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Any recommendations on fitting an electronic ignition unit?
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Scamonomics



Joined: 28 Apr 2014
Posts: 24

PostPosted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 8:24 pm    Post subject: Any recommendations on fitting an electronic ignition unit? Reply with quote

I've had timing issues on my '58 Hillman Minx. A friend told me to ditch the points and fit an electronic ignition unit. I have a Stealth unit in my Austin which works brilliantly, but this friend said that some units work better on specific cars.

So just wondering if anyone has a recommendation or any experience of fitting one?

Kind regards

Jab
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kevin2306



Joined: 01 Jul 2013
Posts: 1359
Location: nr Llangollen, north wales

PostPosted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

Very similar story to mine in that I got my Vogue running well only to have her fail in a similar manner.
Looked out for a NOS Lucas dizzy (found one after I'd bought the new unit) but ended up buying a new distributor from accuspark, £58 delivered.
Rotated the engine manually until the points were just opening on #1, removed the old dizzy and fitted the new unit. Car started on the button and I set the timing by ear from that point until she was running smoothly.
Checked things with a strobe and it was spot on.
It was my intention to swap the accuspark out for the NOS unit but to be honest she starts and runs so well I will leave things as is.

I have also fitted a brand new carb (great find!).

Kev
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Jab

Add on electronic ignition units only do one thing better than conventional, that being that current to the coil is switched on and off far more cleanly than mechanical points can ever achieve. They won't cure timing problems.

The clean switching is very important as it generally means more charge to the coil ( when the points would be closed) and a faster collapse of the magnetic field in the coil ( when the points would open) think of this as a stronger punch!

I'm a fan of electronic ignition, but prefer to stick to the units where the points are maintained (they just switch the unit rather than the current to the coil) as in the event of a unit failure, one can switch back to conventional ignition in a matter of seconds.

Cheers

Dave
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DanH



Joined: 31 Mar 2015
Posts: 61
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

PostPosted: Tue May 19, 2015 6:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dave, are you able to give an example of a brand of electronic ignition that retains the points? I'm interested in going that way with my Series E Morris.
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ka



Joined: 03 Dec 2007
Posts: 600
Location: Orkney.

PostPosted: Tue May 19, 2015 7:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There is a stream on this question, I found the Maplins kit excellent, but it is available from other sources, and I would expect from other outlets.
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KA

Better three than four.
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Jonv8



Joined: 28 Jan 2009
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm a big fan of Lumenition,been using it since I was 19 on my first Range Rover.(Now 50) Absolutely transformed starting and reliability - and it didn't matter that the distributor bearings were a bit sloppy.
Its not the cheapest,but it is reliable,my younger brother has just completed a 40,000km lap of Australia in a 1967 6cyl Land Rover running on it - no spark problems.A month ago we had a very dark and wet ride home in my other brothers 1933 Austin 12/6. Nearly 2 hours in a West Australia downpour,that poor old thing never missed a beat climbing the big hill up out of Perth,we could hardly see where we were going but the motor just kept pulling hard,again running Lumenition.
I wouldn't worry about keeping points,they are better off gone. Few engines run as well on points as they do on a decent electronic setup.
My 1950 AJS is now running on a brand new electronic BTH mag,it runs better than it ever could on the Lucas racing mag it replaced.There was nothing wrong with the Lucas mag,its in good shape,its just not good enough...
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