Electronic ignition - Revisited after I gave up!

[motorman7]

OK, I am now running the 280ZX dizzy without the vacuum input. This is a good set-up. I get less or no ping under load than when I had the vacuum hooked up. Also, motor freely revs to 7K, which is great. No more 4K flat line. Afraid to take it over 7K as I think the tach has a slight lag and could be at 8K during a rev.

So I am doing about 75 MPH at 3K RPM. Theoretically I could do over 150 MPH in this thing before redline now. May have to try that someday to see what it could really do.

[alhbln]

How is your idle RPM now after disconnecting vacuum?

[motorman7]

How is your idle RPM now after disconnecting vacuum?

No change.

I pulled off the hose, plugged it with a 1/4" bolt and that was it. No other changes.

[alhbln]

Do you have a timing light to check whats the current idle advance is? I would second Jon's recommendation to start with 18º and then continue from there.

What is your idle RPM right now? If its between 800-1000 RPM i wouldnt worry too much about it.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

I have a european dizzy on order right now and I plan to add my experiences with it when I get it installed and dialed in. The main difference as far as I have been told is that the euro dizzy can run far more static advance as its centrifugal advance is much less than my stock 71 dizzies. I think it still has about 11 degrees of vacuum advance built in.

We will see,

my thanks to Walter Moore for the education on the types of dizzies I can run.

FYI, currently I have a stock 240Z dizzy with a pertronix unit with a flamethrower 3 ohm coil, resistor bypassed and running 5° BTDC. Basically just like Arne.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Zedyone_kenobi

[motorman7]

Do you have a timing light to check whats the current idle advance is? I would second Jon's recommendation to start with 18º and then continue from there.

What is your idle RPM right now? If its between 800-1000 RPM i wouldnt worry too much about it.

Actually, I don't have a timing light. I have always done it by feel. I usually advance as much as I can until I get engine ping under load. Then I back off just a bit, so just a trace of ping under load. I plan on buying one some day soon here.

The idle is about 800-900.

Funny, last time I called Pep Boys for a timing light the youngster on the other end thought it was a device to turn your house lights off and on. We are dating ourselves here.

[Z train]

Actually, I don't have a timing light. I have always done it by feel. I usually advance as much as I can until I get engine ping under load. Then I back off just a bit, so just a trace of ping under load. I plan on buying one some day soon here.

The idle is about 800-900.

Funny, last time I called Pep Boys for a timing light the youngster on the other end thought it was a device to turn your house lights off and on. We are dating ourselves here.

Go hit some pawn shops.There are screamin' deals to be had these days.

[jmortensen]

If you want cheap, Harbor Freight sells a regular timing light and one with advance:

http://www.harborfreight.com/xenon-timing-light-3343.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/timing-light-with-advance-40963.html

[motorman7]

Will see about picking one up before the Laker game tomorrow. There is a harbor freight about a mile from me. Will pick up on way home. Thanks for the tip.

Rich

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Just to keep this thread full of useful insight. I took out my gal for a spin last night, after being parked for well over a month. She had a horrible time getting past 5000 rpm. Two months before at a track day she screamed to 6500 with NO hesitation.

Certain things come to mind, as I did not change anything:

1) Ethanol, ethanol. I wonder if the gas is going south after sitting for well over a month.

2) I had a very low battery after sitting for so long, car barely started, and I noticed that my amp gage was reading very positive which to me means the alternator trying to charge the nearly dead battery back up. That low voltage may have been hurting my pertronix output

What I am going to do to try to solve this.

First the easy stuff. Check timing (that solved all my revving problems before)

Second, tune up, new plugs, cap/rotor, fuel filter

Third 60 amp alternator upgrade from MSA

Fourth, Fill up with fresh ethanol free gas

I will let you know of the results

if I keep putting these small projects in front of my tranny swap I will never get it done. But that is how these things happen

Edited June 28, 2010 by Zedyone_kenobi

[Arne]

Can I recommend/ask that you do these steps one at a time to see which one clears the problem?

Last time I had this issue, I replaced the plugs with a fresh set of NGKs and that took care of it.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Actually Arne, with my energetic 2 year old running the roost lately, I will HAVE to do them one at a time! HA HA