Changing distributor

[GTS290N]

My sentiments exactly, I fitted £35 Accuspark to my ac delco dizzy, works a treat.

[HQentity]

I'm changing the dizzy because I was getting quite a bit of timing scatter. Also the springs are a tad bent so the timing curve is pants!

To be honest I know the 1850 dizzy gets a bad wrap, but after yesterday, I can't sing their praises highly enough. Better the devil you know!

[DigbyJones]

Hello,

My dad has a 1976 dolomite 1850. It has a delco distributor. I am after an electronic ignition kit for him. I have seen a few around, but am not sure they are for his distributor ( AC 300, AC 302, AC 303? ), I have no idea of the part number. What was the Accuspark kit you used, and where did you get it?

[GTS290N]

Hello,

My dad has a 1976 dolomite 1850. It has a delco distributor. I am after an electronic ignition kit for him. I have seen a few around, but am not sure they are for his distributor ( AC 300, AC 302, AC 303? ), I have no idea of the part number. What was the Accuspark kit you used, and where did you get it?

Click below. The distributor must be removed from the car to fit this kit.
http://www.romancart.com/information.as ... oBFg4cDhhc

[Jon Tilson]

The long hexagonal pole drives the oil pump and is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL....

DO NOT run your engine again unless you are absolutely sure its correctly engaged with the oil pump.

Disconnect ignition, remove oil pressure warning light switch, spin starter...if you dont see a squirt of oil
then panic...

Jonners

[HQentity]

Hiya Jon, I ran the car for quite a long journey today, it ran fine with no overheating, so I'm reasonably confident it's alright?!! I hope so! If ever I take anything out I try to make sure I put it back as it was!

[MIG Wielder]

I had another look at this swapping-the1850-A.C.-Delco-distributor- for-the-Lucas-44D4 unit today.
I'm not convinced it's a good idea looking at the data in the workshop manuals.
Yes; It'll fit.
Yes; It'll "work" ; but it won't be optimum for the engine.
The 1850 8 valve and the Sprint 16 valve units are very different.
The A.C. Delco dizzy is much better specified than the Lucas unit for a start..
And there are 3 different types of Lucas 44D4 Sprint distributors.
Type A 313177
Type B RKC 0695
Type C RKC 3034
I took as "typical" the Type A unit.
From the data below you can see the following.....
The centrifugal advance is on average less on the Sprint than the 1850 Delco Unit.
The A.C. Delco unit has a limit on maximum centrifugal advance.
This isn't specified on the Lucas Sprint unit.
The vacuum advance is a lot higher on the 1850 A.C. Delco unit cruising at 70mph or ~ 3000 rpm compared with the Sprint Lucas unit. This is to do with 70mph fuel economy on the 1850.
Given the choice of a well worn A.C. Delco unit or a new Lucas unit, it might be better to use the Lucas unit with the select-on-test advance springs that Moss do. What you do with the vacuum bit I'm not sure.
Tony.

Edit: 2/06/20 updated graphs and corrected table for A spec dizzy.

[HQentity]

Very interesting Tony, thanks for that. I didn't realise it was such a significant change as that? How is it that the 1850's run so well with the Lucas dizzy I wonder?!? I still have the slight missing at low revs occasionally at the moment with the 1850 dizzy, beginning to wonder if I should look to the carbs instead though! Thanks for the info

[Toledo Man]

Tony, I didn't know there was such a big difference in the advance curve between the Delco and the Lucas 44D4 dizzy. I knew that there was a difference and mine is running fine. The main benefits in my eyes are the improved reliability and the easier access to the points (should I wish to run them).

Kyle, whichever dizzy you decide to use, make sure the ignition is 100% before looking at the carbs.

[Jon Tilson]

Are you sure the oil light goes out if its working?

I'm not convinced they actually do run better.
Dave's car is an auto and doesnt by his own admission do a lot of motorway stuff.

My car is TR7'ed and I run it more advanced to cope with the lack of advance over the delco unit.

I may well stick a Delco with accuspark back in in due course...

Jonners