Electronic Ignitions For L motors (4 cyl.)

[goonfan]

Another big thank you bump. I picked up a remote unit but felt the simplicity of the HEI set up was worth the $25, sure was. Night and day difference in the level of spark intensity.

 

Side note, my dizzy didn't have red and green wires coming out of it. Instead I have 2 blue wires, I ran a trace but with the wries being twisted together so my trace was not helping much. Luckily I still had the remote igniter and the terminal block, the terminal block has red and green wires so I ran the HEI to the terminal and was good.

[dimedriver]

Could you post some pictures?

 

I'm sure people would like to see how it's setup. Also where did you find your Dizzy?

 

 

-Dime

[goonfan]

Sure, I'll load something up when I get a chance. I'm thinking tomorrow night with the way my schedule looks.

[Dirttrack510]

 

I just installed this ignition set up on my Race wagon. I can't get it to run properly though. It acts as if it is between setting for my timing. I keep moving my plug wires around and adancing and retarding the ignition, but can't get the "sweet spot". It's almost as if the "sweet spot" for my timing is right in the middle between two cap terminals. Has anyone else had this happen before? I'm about ready to scrap the Electonic Ignition route on this car and go back to points. It ran great with the points and I've played with the timing on the car for 7 hours and can't get a good idle or acceleration out of the engine.

 

Any ideas would be great.....

 

ps... sorry to thread jack a little, I figured there was no need for another ignition post though.

[bananahamuck]

Have you tried dropping your pump and moving a tooth,,it only takes a few minutes..I had to move mine when i changed over to pertronixs ...I ran alot more initial advance with the points.

 

 

 

As a last ditch thing ,,maybe also try mixing and matching weights and springs of different models.. Never done it on a electronic distributor ( only points type ) but im sure there is power to be found there..

[Dirttrack510]

No, but that is a good idea, maybe I'll try that tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion. :D

[dimedriver]

Dirt,

Did you swap out the pedestal with the new dizzy? Some of them will move the timing a bit if you don't keep them with the original. Typically the pedestal Timing plate and dizzy need to stay together. Also some of the dizzy's from Z-series engines un-advance on vacuum. These usually plug into the carb and not the intake. Also there is a nissan ignition module that has an extra connector on it. Stay away from it. I think these were form turbo cars because the timing changes with rev a lot if nothing is plugged into it.

 

There is a chart of all the dizzy part numbers somewhere. It lists how much of each type of advance they have. I would recommend checking it out. The part number is stamped into the side of the dizzy.

 

-Dime

[Dirttrack510]

Dirt,

Did you swap out the pedestal with the new dizzy? Some of them will move the timing a bit if you don't keep them with the original. Typically the pedestal Timing plate and dizzy need to stay together.

There is a chart of all the dizzy part numbers somewhere. It lists how much of each type of advance they have. I would recommend checking it out. The part number is stamped into the side of the dizzy.

 

-Dime

I used the pedestal from the "new" dizzy, so that may be part of the problem too.

The stamped part numbers look like this...

 

D4F4-04 7101

22100 N6102

[Laecaon]

I used a L16 pedastal with a matchbox, had to take the dremel to it, but it works perfect.

 

Put the motor to TDC, loosen the dizzy, where the rotor is pointing is either at wire 1 or 4 (not sure if compression or ignition stroke unless you see the cam lobes...)

 

The rotor will be pointing at a fixed direction, what you need to do is adjust the dizzy so that the rotor is pointing directly at one of the wire plugs. Which ever plug the rotor points to will either become wire 1 or wire 4.

 

When we did this on my friends truck we put it to TDC, but on compression stroke. We went to start it and it would simple cough, fliped the wires (1with4 and 2with3) and it started immediately.

[Dirttrack510]

That was the problem, it wouldn't point directly at any plug wire. I got it to work though, I flipped the adjuster that sits between the dizzy and the pedastal over. I don't have any adjustment left, but it seems to be running pretty good now. Thanks for the help guys. I finally have 1 Datsun with Electronic Ignition. :D Too bad it's the one I race, instead of the one I drive. lol... :rofl: At least with this dizzy I should be able to easily hook it up to a MSD box when I'm ready to. :thumbup:

[wayno]

That was the problem, it wouldn't point directly at any plug wire. I got it to work though, I flipped the adjuster that sits between the dizzy and the pedastal over. I don't have any adjustment left, but it seems to be running pretty good now. Thanks for the help guys. I finally have 1 Datsun with Electronic Ignition. :D Too bad it's the one I race instead of the one I drive. lol... :rofl: At least with this dizzy I should be able to easily hook it up to a MSD box when I'm ready to. :thumbup:

 

You need to put it back and drop the oil pump and reclock the dist. drive shaft.

I normally turn the engine to TDC, make sure the cam lobes on #1 are at 10am and 2pm.

Now pull the dist. cap, where is the rotor pointing, if it points directly backwards towards the drivers seat, that is 3pm, if it points towards the front of the drivers wheel, that is 6pm, you want it to point to about 4pm, maybe 3:30pmish, if it doesn't point to 4pm, then you should now pull the dist. and look down the hole from the pass. side fender, the dist. drive shaft should be pointing to about 11:30am with the fat side towards the intake, if it points directly towards the pass. side, that would be 12pm, anything other than 11:30am,and you need to drop the oil pump, and reclock the dist. drive shaft to 11:30am, sometimes it takes a couple times before you get it.

