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 Post subject: Ignition 123 Adapter
PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:02 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:59 pm
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Good afternoon, I thought I'd share this as it has made a notable difference to my car - More torque and smoother delivery throughout the revs. If, after a few months of use, it proves to be a reliable design/distributor I'll put the drawings on the forum - Albeit I forgot to get them back from the machine shop.....I'll rescue them this week.

I bought a 123 distributor because I felt there was little point refurbishing my Lucas dizzy if I had to combine it with poor quality reproduction caps and rotor arms. I have tried both Sprint and Ambassador caps but they were so badly manufactured the rotor struck the inside of the cap.

The adaptor is machined from Stainless Steel and bolts to the threaded holes in the engine block. It is combined with a standard clamp to hold the dizzy in place. The drive gear needs a bush to mount it to the shaft and also grinding to set the shaft end-float. The wires need tidying but it fits well. The design allows the adaptor to be removed from the dizzy and it has plenty of rotational adjustment, however the compromise is that it relies on the clamp to hold the distributor against the vertical force created by the drive gear. I'll keep an eye on it for movement.

I have done about 50 miles with it in (many of them at full throttle...) and so far so good, but like any 'Heath Robinson' invention I'm dreading a loud and very expensive bang! I'll remove it after 100+ miles and update this post.

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 Post subject: Re: Ignition 123 Adapter
PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 5:17 pm 
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Really interested in this, following very closely!

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Russ Cooper
Dursley
UK


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 Post subject: Re: Ignition 123 Adapter
PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 8:42 pm 
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Hello Russ, it's pricey but a clever bit of kit.

You can save various centrifugal and vacuum advance curves in the 123 app and then bluetooth them to the dizzy. It has a tune function so you can start with the standard curves and then adjust on the road. I've not had much time to play with it but the difference is already notable. It also has a handy immobilizer and real-time data display.

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It's early days, but so far so good. Hopefully it'll be worth the time and energy!


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 Post subject: Re: Ignition 123 Adapter
PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 8:56 pm 
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Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2011 1:13 am
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Location: The continent
I made a similar adapter a few years ago. These were a shrink fit on the 123. The adjustment is the same as original and no issues with an extra clamp or being pushed out of the engine.

Mahesh has al the patents now and made a batch a while ago.

Jeroen

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 Post subject: Re: Ignition 123 Adapter
PostPosted: Sat Nov 28, 2020 1:50 am 
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Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:39 am
Posts: 516
Quote:
Hello Russ, it's pricey but a clever bit of kit.

You can save various centrifugal and vacuum advance curves in the 123 app and then bluetooth them to the dizzy. It has a tune function so you can start with the standard curves and then adjust on the road. I've not had much time to play with it but the difference is already notable. It also has a handy immobilizer and real-time data display.

Image

Image

It's early days, but so far so good. Hopefully it'll be worth the time and energy!
Yes I know all about the actual distributor, its the adapter I am interested in.
Every time something gets posted I have always been one step behind.
Mahesh did a good post about one but I think he only made a couple.
I really like the look of yours because it keeps the ability to swing the distributor.

pm sent

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Russ Cooper
Dursley
UK


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 Post subject: Re: Ignition 123 Adapter
PostPosted: Sun Nov 29, 2020 10:46 am 
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Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2011 1:13 am
Posts: 3173
Location: The continent
Quote:
Quote:
Hello Russ, it's pricey but a clever bit of kit.

You can save various centrifugal and vacuum advance curves in the 123 app and then bluetooth them to the dizzy. It has a tune function so you can start with the standard curves and then adjust on the road. I've not had much time to play with it but the difference is already notable. It also has a handy immobilizer and real-time data display.

Image

Image

It's early days, but so far so good. Hopefully it'll be worth the time and energy!
Yes I know all about the actual distributor, its the adapter I am interested in.
Every time something gets posted I have always been one step behind.
Mahesh did a good post about one but I think he only made a couple.
I really like the look of yours because it keeps the ability to swing the distributor.

pm sent
I think that's the weak point of the construction. The slant's distributor is the drivegear of the oilpump. There is a reasonabale load on these gears and axial forces and that would be the main reason the original distributor hasn't got a conventional clamp but is fitted as it is.

It's also very important that the drivegear is on the exact postition as the original otherwise the gears will be chewed as i discovered at earlier expiriments with other dizzy's. Two mm off does turn the gears teeth into razors...

Jeroen

_________________
Classic Kabelboom Company. For all your wiring needs. http://www.classickabelboomcompany.com


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 Post subject: Re: Ignition 123 Adapter
PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 3:06 pm 
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Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 3:35 pm
Posts: 1735
Location: St Annes on Sea, Lancs.
Possibly a side question, but noting that this distributor does not have a mechanical vacuum advance, is there a separate sensor for vacuum fed to a control unit. If so, is that measuring a simple manifold vacuum or off the carb and closed off by the butterfly when shut? If not, is the advance from the vacuum on low load running simulated some other way, just added to the idle timing, or simply ignored? If the latter, at what cost?

Graham

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The 16v Slant 4 engine is more fun than the 3.5 V8, because you mostly drive it on the upslope of the torque curve.

Factory 1977 TR7 Sprint FHC VVC 697S (Now all of, but still needs putting together)
B&Y 73 Dolomite Sprint UVB 274M (kids!)
1970 Maroon 13/60 Herald Convertable (wife's fun car).


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 Post subject: Re: Ignition 123 Adapter
PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 3:41 pm 
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Future Club member hopefully!

Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:39 am
Posts: 516
Quote:
Possibly a side question, but noting that this distributor does not have a mechanical vacuum advance, is there a separate sensor for vacuum fed to a control unit. If so, is that measuring a simple manifold vacuum or off the carb and closed off by the butterfly when shut? If not, is the advance from the vacuum on low load running simulated some other way, just added to the idle timing, or simply ignored? If the latter, at what cost?

Graham
I didn't think there was a vacuum connection, they have different units with a set of 16 pre-programmed advance curves or a fully programmable version so you can do your own to suit the engine spec. But just been reading some of their installation instructions and it does refer to a vacuum connection which you can programme as well. Many modified and most competition engines do not use the vacuum anyway. You can just about see it in their picture here.

Image

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Russ Cooper
Dursley
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 Post subject: Re: Ignition 123 Adapter
PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:59 pm 
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Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 3:35 pm
Posts: 1735
Location: St Annes on Sea, Lancs.
Ah! Presumably there's some electronic transducer / pressure sensor on that connection then.

I was hoping there would be some info on not using a vacuum advance, i.e. how to set idle advance and what the cost might be. But nevermind.

Graham

_________________
The 16v Slant 4 engine is more fun than the 3.5 V8, because you mostly drive it on the upslope of the torque curve.

Factory 1977 TR7 Sprint FHC VVC 697S (Now all of, but still needs putting together)
B&Y 73 Dolomite Sprint UVB 274M (kids!)
1970 Maroon 13/60 Herald Convertable (wife's fun car).


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