14 replies to this topic

['Chop']

Hi all,

 

Just a quick one.

 

I'm looking to change my ignition system from a points/ condensor to an electronic system, but having been out of the scene for so long, there seems to be a few different one on the market now.

 

I've had sucess with the lumenition one on a clubbie (years ago) but my question really is which is the best one?

 

The engine isn't really modified, just a stage 1 998 with a little bit of carb tinkering (Vizard style) and the current dizzy is a 45D. The rest of the system is standard, but I'm using a ballasted coil (I've made up the loom from several 'spare' looms I had floating about. Engine is from an '84 mini 25

 

I've seen that lumenition still make one, but so do Aldon and there's another I've seen as well (but have forgotten)

 

Is it worth changing the coil to a 'sports' version and the leads to a better quality also?

 

Thanks, in anticipation, Andy

[jime17]

I used a powerspark. Its the best thing I've done.

It was about £20 with postage.

if you've got a ballasted coil you need to run a 12v supply from fuse box to feed the powerspark module.
very simple.

[sixtyeight]

megaljolt.

 

/thread

[CityEPete]

Would it make sense to buy the whole accuspark kit with a new coil and remove the dreaded ballast wire at the same time, they are doing some good prices on eBay including a rotor arm and free postage I think?

 

I am running an accuspark in one car and a powerspark in the other I think, no problems, both with a Lucas sport coil.

[Artful Dodger]

If you're going for proper power and coolness look at NODIZ. A 3D mappable ECU that's fairly simple to set up and run. There are guides on his website to do it. You can have rev counters, digi dashes, launch control, rev limiters blah blah

It's awesome

But if not, aldon electronic distributors are good

['Chop']

Thanks so far for the advice, just looked at the accuspark stuff on Ebay... that might be a goer.

 

Dodger, if you fancy driving the chop with a highly tuned engine, then you're more of a man than me..... Poor visibility and wooden seats that are less than 4" off the tarmac and suspension lowered to the max..... I'll throw you the keys at IMM

[Tamworthbay]

I have run accuspark on A and b series engines and they work well. The only problem as few people have had is the separate trigger wheel, just get a rotor with one built in (as in some kits, otherwise a fiver) and it will be a doddle to fit.

['Chop']

Do people run just the kit with the module and cap.... or is it substantially better buying the kit which includes the dizzy??

[Tamworthbay]

Do people run just the kit with the module and cap.... or is it substantially better buying the kit which includes the dizzy??

the full kit has generic curve for an A series so if your dizzy is ok I would stick with it as the advance curve will be more likely to be suited to the engine.

[Artful Dodger]

Get an aldon electronic dizzy then, they do road engine stuff and it's proper good. We use aldon dizzys on historical and they're mega




Hahaha deal;) il sell you the clubman motor if you fancy it, 120hp straight cut race engine:D

Would me proper cool! But the chop does have to have something nice in it! Has got to sound fruity! Please:)

[dklawson]

You have received many good suggestions.  Reading your questions it is unclear to me what your end goal is and/or your budget.  The various mapped (non-dizzy) systems mentioned above will certainly do away with the points and give you many tuning options.  The Aldon options could give you a more traditional solution with improved performance.  Both very doable with varying degrees of effort and cost.

 

The AccuSpark and PowerSpark conversion kits will give you improved reliability with the existing distributor advance curve you have as Tamworthbay said.  They will be your least expensive options and very suitable if you are otherwise happy with your engine's performance.

 

You asked about coils and coil types.  A common misconception is that the coil alone can offer improved performance.  The energy of the spark at the plugs, the voltage at which the spark occurs, is not determined by the coil but by your fuel/air mixture and the spark plug gap.  The problem is that with a standard set of points the coil has a limited charge/discharge cycle that cannot benefit much from high-voltage coils.  Electronic ignitions don't have the mechanical limits of points and thus allow you to open up the spark plug gap to get a hotter spark.  So... if your goal is a hotter spark, start with the coil you have and open up the spark plug gap a bit after fitting one of these electronic ignitions.  I know people who have opened up the plug gap to more than 0.035" with good results.  However, I would suggest starting at a more conservative 0.030" and then making small incremental adjustments wider until you start having problems.  That will tell you if you want to invest in a "sports coil" or similar.

 

As for the ballast coil question, that is up to you but there are other less expensive options than buying a new coil.  If you decide your existing coil is OK but you want to have a more reliable wiring scheme that does not involve the pink wire, fit an external ceramic ballast resistor like many non-Mini cars use.  Go to the Holden.co.uk web site (or eBay, or a local parts supplier) and find a nominal 1.6 Ohm ballast resistor.  Run a new white wire from the fuse box to one side of the ballast resistor, run a second wire from the other side of the ballast resistor to coil (+) and disconnect the pink wire.  The external ballast resistor will be safer to your car's loom while keeping your existing ballast coil and its benefits.  

Edited by dklawson, 15 March 2014 - 01:20 PM.

[CityEPete]

I forgot to say thats why I run a Lucas sports coil, I have opened up my plug gaps a little as I have a beefier coil and no points to get in the way. I keep a spare set of standard points/condenser and other bits in all my old cars anyway, worst comes to the worst the RAC man can fit them for me while I sit in his warm cab. Order a new elec module the next day and fit it in my warm garage and reset the timing. Fingers crossed none of my modules have ever failed anyway. Some of those trigger rings can be very snug but to be fair I have had a few very snug rotor arms too.

[Bungle]

i have friends that swear by the maplins kit and with it weighing in under a tenner it's good value 

['Chop']

Thanks Doug for your comprehensive answer.

 

I'm not really after any particular performance gains on this car as it won't be driven hard and it's unlikely to be 'ragged' about through the lanes

 

What I'm after really is reliability. If I were more inclined to be getting more performance, I'd fit a mappable system and a decent engine, but this car is just a bit of fun really. Originality is of NO concern on here either (for those that haven't seen the thread  )....

 

Just something I can get into, turn the key and hey presto!

 

Budget again isn't really too  much of a concern as the whole car only owes me a few hundred quid anyway... Sure, I don't want to spend a fortune, but don't mind spending a few quid more to get the right system.

 

Cheers, Andy

[KernowCooper]

As said above the accuspark/powersparks/britpart are all but the same unit, they are reliable and that is your main concern. Some had issues but order  the rotor arm /trigger one piece sorts that out. I did a fitment guide here of a conversion worth reading, and I would get rid of the ballast coil wiring as they can burn out and take part of the loom with it, obviously change the coil to a 12v unit but that and the full fitment is covered in the guide here http://www.theminifo...t-step-by-step/