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[Healeys] Which electronic ignition?

Subject: [Healeys] Which electronic ignition?
From: austin.healey at gmail.com (Chris Dimmock)
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:44:36 +1000
References: <CAAh8etn4b=bRu7CWSp0vC+vu1x_xgZJrJi4jFGa+GyzT6UE-0g@mail.gmail.com>
Hi Derek.
You are comparing cheese and fish.
Not a valid comparison.

If you rebuild your Lucas distributor, and then fit an electronic module,
that's one thing.

If you just fit an electronic points module, then that's another.

The first issue is related to expecting a 100,000 mile old Lucas distributor
(which is expected to have been totally rebuilt after 60,000 miles, having had
regular maintenance, including lubrication every 1,000 miles) to provide the
correct advance curve for your 2012 Healey engine, on 2012 fuel., after you
fit a points replacement system.

If you replace the distributor with a new modern one, you probably solved all
those issues. Especially the wear related ones. And a new appropriate advance
curve?

So to be totally fair, if you want to compare price and performance, for each
proposed mod, then compare them this way.
1. Get quotes from a reputable company to actually rebuild your Lucas
distributor, and regraph it to your 2012 engine & 2012 fuel. Then add the cost
of the module (eg Pertronics, 123addin)

2. Compare cost for 1. Above to a total distributor replacement product (e.g.
Complete 123 electronic distributor) and get it graphed for your engine &
fuel.

Then it's a fair comparison.

It's wrong to compare a Pertronics fitted to a worn out, no idea of the
advance curve Lucas wobbly 100,000 mile old distributor to a new 123 Ignotion
distributor.

Personally, a rebuilt, regraphed Lucas 23D with cooper S 32oz points does it
for me. Rebuilt, converted to 6 cyl, and graphed to my engine.

Anything else half way between, and ignoring wear, and you'll never know the
real potential of your engine. With a worn out distributor, with an advance
curve that bears no resemblance to your current engines reality, or 2012 fuel
- and just electronic? It's a Band Aid.

A good Ignition system, with wear eliminated, and an appropriate ignition
curve, is the cheapest, highest performance, and most economical engine mod on
the planet. And whether you need to change points every 5 years or do - well,
that's pretty moot.

BMC engines ran at 9,000 revs in Formula Junior with pretty much the same
distributor I run. A Lucas one, with a dyno graphed advance curve, and Cooper
S points.

Your mileage will vary.

Chris
Yes. I've spent a lot of time on this aspect of Healey tuning. So I'm a bit
passionate. ;-)


Sent from my iPhone

On 16/04/2012, at 9:10 PM, Derek Job <derek.c.job at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I am planning to finally switch to electronic ignition. (Rich, I hope we
> can still be friends!)
>
> I was wondering what the worldwide received wisdom was re the different
> types that are available. Seems the choice is:
>
> 1. Petronix (Very widely used in the US)
>
> 2. Ignitor (seems to be cheap to buy so does that mean it's cheap!)
>
> 3. Luminition ( has an external power module)
>
> 4. 1-2-3 Ignition system. Most expensive, but looks impressive.

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