Section : Ignition and Distributers

1300 Mk IV - Electric Ignition or Lucal Dizzy? 

Posted By : Mark Stradling, 05-Dec-2003, 02:04pm

• 1300 Mk IV - Electric Ignition or Lucal Dizzy? 

  Posted By : Keith Dandridge, 05-Dec-2003, 03:51pm

  You're obviously going to get differing opinions here, but for what it's worth: I would fit the lucas unit. If the 1300 is in standard form the advance curve will be 'close enough for jazz' and if your engine is modified now or in the future the primary and secondary advance of the lucas item can be tailored to suit as can the total advance.
  In the future you can also fit EI to it when funds allow.

  • 1300 Mk IV - Electric Ignition or Lucal Dizzy? 

    Posted By : Mark Stradling, 05-Dec-2003, 04:04pm

    The car is currently at stage 1 of tuning - free flow exhaust system, N&K filters, richer needles in HS2's. I'm not quite descided where to go, but the worst I'm likely to do is a 1500 engine swap (where the elec. tacho and Lucas diz. would be needed anyway).
    
    I'm happy to put EI in, but loathed to pay for a Delco one, AND then a Lucas dis. AND then a Lucal EI!
    
    Thanks for your thoughts,
    
    Mark

    • 1300 Mk IV - Electric Ignition or Lucal Dizzy? 

      Posted By : Tarquin Adams, 05-Dec-2003, 09:02pm

      I thought you may like to hear my experience. I bought a mk2 spitfire (1147cc) fitted with a Lucas distributor. Obviously the tacho didnt work but it was my first spit and I thought I'd keep the Lucas dizzie and find a tacho that would work.
      
      If you decide to go for the Lucas unit then I believe the mk4 and 1500 instruments are a different diameter to those on mk1 to 3 cars? Either way the later tacho would look very much out of place. You could get a smiths tacho from a MG Midget that would fit or if you're still on +ve earth then I believe a Rootes tacho (again Smiths) from something like a Sunbeam Alpine would fit and do the job without looking out of place.
      
      I was pursuaded by Dave at Triumph Spares in Worcester to revert to a Delco. I had this fitted for me and the engine runs much better on it. I would approach fitting the 'incorrect' dizzie very cautiously. If you can find a Delco in good condition then stick with it and fit electronic ignition.
      
      I currently have points in mine and they are a pain. I plan to fit an electronic system over January (uni holidays!). My car is +ve earth and it's going to stay that way. This rules out Lumenition units. I plan to fit a Newtronic system (previously called Piranha) which apparently is suitable for +ve earth. You can get a version of the Aldon ignitor for +ve earth but from the States manufactured by Pertronix.
      
      So there you go, if your car's -ve earth then you have more choice regarding electronic ignition systems but if it's +ve earth I hope this may prove useful for you.
      
      Obviously people will have different opinions on this issue but my experience would lead me to suggest fitting the 'correct' distributor for the car - just find one that isn't worn!
      
      I must add that my engine is the smaller one so may be more susceptible to responding poorly with a different dizzie to the 1296 unit.

      • 1300 Mk IV - Electric Ignition or Lucal Dizzy? 

        Posted By : Tarquin Adams, 05-Dec-2003, 09:17pm

        Sorry, just realised your car is a mkiv not a mk3!

      • 1300 Mk IV - Electric Ignition or Lucal Dizzy? 

        Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 05-Dec-2003, 10:43pm

        Something for the non-purists....
        
        At the end of the day, the dizzy merely provides the signal for the coil to produce a spark. The engine doesn't know and doesn't care what type of ignition, kind of dizzy it is as long as it tells the coil to do its job.
        
        If anyone is having problems with a non-standard distributor then it will be the advance that is the culprit, but as this is easily modifiable for a few quid and about an hours work.
        
        You cannot expect to fit a 13 degree max advance dizzy to an engine expecting to work on 15 degrees and expect it to work. Like all things in tuning an engine, it needs to be balanced for your own specific use.
        
        If you are worried about the clocks looking wrong then the obvious solution here is to re-use the early pointer and faceplate inside an electronic clock.
        
        All the race engines that I know are using Lucas distributors (and some aldon) as the Delco just isn't reliable enough for our needs. And we are all using the MK3 engine.
        
        NiG

• 1300 Mk IV - Electric Ignition or Lucal Dizzy? 

  Posted By : Andrew Lewis, 05-Dec-2003, 04:40pm

  If your current dizzy has a level of wear which can be negated by the electronic ignition, my preference would be to go ahead and fit it rather than lash out on a different dizzy but still be using points and condensor.

  • 1300 Mk IV - Electric Ignition or Lucas Dizzy? 

    Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 05-Dec-2003, 05:41pm

    If your dizzy has wear in it then fitting electonic ignition will be waste of money - worn is worn and if you have any shaft movement you will still get scatter. Replacing the Dizzy is the real must here as you'll only be delaying the inevitable - adding EI is then an option. The choice is - which Dizzy (and therefore which EI system)...?
    
    The Lucas dizzy is the best OE choice as it is superior to the Delco, but if you are going EI you could consider something like the full Aldon Kit or similar - this would include a Dizzy, EI, Coil and control box. with suppliers like that they will have specs for the engines they serve and they can tailor the kit to your needs.
    
    You can find the advance curve of the dizzy by the Vacuum spec numbers stamped on the side of the vacuum unit in the form "8.12.6" where the final number is the total vac advance degrees you get. This can be combined with the centrifugal advance (stamped on the cam stop under the base plate) to give your total advance in distributor degrees (double this for crank degrees). Armed with these figure you can buy and aftermarket dizzy and have it matched to your original specification. You would still however need to 'tweak' the springs to get it spot on. Commonly most dizzies begin to advance at around 800 rpm and have total advance at 3500. Changing the springs just moves the centrigugal advance either up or down the scale eg. to 1000 - 4000.
    
    I have a new Lucas 45D4 with a modified cam (11 degrees) no vacuum and a Lumeition EI - works a treat (now - solved all my ignition problems after cadwell).
    
    Ooo - I did write a lot....
    NiG