Opinions Wanted! Best ignition used w/distributor on the market?

[chrisflstf]

If you Google painted caps, there are a lot of opinions., both against and of guys that do it without perceived problems. Paints with metallics aren't good. Plastic paints may be less problematic. But safety is on the no paint side, especially with a high voltage spark

[Dan Ruddock]

[slalombuggy]

[Glenn]

The VJU4BR8 has the same mechanical advance as the 019. It comes on very early. For high performance engines I like the 010 which has 22* and come it a bit later when the engines get into the cam.

My recommendations is from years of experience and feedback from customers.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

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עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[Fred Winterburn]

No, You shouldn't paint the cap, period. the entire cap is designed to be an insulator. Fred

[j-dub]

Hey Glenn,
This comment was in response to Torbens response to the question asked by Henrym regarding the lack of available vacuum cans for the Unilite distributor. I was giving Henry a cheap and available option, I should have been more clear.

You bring up a great point though. 17 mechanical advance, what about that do you not like for a performance engine? Often on a performance engine with a cam that has lots of overlap it is desirable to run additional initial advance. 12 initial with 28 total mechanical is not uncommon. My 034 has 24 degrees of mechanical advance, my engine does not like 4 degrees of advance at idle.

I understand there are many things that influence timing requirements and every engine is different. Just trying to understand your position.

Jeremy

[chrisflstf]

[Fred Winterburn]

And all of the current will go into a spark at the plug gap rather than all of it down the side of the distributor cap. It helps if you understand the difference between voltage and current for starters. The longest spark isn't necessarily the most powerful or the highest energy. Mine hasn't the weakest spark by far and a lot longer duration too. Odd that you judge without ever having tried one. I don't need your kind of free advertising and I'm selling all I can make anyway. And, your wrinkle paint is a bad idea, getting back to my original point. Fred

[rayjay]

One of the best electronic ignitions is the GM HEI. If you buy the typical magnetically triggered distributor like the MSD or clones you can use the HEI module and a conventional coil to make your sparks.

The basic rule of thumb for V8s using an HEI module is that over 6000 rpm you have to close the point gap to .030 or you get misfire. This is 12,000 rpm in a 4 cyl so you can run the normal HEI .045"+ gap.

It's also easy to run a tach with the HEI. Just connect the signal wire to the negative side of the coil.

https://www.streetmusclemag.com/tech/spark-it-up-h...to-gm-hei/

[jpaull]

I am using a Crane LX92 that has 910 ohms of secondary resistance/.23 primary resistance combined with one of the few CDI boxes that can drive it, so I could see where less then perfect connections are a concern. I like the thinking that my spark plug wires are like 40+kv transmission lines!

In the interest of safety, I have a idea! Free advertising! Please everyone install a Winterburn CDI and have the lowest spark output of all CDI's. That way, you can spray water on a wrinkle finish distributor cap while the engines running and still not have a worry in the world about that tiny spark leaving home

[Fred Winterburn]

No, that's not the issue. High voltage insulating surfaces are glass smooth on purpose to repel water and reduce the amount of dirt collected which makes the condition much worse. Look at any power line with glass insulators if you need an example. In a real winter with snow melt or wet climate, that cap would be shorting to ground all over the place. Same with the coil tower. Relying solely on the integrity of tight fitting boots doesn't leave much margin. Fred

[jpaull]

[Glenn]

[j-dub]

Another option is to use the vacuum advance can from a 36hp bug distributor.

I agree, the Unilites are a great distributor, very stable and precise timing.
_________________
1957 Oval rag
"POLICE STATION TOILET STOLEN ... Cops have nothing to go on."

[Alstrup]

[Fred Winterburn]

In anything other than a desert climate, that wrinkle paint on the cap and insulators is asking for trouble. Slightest bit of moisture along with dust and there will be shorting. Fred

[henrym]

I'm in a similar situation on the ignition debate. I'm running an old Mallory Unilite with vacuum advance and its no longer in production and parts will soon be hard to get. I'm bouncing back and forth between Pertronix and a Magnapsark. I was advised that based on my engine setup that I probably should ditch the vacuum advance. 2110, 9:1, Steve Tims 42x37, 48's, Webcam 42C. I'm looking for plug and play easy.
_________________
1967 Bug (Second owner)

[jpaull]

[modok]

When everybody goes out in the morning and gets in their car, they don't need to calibrate the mass air flow sensor on a superflow nor calibrate or the map sensor with a manometer.
They are calibrated at the factory and just work, as you said.
A flow bench built with the same technology of course, CAN work, and does work. It actually rather LATE on the scene.
We know it works because there are probably 2 billion of them out there and 99.5% are working perfect, everyday. Of course there are some concerns.
One is that they may be sensitive to contamination. I would maybe be careful not to get it too much metal chips and oil and carbon through it, which could contaminate the sensors, while with my heap it can eat things a shop vacuum could not swallow. Pros and cons That electric stuff is darn sensitive to contaminants, like paint on insulators. hmmmm
Of course I love OLD technology but of course new technology DOES work, often better, if you can even call it new, it's probably 20 years old.

[FreeBug]

One of the 97%, and proud of it!