying to find the correct Pertronix part number, as no one seems to directly correlate Rover 3.5 or Rover V8 with the correct part. I am pretty sure it is LU-181, but no one seems to know for sure.

onno wielinga · Post by **onno wielinga** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:01 pm

i also think it is the right type; the distributor turns clockwise (checked it) and has only vacuumadvance.

if you also get another coil you have to watch out; the car has a 12 volt system but the coil is 7 volt! if you put on a 12 volt coil it will only work at half speed, so you'll get a weak spark.

my lumenitionset is working again; it failed due to a socket that wasn't crimped on properly. good connections are critical with this system.

i don't agree with others with the points. i have allways run my car on lpg and with the points it never ran half as good as with the electronic ignition.
i constantly had to readjust the dwellangle due to wear in the distributor /play in the baseplate (we al do as they are all old cars).
with the electronic systems the dwellangle is either fixed (lumenition) or everytime being calculated (pertronix).

fitting electronic ignitions is definitely one of the best mods i have made to my car.

arcticrover · Post by **arcticrover** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 8:41 pm

So if I just bought the pertronix module and their coil, would that be sufficient, or what else should I do? This is a weak area for me mechanically . . .

Basil · Post by **Basil** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 11:31 am

I run Lpg all the time and mine run's no differentley if it's on point's or when it had electronic ignition, but i know of other's that ran terrible on point's but spot on with the electronic dizzy.

When i put the 3.9 V8 in out of a disco i just swapped over the dizzy from my old 3.5 timed it up and it run's perfect.

I use my truck everyday and it's a year since i put aset of point's in and i haven't touched them since, i think it's down to personal preference myself but if i was stuck in the middle of nowhere i no what i would sooner have, coz i always have a spare set in my cubby box just in case.

Basil

arcticrover · Post by **arcticrover** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:55 am

Does the pertronix module that fits under the cap replace the points?

onno wielinga · Post by **onno wielinga** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:49 pm

yes. on the pertronix website they explain how it works (the signal is given with 8 magnets in a turning disc and detected by a pickup/box that also calculates the dwell angle.

glencoyne · Post by **glencoyne** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:04 pm

I have just ordered an ignition module from Aldon Automotive which I think is the same as the Pertronix one, to fit a 90 V8 with the 35D8 distributor. I will report back when I have fitted it.

Richard

arcticrover · Post by **arcticrover** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:17 am

What does everyone think about this electronic distributor? It's a bit cheaper than the others I have seen. . .

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Accel-Di ... enameZWD1V

glencoyne · Post by **glencoyne** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 6:08 pm

As promised - a mini review of the Aldon Ignitor (Pertronix) electronic ignition.

It is a sealed electronic module that fits in place of the points and condensor, using the same mounting screws. Fitting is dead easy following the very clear instructions, should only take about 10 minutes. There are 2 wires from the module, one goes to the + side of the ignition coil, the other to the - side. I also fitted a 'Flamethrower' ignition coil from the same company.

The system runs on 12v, it is not a ballasted system so you will need to wire up the coil feed to take account of this. Most factory V8s have a ballasted coil. You will need to join together the two coil feeds (the direct one and the one that goes via the ballast resistor) and connect them to the coil + terminal. If you do not do this you will end up with an ignition system that only works while the starter motor is operating.

Aldon supply a plain round grommet for the distributor body. This will not keep water out. You will need to use silicone sealant or similar. Another annoying feature is that the wires to the coil have ring rather than spade terminals.

Anyway, with everything connected up I turned the key and it fired up instantly. I checked the timing, it was a little retarded compared to how it had been before, but easy to adjust. Of course you will now need a timing light to set the timing exactly, as there are no points any more.

To be honest the vehicle did not seem to run much different to the way it had before the swap - but it had brand new points and condensor, set up exactly as per the workshop manual. Compared to a worn set of points, you will probably notice a much bigger difference. The system is totally maintenance free - fit and forget.

Overall it is a neat system and I would say good value at around £120 for the ignition unit and coil together. One other advantage is that it is easily reversible - you just need to carry points, condensor and wiring with you, and if the electronic module fails you can convert it back to points ignition in a few minutes. For people who don't quite trust these modern black box electronic things, this is good news.

Richard

primsil · Post by **primsil** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 1:14 am

I have a mallory twin point dizzy for my new engine, which I am going to use with an msd offroad box. If I ever have problems can just revert back to points, and it doesnt have a rover dist cap and rotor, cause of many problems.