Electronic Ignition

[auto_eng]

Can anyone point me in the right direction for a electronic ignition setup for a 80 RR. I have points at the moment and want to change to something that works. I've had different reports and what does and doesn't work.
Some people say the only way to go is with a Lumenition kit in the original dizzy. Other say to use the Dizzy, coil etc out of a later Disco. I've also hear of using a Buick HEI distributor. The HEI sounds like a good option becasue you have the coil/dizzy all in one. Has anyone tried this?
Any other options/ideas?

Thanks

[landy_man]

I have the Lumenition ignition system on my '84 RR...

set and forget

[RUFF]

Try Shaun Tunstall he is on the Sunshine coast and reconditions Distributors. I spoke to him at the Toowoomba swap meet and he said he was currently working on modifying a factory holden v8 distributor and should have had a kit ready within a month or so.
He can be contacted on 0418874349.

Let us know what he has too say please.

[HSV Rangie]

Vitesse and rangie spares in Melb do holden disy conversions, as Im sure most others do.

i used to run lumenition in my early RR worked perfectly.

Michael.

[auto_eng]

I gave Shaun a call. No go. He has not had any time to develope something for the RR. Thanks for the info anyway.

Try Shaun Tunstall he is on the Sunshine coast and reconditions Distributors. I spoke to him at the Toowoomba swap meet and he said he was currently working on modifying a factory holden v8 distributor and should have had a kit ready within a month or so.
He can be contacted on 0418874349.

Let us know what he has too say please.

[Aquarangie]

I used to have a 84 Rangie and ran a Optospark 500 electronic ignition kit and found it the best thing I fitted. I had the Rangie for 2 years and fitted pretty much straight away after I bought it. The timing never went out of whack (that's why I put the Optospark on originally as on popints it used to throw the timing out on a regular basis!!). I'm not dure if Rangie Spares selli it anymore, but I know from what Iheard last that Discovery automotive in WA sell the kit for about the $300 mark.

Altenatively, you could fit the modified Holden dizzy if it works out cheaper. Anything's better than Lucas shit!!!

Aquarangie

If it ain't broke, leave the baastard alone!!

[Dozoor]

I must of scored well , a mate used to be deep in rovers and when he put a isuzu desiel in hes range rover he gave me 2 dizzys one points ,one optispark .My feebie RR came with a pirranah electronic one .Just hope i can make them work on the P6 front case.

[adnic]

if you're keen try the crane fireball 500 system.
i run a 1980 2 door and since the fireball went in timing has had no probs other than re bushing the dizzy. approx cost $350.00. repco, auto barn etc.

[auto_eng]

Thanks everyone for their thoughts and suggestions. Here's what I ended up doing. I got a 94 Dico distrubutor from the local RR wrecker. I came with a new module and a new rotor cap for $220. I thougth this was a good price because it was supposed to be a bolt in change over with no fuss. I went his way mainly on pice because any other option I looked as was at least $400. I went to put the distributor in to find that the module hit my powersteering pump. I tried to scolop it out a bit but it wasn't going to happen. I fitted a Bosch BIM-024 module to an large piece of aluminim in my LH inner guard that all my relays are mounted on and wired this to the new dizzy. I also fitted a new Bosch elecronic ignition coil. It was all meant to be smooth sailing from here but as I'm sure anyone else with a RR will agree, I should have known better.

The engine would run but faulter under load. Other times it would not run at all. Other time it would run like a dream.

I checked everything.

At the same time did a few other mods/fixes while the car was off the road. My RR fuel cap used to leak and give a lot of fumes. I tried a few different rubber seals, shimming up the spring but nothing worked 100%. I took out the tube that runs from the fuel tank up to the fuel cap and welded in a fuel inlet from a Holden Rodeo and brought a new locking cap. I took the rubber and spring out of the RR cap and cut off the locating section in there for the spring. Now I have a cap that seals 100% and locks. The original RR cap is still there and just pops over like a cover. You wouldn't know it had been modified until you lifted the cap.

While we were doing this we decided to run new vapour lines to the vapour separation tank (as these had perrised and disappear and were letting water flick off the back wheel, up to the top of the vapour tank and into it, and once there was enough in there, into the fuel tank).

When the engine was running bad we thought maybe we were getting an airlock in the tank because we found a kinked vapour line. Some people said they had this trouble with later RR's. Clutching at straws by this stage

After several test drives that ended badly with the RR limping home. (Had to get the missus to tow me once with her 4-cylinder buzz box - The SHAME!)

We ended up finding the problem. The distributor came with a new rotor button. Hence we didn't look to closely at it. We changed the fuel filter, distributor cap, the coil was new and so was the module. The problem ended up being the rotor button. It had a fault and was earthing out directly to the main shaft in the distributor. I took the faulty button back to the wrecker I brought the distributor off and he exhanged it for free. Happy with that.

After changing that all ran sweet. The difference in how smooth the engine runs new is huge. It doesn't cough or load up in places it would before. It was a bit of a frustrating process but the end result is a good one. I'm glad to be running a Bosch module as now all my wiring is Bosch with the exception of the couple of swithced located in the steering column.

Distributor $220, new cap $35, module $70, coil $50(approx figures)

Total: $375 (not far off the $400 options but guess I did get a new dizzy)