[dimedriver]

The chart for Dizzy ID is found here.

http://www.newprotes...dizzy_specs.htm

We should probably copy into the forum before it disappears.

 

Your distributor is from a 77' 620 Pickup.

ID | Mech advance starts | full mech advance dizzy speed | Vacuum PSI | full vacuum

D4F4-04 0@550 11@2300

5.90

3@9.8

 

 

Get your oil pump spindel lined up right, like wayno says. Watch Heinz video on L-series timing.

http://www.youtube.c...o?feature=watch

Really get it setup right because its very important to have it adjustable for racing.

I'am required to run the old small body(early 510 stock) distributor. I can change the guts thought so I put a pertronics in it. The vacuum diaframe is also removed.

I run 110 leaded race gas and 36degrees total advance. This is on a more or less stock L16 with the 210 head. I remove 2 degrees or more on really hot days +95F. Run water wetter and a nice aluminum Radiator + Electric fan. You need to have the spindel on the right tooth to make it all work or you will run out of adjustment.

 

-Dime

[rat-a-dat-dat]

When swapping to a Matchbox dizzy what plug wires do you want to use? I'm thinking a set for the (1980 720) L20 should work for the L16 right?

[dimedriver]

If the wires fit use them.

[Laecaon]

When swapping to a Matchbox dizzy what plug wires do you want to use? I'm thinking a set for the (1980 720) L20 should work for the L16 right?

 

Grab the wires that go to the plug on the matchbox itself. But I think the wires end up going into the harness in the stock application.

 

So dont worry about wires, just run like the diagram shows.

 

Though if it was my car, I would be tucking them into my cars harness.

[rat-a-dat-dat]

 

 

Grab the wires that go to the plug on the matchbox itself. But I think the wires end up going into the harness in the stock application.

 

So dont worry about wires, just run like the diagram shows.

 

Though if it was my car, I would be tucking them into my cars harness.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm asking about the plug wires that run from the cap to each spark plug and the coil. If I go to the local parts house and ask them for a set for 1980 720 is that going to work? I think it would but I can't find much info on the subject.

 

[Laecaon]

Thanks for the reply. I'm asking about the plug wires that run from the cap to each spark plug and the coil. If I go to the local parts house and ask them for a set for 1980 720 is that going to work? I think it would but I can't find much info on the subject.

 

It should... Make sure to get the spark plugs though. The matchbox uses Resistor plugs, the points system uses non resistor plugs.

[dimedriver]

Resistance in only to limit noise heard on the radio. If you don't hear anything strange on the radio or don't care if its a little fuzzy sounding in certain RPM ranges, you can forgo the resistive wires and plugs for a hotter spark. Any set of Plug wires that have the right ends on them will work. I use the cut to length kits for chevy v8's that include the HEI boots(Moroso, Accel, or MSD). Sometimes they are cheaper. But any set for a L series 4 or 6 should work. Even ones used on points ignition cars. I have herd that the OEM NGK plug wires were awesome but they are not cheap.

 

-Dime

[banzai510(hainz)]

I have herd that the OEM NGK plug wires were awesome but they are not cheap.

 

is 25-30$ expensive.

NGK NE64 L series 4 cly

[banzai510(hainz)]

NE64 at amazon under 20$

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000GZGVGG/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

[rat-a-dat-dat]

I had read somewhere that you don't want to use the stock 510 plug wires.

 

Thanks for the feedback it is just what I needed.

[merlin]

On my 521 i used a remote style EI dist out of a 620. Heres what i bought for the swap.........

made a base for the HEI........simple...

 

 

 

I note in this pic you have the black yellow and the black red wires to the positive side of the coil.. on my 521 wiring diagram it seems to show the Black-blue stripe wire instead of the Blakck red stripe.....

 

Is the Black/redstripe ON power to the coil?

[merlin]

Okay doing a 1977 620 l20b ei swap into the 521, so on my 1970 521 i now have the black/ white stripe and black/redstripe wires connected to the positive coil side, along with a wire to the hei unit.. New charged battery. I get spark on cranking, but it's weak and orange.

 

 

Usying the stock 1977 coil that came with the engine.

A gm hei unit wired a la the diagram on past pages

1977 remote ignitor dizzy that ran fine on that engine... The engine ran fine before i pulled it from the other truck.

Ballast resistor has been removed.

 

Can someone verify that the wires to positive are the right ones for a 521...

 

As soon as i kmow the wiring is right, i'll clean it up a bit better and perhaps try the msd blaster 2 coil... Getting about 12 volts to the coil positive side fwiw.

 

 

[Laecaon]

My wiring diagram show black white as ignition+ and black red as start+, so that is correct. Try the Blaster 2 coil. Your coil may want the resistor with it...

 

Fyi my diagram also shows that BR goes to the resistor, then another BR goes from the same post to the coil.

 

make sure the HEI is well grounded, as well as the dizzy body.

[merlin]

Thanks... I' m betting on the 35 year old coil being the issue. The Blaster 2 runs without a resistor so i shouldn't have to use one. I didn't think to check if the 77 truck i pulled all this from had one.