Distributors

[Adrian Southgate]

Having decided to replace my FoMoCo dizzy with an Accuspark equipped Bosch one, leads, and coil as well.

I was looking at toys... found this clear dizzy cap and wondered if anyone had tried one? Is it of any practical use or just a frivolous toy? Be fun to watch the sparks inside the cap when the engine is running however, would it perform in normal road use? Seems you can only get them for the Bosch dizzy so might change the Sierra one too then I can have the blue tinted one... 

[Steve Kerswell]

I used to have plug leads like that, they used to look good in the dark as they sparked, plus easy to see a misfire. All show really, but it was my Custom Capri and I was young and longhaired then.

[Adrian Southgate]

I have ordered the bosch based dizzy, coil and leads set with accuspark. Will report back after its been fitted to the legerra during the week. Just wondering if I'm going to need the points and condenser to do the initial setup, should it be required ?

[Steve Kerswell]

Mine was up and running when I fitted accuspark. But  seem to remember having to advance it once strobing it in. Never had any problems with it since I dropped it in. Simple to fit, and seems reliable.

[Steve Kerswell]

Do you need both parts or is it one piece? Cam belt and alternator drive. I'm in the scrapper tomorrow morn will have a scout.

[James Doulton]

The fan belt pulley is separate from the cambelt drive wheel.

[Adrian Southgate]

Kit arrived last week but only had a chance to fit on saturday. Simple job, set crank to TDC, check old dizzy to make sure #1 is firing. Undo dizzy retaining bolt, remove plug leads from plugs, disconnect wiring from coil, unbolt coil. Remove the whole lot intact so you have it for reference.

fit new distributor to hole and finger tighten retaining clamp and bolt, you will probably need to remove this more than once. It will only go in all the way when the oil pump drive hex shaft is aligned so you only have six possible locations before you have to move the hex shaft. As soon as you have the dizzy settled in roughly the right place the refit the cap and start the HT lead sequence. Now when I fitted mine I started in roughly the same place as the original dizzy. I was at least 180 degrees out, possibly more. Took it all apart and moved the dizzy core one tooth anticlockwise on the auxilliary shaft gear, and yes that means you have to rotate the hex shaft with a long hex socket (1/4") I used a hex drive screwdriver extension bit about 7 inches long which makes it easier. Rinse and repeat until it splutters or fires. When it starts to cough and splutter do one more tooth. This should put you in a place where the engine will fire (sort of).

At this point you can start to rotate the dizzy body a bit at a time until it runs. Once running it should be a fairly easy job to smooth it out enough to get a timing light on it.

Once I got it stabilised I quit playing as I currently do not own a timing light, it's running again after 5 months sitting in the drive so I'm chuffed. I hadn't left the handbrake on so it didn't bind, clutch was free too so all good, moved it down the drive ready for doing the anti roll bar adjustments and the repair to the engine mount.

ETA... Accuspark make nice toys, the dizzy is well made and obviously new, so is the coil.

I had a little issue with the HT leads and after discussions with Accuspark customer services we appear to have found a resolution. I have attached a 'pop quiz' picture, can you spot whats wrong in this image?

[Adrian Southgate]

11cm too short to be exact. Pinto leads are 87cm, 77cm, 67cm, 60cm.4,3,2,1. I've got four sets of old ones including the Sierra and thats an average length. The lady at Accuspark said 'As regards the other leads, these are the correct length for standard fitting.  From your pictures you have chosen an unusual routing......  if you look on google you will see pictures of the standard routing of the HT leads.'  So I looked on google and she is right, there are loads of pictures of rubbish installs that flap around in the breeze as they are not clipped down, normally on cars with expensive alloy rocker covers that don't want to be spoiled by having clips attached, they look shite...Mine is 'by the book' not bodged. Cheeky "£$%^&*

I wrote back and politely informed her she was wrong. That email has not yet been answered however I did receive a new end for the coil lead in the post, so I can shorten it by 24 inches... !

It seems a bit long to me. I suggested she could also send me a replacement plug lead end so I could swap the lead ends over but I'm still not overly happy at having to re terminate HT leads. I won't be recommending Accuspark's HT lead sets despite being very impressed with the dizzy and coil. 

The electronic dizzy, coil and leads cost £89 so i'm prepared to argue with them a bit.

[Steve Kerswell]

If you shorten that lead, it'll go faster, cos' the spark will get there quicker. See, wise words from an old fool :-)

[Steve Kerswell]

Ahh, but it could be true, has anyone measured the effect ??

[Adrian Southgate]

It works in computers, shorter cable=lower loss therefore in theory you should be correct. I'm about to shorten the coil lead as I have the bit, might try to recycle the plug end too, its only the rubber cover thats different.

[Adrian Southgate]

Too late now, i've chopped it, just looking for the HT ratchet crimper that I know is lurking in the garage somewhere.

[Big Vern]

A modern high energy ignition will operate in surprising conditions. I used to pull the king lead as an anti theft measure. I forgot one day but still managed to drive several miles with the king lead end wedged against a metal brake line and the coil arcing across to the brake pipe.