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| intermittant ignition problems | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: 06-26-2009 06:04 pm |
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1st Post |
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Kuleinc Member
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Hi, I've started work on my bosses 74 Jensen Healey. I wasn't aware how rare it was until I looked into it. Anyways I got the strombergs rebuilt and sorted and she fired right up after I leaned her out some and adjusted the bypass for least sensitivity. She runs real smooth until she gets warm, or if you rev the engine. When you start her up and she is idleing right the timing is at 10. If you rev her up the idle doesn't come back down and when I check the timing its at 20. I took the dizzy out and it has a luminition module in it, one of the fins is broken and has been glued back on by someone, and one of the springs on the advance weights is missing. I take it there are supposed to be two spings and this is causing the extra advance to stick in? Are the new pertronic dizzys any good? I had one on my beetle, and it worked fine, its on my bros beetle now as I've moved up to DIS on my beetle. The beetle dizzy design is inherently flawed, so I moved away from the dizzies. I was really surprised with how smooth and quiet this lotus engine is, I guess I've been working on beetles too long, all the ticking and stuff sounds normal to me now :-)
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| Posted: 06-26-2009 06:12 pm |
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2nd Post |
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JodyKerr Member 
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Kuleinc, If you're going to go the Pertronics route I *highly* recommend contacting Jeff at Advance distributor. He sells a really nice kit for ~$300 that includes everything you need and he'll configure the unit for the car/motor configuration for you. Just put one of his kit's on my Mum's Spitfire and it was a totally different car afterwards. Jody
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| Posted: 06-26-2009 06:16 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Kuleinc Member
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Well, I'm pretty sure Delta sells an entirely new dizzy with pertronix module in it for $210... Wouldn't that be good? I don't see what there is to configure besides the timing of the engine after the install... Last edited on 06-26-2009 06:17 pm by Kuleinc |
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| Posted: 06-26-2009 06:25 pm |
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4th Post |
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JodyKerr Member
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This is the kit I'm referring to: http://advanceddistributors.mybisi.com/product/84778/45D-Supreme-Ignition-Package_377053.html It's more than just the Pertronics. It's a new coil, wires, etc, etc.
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| Posted: 06-26-2009 06:36 pm |
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5th Post |
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Kuleinc Member
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If I sent him my dizzy would it be cheaper, I mean does he do like a rebuild and upgrade service? That might be the way to go...
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| Posted: 06-26-2009 06:51 pm |
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6th Post |
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JodyKerr Member
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I'd shoot him an email. Jeff's a really nice guy.
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| Posted: 06-26-2009 08:55 pm |
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7th Post |
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Kuleinc Member
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I did this morning, haven't heard back yet... I just tried calling, he didn't answer and his mailbox is full, perhaps he's out of the business? I just saw he's out for the month at some meet.. Last edited on 06-26-2009 09:00 pm by Kuleinc |
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| Posted: 06-29-2009 02:26 pm |
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8th Post |
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Jensen Healey Super Moderator 
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I think those Pertronics distributors are made for the MGB and AH Sprite. Is the advance correct for a Lotus engine? I have never read that it is. Jeff's service is all about setting up the advance correctly. Kurt
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| Posted: 06-29-2009 03:20 pm |
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9th Post |
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JodyKerr Member
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Jeff can build it out to whatever specs you give him.
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| Posted: 07-16-2009 08:01 pm |
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10th Post |
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Kuleinc Member
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So does anyone know how to test a luminition module? Should I just replace it with a pertronix? Is there any known cause as to why it would only miss once the engine gets warm?
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| Posted: 07-17-2009 12:47 pm |
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11th Post |
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Dan (Florida) Member
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If it starts and runs ok, the ignition must be ok. I wouldn't replace it untill I put a spring back in the advance. The problem may just go away, (or at least driveable). Don't think there is an easy way to test ignition modules, either they work or not. hth Dan
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| Posted: 07-17-2009 05:36 pm |
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12th Post |
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Kuleinc Member
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I did put two new springs in the advance mechanism, still same symptoms, but now the advance returns at idle lol, I'm going to try a different coil today and see if that helps. Time permitting of course.
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| Posted: 07-17-2009 09:22 pm |
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13th Post |
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Kuleinc Member
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More news, when I turn the key to run, the brake and ignition lights on the dash light up, I assume this is normal for bulb check, and since engine isn't running. The starter does not spin with the key, someone has put a push button on the dash to make it spin, so I turn key to run and push button, car starts easily. Now if the ignition light on dash happens to stay lit the car runs steady, no missing, if I rev the engine the light will go out and the engine will start to miss, and the miss is from the coil. The coil tested fine. What causes the light to go on and off, does the starter push button have anything to do with the car missing? I don't know how different these lucas electrical systems are than "normal" American stuff... Thought maybe it could be interfering.... Also there is a red wire feeding the luminition module, if I unplug it the engine dies, is this the wire from the tach? Does the Tach feed the module? I do not see a wire on the ground side of the coil for the tach, which is what I'm used to seeing... Last edited on 07-17-2009 09:23 pm by Kuleinc |
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| Posted: 07-18-2009 03:21 am |
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14th Post |
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Gary Martin JH 15371 Member
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With the key on it is normal to have ingintion and brake indicators on. Ignition light is connected to the alternator and goes off once engine starts and it is charging. So it is really like an ALT light on more recent cars. Push button for starter should not affect it running. The power from key for ingition does go through the tach first, then to balast resister by the coil, then to + side of coil. With std point distributor - side of coil would go to dist. With Pertronix, which has two wires, red wire goes to input side of Ballast resistor, and black wire goes to negative side of the coil. No idea how yours should be wired, but probably similar to Pertronix. The JH does not have a separate tach wire. Gary Last edited on 07-18-2009 03:25 am by Gary Martin JH 15371 |
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| Posted: 07-18-2009 11:55 am |
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15th Post |
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Dan (Florida) Member
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This sounds like a mixture problem if it runs better at idle. Mine always ran better at mid-range and idled poorly. But I had worn needles and jets. Are both carburator slides moving up and down the same when you blip the throttle??? Are the plugs all the same color??? The plugs will tell quite a tale. If the ignition wire still has the ballast resistor, bypass it as the optical trigger doesn't need it. Are all cylinders mis-firing or just one or two?? Use the timing light to check for a steady flash on each. The ignition llite has nothing to do with the ignition system, it shows that power is going to the alternator to excite something or other to make it work, although the ignition system does need 11.5v or so to work properly. Whatever you do do not loosen that clamp around the base of the distributor, but you probably have already learned that. To be safe, mark the body and clamp where they can be put back together. Mark the clamp to the block too! I hope you get to drive it after it is fixed!! Dan
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| Posted: 07-20-2009 05:59 pm |
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16th Post |
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Kuleinc Member
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Both carb slides are moving when I open the throttle, sometimes I get a backfire. I am going to double check the sync of the carbs today just to rule it out. I'm used to seeing a white block for a ballast resistor, I don't see onehere and it is my understanding sometimes it is part of a wire on these cars? Does anyone know which wire? I assume if I put a volt meter it will read less than 11 volts if the balast is in the wire? The misfire happens at the coil, so its kind of random as to which cylinders are misfiring. I suppose something is keeping the coil from sparking in a regular fashion? perhaps a ballast in a wire somewhere?
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