How To: Nissan Sentra Electronic Ignition for your L-series

[kneesamo]

The 82-85 Sentra, 83-86 Pulsar distributors, are an EI distributor, and have the same drive tang as the L-series distributors. There may be other models and years with this same series of distributor, but to my knowledge these are the ones.

 

As one could imagine you'll see these distributors all day long at the junkyard. Where as a matchbox, would only be once and a blue moon.

 

This distributor does not have an external ignitor box, and uses only two wires.

 

The Sentra distributor:

 

Inside:

 

Part #:

 

 

 

Step One: Gather a distributor and Dual Points Pedestal.

 

 

I found the distributor at the junkyard, every time i've looked, i've found one. Check the shaft for play, side to side, and check that the vacuum advance is functional. Also while your there grab the coil, unless you already have a EI coil.

 

If you are serious and want to know what your mechanical, and vacuum advance curves are going to be refer to JASON GREYS DIST SPEC PAGE Funny enough the distributor that i'm using is not listed.

 

This is where the conversion might become hard. You will need a dual points pedestal. Well not true! You can use any pedestal. I just happened to have a dual point pedestal, and it just happened to have it's fatter tang in the appropriate place. The tang will be used to secure the distributor.

 

Other pedestals could be used, you would just have to re-index the distributor driveshaft. Refer to this JH Bahn's DISTRIBUTOR INSTALLATION PAGE

 

Pedestal:

 

In the end it'll look something like this:

 

 

Step Two: Modifying the pedestal and making a clampy thingy.

 

Now you can't just throw this distributor in it's hole and wire it up, but wouldn't that be nice. First the pedestal needs to be modified, hence the "This is where the conversion might become hard." statement comes from, besides the fact that dual point pedestals are pretty rare. Modified as in machine shop, as in lathe. So unless you have a lathe, or know someone who has a lathe, this is also where the conversion could become expensive. It's a simple procedure, but an hour of shop time will cost you, what? At least $60, probably more.

 

Now there is another option, not that I would recommend it. Your gonna have to be savvy with a belt sander. If your not savvy, I don't recommend this method. You'll wear off the tips of your fingers, and your cut will be crooked, which will probably destroy the distributor if you try and run it. Yeah, bad idea! I don't think I need to explain this one.

 

The reason for modification is that the Sentra distributor doesn't protrude deep enough into the L-series timing cover, therefore not fully engaging the distributor driveshaft. To remedy this, I shortened the pedestal, about 3/16ths. A machine shop will have calipers, and will take actual true measurements. I don't own calipers, and don't remember the measurements. Machine shop measurements are in thousandths, not 16ths.

 

Before:

 

After:

 

At this point, the tang has become rather thin, thin enough to worry about. None-the-less I have ran with mine like this for a few years, as a daily driver, and have experienced no issues.

 

Next, come up with some sort of clampy thangy.

 

Thangy:

 

It's purpose:

 

Simple concept, use your imagination, and you'll come up with something.

 

My first janky solution. I ran like this for almost two years:

 

 

Step Three: Timing and Wiring

 

Bring crank to TDC on compression stroke. Which means timing mark on crank pulley at zero, and both lobes of number one cylinder are up, like it would be when you check valve lash. With the modified pedestal and Sentra distributor installed take off the distributor cap, notice which distributor cap electrode the rotor is pointing at, and make that the number one cylinder electrode. Install the spark plug wires in the 1-2-4-3 manner, going clockwise. If the rotor is say, in between two electrodes, drop the oil pump, and reindex the distributor drive shaft in the according manner so that it is pointing more where you want it to.

 

Pretty simple with the wiring. Install EI coil, and attach black and white wire to +, and blue wire to -.

 

Step Four: TURN THE KEY

 

 

A matchbox distributor is a much easier swap, like way friggin' easier, but they are also less common. The reason I went threw all this, is simply that I came across one of these distributors first. I'm not one to go out and spend money on a remanufactured matchbox, I am a junkyard builder. I do not guarantee anything, except it works for me. There are many different mechanical and vacuum advance curves available in this series of distributors, each will make your motor run a different way. Use your smarts and make it work.

