Electronic ignition systems

[Adrian Southgate]

After working out the prices of a service kit for my trusty pinto and spending ages trying to find a condenser and points at the local motor factors I was told to check the Accuspark systems available.

They sell a points and condenser unit that fits inside the dizzy for £32.50 so was wondering if anyone else has tried them and what the results were?

[Adrian Southgate]

Both the leggy and the Sierra are fomoco dizzys. (black top, sprung rotor)

Thing is the points keep shifting gap and the condensers seem to fail more often these days, part of the reason I was thinking of shifting to one of those discreet in the distributor modules.

[Adrian Southgate]

Luminition are too much gubbins under the bonnet jobs though, tried one of those on the Anglia and binned it within a week (well sold it on) which is half the reason I stayed with points.

[Adrian Southgate]

If its programmable then the programming can be erased or go wrong, I dislike anything computer related in control of my cars in any way shape or form... and i'm a computer engineer !

[Adrian Southgate]

I'll never talk... never i tell you, you'll not get a confession out of me muahahaha...

[Big Vern]

FOMOCO dizzy's were always pants. Try converting to Bosch for a more reliable points dizzy. FMC dizzy's wear very quickly so your problems are more likely to be because the dizzy is shot.

See link below if you want a complete points free package

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120944992185?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649...

[Adrian Southgate]

I was thinking that switching to a Bosch might be a good plan and will probably do so on the legerra when funds allow, I do have a bosch electronic dizzy of a Sierra in the parts box, don't know if that could be used as a base for an Accuspark kit though, have to pop the top off and find out. I know it has no vacumn advance though :(

I'd probably go with this one from Accuspark themselves however the powerspark kits appear of identical construction, just a different label?

[James Doulton]

I don't think that the dizzy from an EFI is much use - it has a static timing of 10 degrees advance. I don't know that it generates a spark without getting a signal from the ECU. As far as I can tell the unit has a hall effect sensor that gives a low frequency square wave to the ECU at 2x the engine speed, with one edge (rising?) aligned with 10 degree BTDC. The ECU initiates the spark normally ahead of the signal, not knowing which cylinder is going to get it, and the distributor directs it to the correct lead. As the EFI is a batch fuel injection, not a sequential one, then it doesn't need to know which cylinder is firing.

[Adrian Southgate]

I agree James, didn't understand the ECU related parts completely but I see the theory. 

I'll dig it out and give it a clean, may be worth flogging it on ebay to help fund the purchase of the accuspark.

[neil parsons]

I fitted the accuspark electronic igntion on a pinto and now my cross flow cost about £28 and all of 5 mins to fit. It makes a big difference make sure you buy the right one by using the dizzy cap cover as a guide my cross flow has a Bosch dizzy. Best £28 I have spent , remember to check the timing after fitting

[Adrian Southgate]

Thanks Neil, looks like a bosch electronic dizzy will be the way forward in the long term although I would like to keep one of my cars EMP proof (call me paranoid)

[Big Vern]

EMP?

[Adrian Southgate]

Electro Magnetic Pulse - Dirty H bombs cause huge EMP's, so do solar flares etc etc...

Like I said... Call me paranoid LOL