OK, I have everything I need for my ZX Dist swap. The only thing I am not sure of, is what coil I need. I have the ZX tach in place and a wire running to the coil +. What after market coil will work and do I need the resistor?

That's the best thing I've done to mine so far and after much research and advice from other members the Crane PS20. It has the same OHMS as a ZX stock coil, 1.5, and is American made. Amazon.com: Crane Cams 730-0020 PS20 Performance Coil: Automotive

You won't need the ballast resistor. Go down about 3/4s of the page and look at the 2nd 240Z schematics. http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/distributor/index.html

Edited September 10, 201410 yr by siteunseen

...or just go to your local parts store and get a coil made for the ZX series

When I did the same swap, I had the prior coil in until I bought a flamethrower. The original coil did not adversely affect the way the car ran.

The stock coil should be fine.... even the ballast resistor.

If you go higher compression then maybe you will need high voltage.

I run a ZX (S130) coil and have my balast resistor by-passed.

The ZX ignition module has current control technology to reduce current flow when the coil gets close to saturation. So it will probably be fine to use any coil except those that have very low primary resistance like the most modern coils used with ECU timing control. They have low low primary resistance and can burn things up, including the module itself. Ideally, especially if you want to take advantage of the technology and run the .040" spark plug gap that the ZX's and 1978 280Z use, you would use a coil that can take the higher current and generate the higher spark energy. I don't know if the low current 240Z coils can do that, someone who's comfortable looking at inductances and windngs ratios and calculating outputs could probably say. So if you stick with stock 240Z you should probably stick to the .034" plug gap to avoid misfires.

I would just use a coil designed for electronic ignition that has a primary resistance in the ballpark. The Crane PS20 is there, and proven, and you can't go wrong using a coil designed for the system, the parts store stock unit. Basically build the system like Nissan intended, set the plug gaps to the ZX spec. and go.

Note that I'm not an electronics expert. And that all of my musings led to "set it up like stock".

.... Or what he said^

The stock coil should be fine.... even the ballast resistor.

If you go higher compression then maybe you will need high voltage.

That'd be like buying a .357 Magnum and firing .38 shells through it.

I use an MSD Blaster 2 coil and it works great.

Good info. I'll get a Crane PS20 or the MSD Blaster. Thanks

ZX distributor upgrade is more for increasing reliability and decreasing wiring complexity. It is not for performance (with respect to non-points distributors from Nissan).

A hotter coil will produce a spark that will burn through/ignite a tougher charge in the combustion chamber but do you really have that challenging charge to burn?

Lubricating the distributor and replacing old spark plugs may help more by improving higher rpm spark timing performance, improving mechanical advance and improving wet weather spark.