Sorry if this has gone on twice but it didnt seem to work first time:- Hi, im just getting round to sorting out the ignition on my engine now, id planned to use a Lumenition Magnetronic kit but after ringing demon tweeks to order it this morning found they dont do one for my distributor all i can think of is that it would be because it would have no advance/retard on it?? So i got intouch with QED and found they use a seperate management system on their engines thats £500 but could only suggest possibly using dizzy of a 1.6. So does anybody know if this works and does it have the vacuum advance on it? Can any body think of another way around it or how they managed it themselves? Thanks in advance, hope someone can help - Andrew.

For £500 there are loads of after market ECU you could use. If you can fit a timing source and pick up on your flywheel you could dump the dizzy and have mapped igniton system and run fuel injection as well if you wanted.

Not a (huge) problem.....

You need to find yourself a distributor from an 8v VX engine with the same type distributor drive. There are two different types, you need the one like your current dizzy. The only dizzy with the right drive I found, had been smashed, but thankfully the drive setup interchanges with the other type.
Just thinking whilst typing, but the above *may* mean that the drive off the 16v dizzy may fit. I dont know TBH, cause I was flapping in a scrapyard near closing time IYSWIM.....
You will also need an ignition amp, coil, and the loom to it. If you are lucky (I wasnt) you can get the complete engine loom and strip it out for the relevent wiring, but as long as you get the multi plug, and a decent portion of loom, it can be worked out with the aid of a Haynes manual. My car ran with an amplifer off a VW Polo for a bit. Its the exact same kit....
Finally, you may have trouble with your ignition leads. Somtimes, they just aint long enough to reach to a dizzy thats now longer because of the bob weights. Also bear in mind that there different terminals available for the Bosch distributor cap, so even if they do reach, check to see if they are compatable before shoving in.... If you have found an older dizzy, a cap off a later VX does the trick, as well as-youve guessed it- some VW's. My leads were too short, so I managed to find some off a 16v Mazda engine (sorry, havent a clue what, just an engine in a pile.....) which did the trick.

HTH Stu.

Thanks for that, i went for a look round a scrap yard this morning (before i read this), would the new dizzy not need to have a vacuum advance and retard on it then or is that what the "bob weights" you mentioned do? (sorry, im still learning about these things). Does the wiring need to go to an ecu or does it have its own electronics in it? Can i do away with the crank shaft sensor wiring then? And would my original coil be ok or would it be better to get the job lot? Thanks, Andrew.

Answers in order of questions.....
1) the new dizzy doesnt *need* the vac advance, but most dizzys you find have them fitted. Just dont connect them!
2) The 'bob weights' advances the ignition timing as the engine revs increase, and are built into the bottom of the distributor. As the engine speed increases, the bob weights are flung out further, and in doing so advances the rotor arm in relation to the distributor drive shaft. The 16v dizzy doesnt have these fitted (the ignition timing is sorted electronically) hence the reason you cant use this dizzy. Chances are the donor engine dizzy isnt going to have the perfect timing setup, but it is better than 'fixed' or 'static' timing.
3) The wiring from the distributor goes to an ignition amplifier. The electronic information supplied by the dizzy is converted into a signal to charge up, and subsequently fire, the coil, and (hopefully) creating a spark at the right time and the right place. No "ECU" is involved.
4) Yes, you can do away with the crankshaft sensor,as long as you have something to plug the hole in the block with. The distributor does all the donkey work....
5) Original coil *may* be OK (both are using similar sysytems, but getting the "timing" information from different places), but to be safe, I would advise getting the coil too. But please bear in mind that the coil can have assorted HT lead terminal ends......

I know a westy owner with a vauxhall 16v tc engine and he says he is using a Polo distributor on it, that was all he said so you could try looking in the scrapyard at the drive end to see. If I see him around I will try to get to know more about what he used.

yours, Pete.

Ok, thanks for your help guys, ill let you know if i have some success. Might be a while yet though!!! Andrew.

Thats exactly what I'm doing too! I got my dizzy from a guy on a Vauxhall website :- Migweb, just type it into google.

I picked up my 8v (2ltr) vx the other day and the dizzy on that looks the same as my 16v. perhaps i mean the cap (angled so leads come offf at 90 degrees) Is this the wrong type of dizzy?

(Northy I think I'll u2u you about your installation with this engine )

Ned.

Ned,

If it was in injection model (with an ecu) it'll have the wrong dizzy. What car was it out of? An SRI? Does it say Injection on the rocker cover? I needed to get a new dizzy for mine, so it's not as simple as "get an 8 Valve dizzy". I think mine came from a old carb'ed 1.8.

yes, mine is an injection jobby. i thought they all were to be honest! what carb are you going to run on it? can't see any pics of carbs in your photo archive! out of an f plate mk2 gte by the way...

Ned.

Injection one is better. It has the "high port head" which gives it more torque, and it has a compression ratio.

Using twin 45 Webers. Well it would be rude not too

Yep, sorry guys, any carbed model, and certain injection models for 'donor' dizzys, i.e. ones with bob weights in.

HTH Stu.