Setting static timing with electronic ignition unit?

[GrahamFountain]

What's the best way to set the static timing when you've installed an electronic unit to replace the points?

I've tried with a meter and can't seem to see any pulse. Yet I know this one is working, because it fires on the starter. But given the problem that the vacuum advance units all have different lengths of arm, I can't even guess at where one distributor should be positioned from where another was set. And I would like to get it about right before I start it, put the strobe on it, and time at under 700 rpm.

I suppose I can get it right on points and then swap them for the electronic sender without moving the distributor - assuming the designer did it right and the position of the sender matches the cam follower in the points - but it seems like a lot of mucking about to do it in situ in a Sprint.

Graham

[yorkshire_spam]

In my experience the timing shift when switching from points to electronic points replacement, I'm a massive fan of the them though.
I've never managed "good" static timing, so my process is to get it close enough by eye/feel to get the car started and then adjust with a strobe.

[GrahamFountain]

I did try to set it dynamic, but that was before I put a new set of plugs in, when it weren't right cold anyway, and I couldn't seem to find where it would even begin to tick-over even enough.

It's also complicated in that the sender is just a cheap 45D one I got to see if they will fit under the 25D rotor arm with the 44D cap, which it does.

So it might be junk, or it just might not work with the 6V coil. If I could set it static, with the new flints in, and it still didn't run well enough, I'd know it was the problem, not the timing, and could move on.

Graham

[dursley92]

Static with electronic is often a bit of a guess, so I swing the dizzy until it runs after a fashion then use a good old fashioned timing light, bought this one on Ebay a few years ago.

[GrahamFountain]

I guess there's no alternative, then.

Graham

[cleverusername]

I did figure out a way of doing this, i just wired a 12volt highlight bulb into the ignition system, to light up when the electronic ignition triggered. I use one of those britpart kits, with hall sensor, that can only pick up movement.

Not a problem, just turned the engine over by hand till I got the bulb to light and that roughly got it the right place. From there it would fire and could be properly setup with a gun.

[GrahamFountain]

That might work with a hall effect, but the electronic unit I have don't seem to light a bulb or a LED up or even show with a multimeter on ohms when static.

Graham

[dursley92]

That might work with a hall effect, but the electronic unit I have don't seem to light a bulb or a LED up or even show with a multimeter on ohms when static.

Graham

Lumenition Optronic do show how to set up static timing in their instructions

[GrahamFountain]

I wondered about the Optronic unit - it looks like it should be an open/closed circuit system. I wonder if the Magnetronic unit is the same?

Maybe the 45D4 ones from SimonBBC are the same too, and my crap one is just crap - maybe even it should be the same, and it's even more crap than I thought.

Has anyone fitted one of SimonBBC's 45D4 ones and know the answer?

I move slowly towards trying the crap/crapper/crappest one again, but I'm still sorting through which of the distributors I have are any good. And complicating it all by adding a 41402 to the set. I'll post my best estimates for the advance curves for all three types, when I complete the data set.

I know, I should fit a modern replacement electronic ignition system I can profile as I like; or fit a more modern engine in the dolomite; or buy a more modern car, like the wife's Copper SD.

Then again, maybe not.

Graham