 

 

References:

 

DISTRIBUTOR SPEC PAGE

 

 

INSTALLATION, AND RECURVING

 

 

RECURVING

 

 

ALL ABOUT TIMING

 

 

 

 

 

CHEERS!

[ggzilla]

Very nice. Good write-up. Clever solution.

 

Information on compatible EI coils is at EI Coil

 

Wiring

 

Also see my Hitachi D4R Distributor page, which has part numbers for Cap & Rotor.

 

Your 22100-32M01 is listed:

0882-0986 N12 USA

DISTRIBUTOR ASSY

* 22100-32M01,22100-32M01 HITACHI D4R82-24

[Laecaon]

I like this. My hunt for a matchbox at the JY has turned out fruitless every time I have been.

[]2eDeYe]

Nice writeup, looks like a great upgrade.

[paradoxx]

Rep +1 .......Great writting and a colaboration to the community, thank you!!

[hacked521]

nice writeup, never can find the unobtainium matchbox distributors.

[kneesamo]

Thanks, I enjoyed writing it up.

 

It has got me thinking about other write-ups.

[K_trip]

2eDeYe' date='08 February 2012 - 07:15 AM' timestamp='1328714110' post='629512']

Nice writeup, looks like a great upgrade.

 

+1

This is the stuff that makes this site rock!

 

[kneesamo]

Pedestal Revision:

 

So to address the thin tang that resulted from machining down the top face of the before mentioned pedestal, we decided to instead turn down the bottom flange face of the pedestal.

 

A total of 0.165 was removed, so that drive tang would engage the distributor driveshaft.

The thin tab:

 

Chucking up the pedestal:

 

The jaws of the chuck are only stopping the pedestal from spinning as it is machined. The spacer behind the pedestal is holding it flat, and the live center is holding it true so that i spins round.

 

New pedestal with fat tang, and machined bottom:

 

Now since the bottom flange surface was turned down, the pedestal enters further into the timing cover interfering with a ridge.

 

Ridge:

 

To fix this problem a little was turned off the bottom.

 

Finished pedestal:

ooowwwhhhhh!!!! Shiny!!!!!!!!!!

 

Since putting the Sentra distributor into service I have acquired a matchbox distributor. So i've been running both, just to see.

 

Funny enough the motor runs better with the Sentra distributor. Starts easier, runs smoother, and is more responsive.

 

Probably a combination of things. Different advance curves? Sentra igniter is more powerful? Matchbox distributor shaft bushing are worn out?

 

Don't know, but I like having different options.

 

Cheers!!!!

[ggzilla]

Different advance curves?

For sure. Even stock 510 distributors have different advance curves and not optimal.

 

 

Sentra igniter is more powerful?

I doubt it. They are both Hitachi ignitors, use the same plug gap and coils.

 

 

Matchbox distributor shaft bushing are worn out?

Never seen them wear out -- BUT the ball bearings races usually break. That makes the vacuum advance not work correctly. Also makes the teeth not align properly (looks like the shaft bushings are worn).

 

[kezark31]

i dont know if any knows this or not yet, but the computer at work shows the matchbox to be a cali option only that's one of the reasons i believe they are so hard to find. they also want 600 bux for a new matchbox and another 300 for the dizzy good find on the sentra dizzy.

[ggzilla]

You must work for one of those auto parts stores. Nissan says they were used on a variety of L-series and Z-series engines, FED & CAL both. Cars and trucks too.

 

Nissan sells the Hitachi ignitor (the matchbox) for $350 and a typical D4K distributor is $400.

 

Or, $50 at pick-n-pull. Make sure you get genuine Hitachi.

[datzenmike]

i dont know if any knows this or not yet, but the computer at work shows the matchbox to be a cali option only that's one of the reasons i believe they are so hard to find. they also want 600 bux for a new matchbox and another 300 for the dizzy good find on the sentra dizzy.

 

 

You must work for one of those auto parts stores. Nissan says they were used on a variety of L-series and Z-series engines, FED & CAL both. Cars and trucks too.

 

Nissan sells the Hitachi ignitor (the matchbox) for $350 and a typical D4K distributor is $400.

 

Or, $50 at pick-n-pull. Make sure you get genuine Hitachi.

 

California cars and trucks got the earliest forms of the EI Remote Igniter type dizzys starting around '76.

All L and A series had the Remote Igniter EI dizzy in '78.

All L and A series motors used the new Matchbox EI dizzys in '79 and up including the non California 4 plug head Z20E motors in the '80 200sx S110.

 

The module you want is the two terminal at the top E12-80

 

DO NOT confuse it with the E12-93 which has two extra side terminals

 

This one is found on EFI Maxima L24 engines and will introduce up to 20 degrees retard as the engine is revved. Will not work properly on a 4 cylinder.

.

[ggzilla]

Mike, what are the I and W terminals for?

 

Edit: Nevermind, it's in my 1983 280ZX service manual. Goes to Thermo Switch and Throttle Switch idle detect.

[Will]

Great writeup - it makes me want to give this a try!

[crackerjack69]

That's awesome. Some one should run off a batch of modified pedestals and offer them up for sale.

[kneesamo]

I've been thinking of doing that exact thing.

[kneesamo]

Ok, so I have begun to figure the prices and feasibility of producing modified pedestals, possibly with the little clampy things for securing.

 

If anyone who is interested in one of these would like to throw out a price that they would be willing to pay, I can get a ruff idea if it is worth producing.

 

If it gets to the point of production, the discussion of sales, will be moved to the For Sale section.

 

Chime in.

[Laecaon]

Well, lets think of it this way, PnP wants about $40 for a Dizzy. People are spending easily $100 or more on a Matchbox. This is suppose to be an easier solution than finding the Matchbox.

 

Problems that arise, sourcing pedestals. Possibly having a "core charge" on a pedestal. Or simply having the person send it to you for turning.

[kneesamo]

Well, lets think of it this way, PnP wants about $40 for a Dizzy. People are spending easily $100 or more on a Matchbox. This is suppose to be an easier solution than finding the Matchbox.

 

This point is being taken into consideration among others.

 

 

 

Problems that arise, sourcing pedestals. Possibly having a "core charge" on a pedestal. Or simply having the person send it to you for turning.

 

If someone was to send their pedestal it would take, what is essentially a core charge, off the overall price.

 

EDIT: This is to say that a run of pedestals was done. Now if someone wants their individual pedestal turned down, it's gonna cost whatever the hourly rate of the machine shop is, even if it doesn't take a full hour to complete.

[Laecaon]

What sort of time does it actually take to turn this on the lathe?

[kneesamo]

The first pedestal took an hour. Measuring, chucking the pedestal, set-up the tooling, take first cuts, unchuck, measure, put it in the hole, realize it needs more cut from somewhere else, measure, rechuck, set-up again, take the second cuts, blah, blah, blah. There is a lot involved the process. I just kinda stand there and watch the little shinny things fly off the shinny spinning thing.

 

If there was to be a batch made it would go faster.

 

One single part will cost more than batch.

 

Kinda goes hand and hand.

[Will]

I picked up a 82 Sentra distributor on ebay (nothing older than 20yrs old in the New York junkyards!!)

 

I'm curious to try this setup out. Unlike the ones in the picture, my distributor has two tubes going into a more complicated-looking vacuum advance - anyone know if I can still use this distributor, or how I should handle the piping?

 

 

[kneesamo]

I believe that is a vacuum/advance + pressure/retard diaphragm.

 

I imagine that you could just hook up the advance side, my guess is that it's the outer port.

 

That diaphragm would be a good for a boosted motor.

[Will]

Thanks!

-from what I've been able to find out, it sounds like the inner tube is an emissions feature for when the car is warming up (hooked up to a temperature switch,) and the outer one is the regular advance, but I've never seen this before in any of my Datsuns, so I wanted to be sure.