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Electronic ignition

steveseries72

steveseries72

Trekker
Site Donor
Does anybody have any views on whether it’s worth going over to an electronic ignition system for the extra oomph and more reliable spark? I’ve read some of the old threads on here where they have been tried but some members then say they were going back to points. I cannot find a reliable source saying it’s definitely been worth the upgrade. I’m going to buy all the service items in the next couple of days and wondered whether it was worth incorporating this as an upgrade?
Thanks in advance peeps 👍🏻
 
Hi Steve , i did this very mod to my series 2a about a month ago, Very easy to fit , way less faff than adjusting the points, fit and forget !.
I got my kit from simonbbc on ebay , it only cost £35.00 and so far so good, I wouldn't say its given it more oomph, but it does seem to start better.
For the money its a cheap mod, and can be easily converted back to points if needed. I know there will be some that say points and condenser is perfectly
fine, but I'm of the opinion if I can fit something that makes the car more reliable then its worth a try.
 
sid90v8 said:
Hi Steve , i did this very mod to my series 2a about a month ago, Very easy to fit , way less faff than adjusting the points, fit and forget !.
I got my kit from simonbbc on ebay , it only cost £35.00 and so far so good, I wouldn't say its given it more oomph, but it does seem to start better.
For the money its a cheap mod, and can be easily converted back to points if needed. I know there will be some that say points and condenser is perfectly
fine, but I'm of the opinion if I can fit something that makes the car more reliable then its worth a try.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much, it seemed to me like a cost effective option and I am of the opinion that if you can make a mod that makes something more useable and reliable that wasn’t available in period then why not. I remember the days of my old Morris Minor and Mini’s after I passed my test & like you say faffing about with points and needing three hands was not something I particularly enjoyed!
Ta for the recommendation too.
 
I only have my S1 that uses petrol.
I wouldn't want to alter the distributor for obvious reasons.
The clip-on electronic ignition I fitted over 30 years ago is still going strong.
This method has the advantage that I get the better and more reliable spark but keep the points.
The engine starts immediately in all weathers and the mod gives much more reliable running overall.
The points rarely need adjusting, perhaps every 10,000 miles or so, but I lubricate and check the cam for wear etc. on a regular basis every 1-2000 miles when servicing the rest of the vehicle.
I can't remember the last time I changed the points.
Because the points no longer switch the current needed to operate the coil, the contacts don't burn or wear down.
 
I recently reverted back to points as my 2nd set of "powerspark electronic points" failed, I think the second lot was due to me rather than the equipment, they do seem to be a bit fragile, but I'm seriously considering buying another set as the landy seemed to run better, and start easier......
 
If your running an original setup I think the biggest issue is making sure you fit quality items, cheap chinese poitns and condensors especially, just don't last. Saying that I fitted electronic ignition to my Dads S3 years ago and it's never missed a beat.
 
I like the basic points and condensor, having trouble finding descent contacts and condensor , came upon the distributor doctor,good quality, great info and service worth a try iff you wish to stay old school 😉👍
 
Stu67 said:
I recently reverted back to points as my 2nd set of "powerspark electronic points" failed, I think the second lot was due to me rather than the equipment, they do seem to be a bit fragile, but I'm seriously considering buying another set as the landy seemed to run better, and start easier......
Click to expand...
This was the setup I was looking at as seemed to have been used by a number of people and represents good value for money but point noted about their fragility. It doesn’t seem a lot of money to give a try in the first place even though there seem to be others in the market place where you can get ignition and timing maps supplied too - seems like huge overkill on something as agricultural as a LR.

Mike_Hammond said:
If your running an original setup I think the biggest issue is making sure you fit quality items, cheap chinese poitns and condensors especially, just don't last. Saying that I fitted electronic ignition to my Dads S3 years ago and it's never missed a beat.
Click to expand...
I’ve had a few of those before Mike, the quality is always so variable and it’s this that leads you stranded in the middle of nowhere which is something I wish to avoid! Good to hear the one you fitted a while ago is still holding up well which is what I’m after.
Bilge rat 1 said:
I like the basic points and condensor, having trouble finding descent contacts and condensor , came upon the distributor doctor,good quality, great info and service worth a try iff you wish to stay old school 😉👍
Click to expand...
I would always keep the old dizzy and setup available for originality should it be needed, the modern electronic distributors still seem to look the part though, thanks for the recommendation re DD, I have heard they are good quality and remember rotor arms on another classic I have weren’t worth their salt from any other supplier as they always ended up cracking inside and arcing out.
 
Slow Progress said:
Interesting debate, I keep looking at the below;

Lumenition product range - AUTOCAR

Lumenition, Micro Dynamics Newtronic product information application lists faq guides installation instructions
autocar-electrical.co.uk

Has anyone fitted this optronic version? Or the magnetronic version for that matter?
Click to expand...
That is another alternative albeit a lot more costly and is a fairly significant modification away from standard with the optical power module sitting adjacent to the coil. Having had a quick squiz at the price including the coil it looks to be about £240. Would this be overkill for a LR engine?
 
I believe that a really well set up distributor with good quality points and condenser as supplied, for example, by Distributor Doctor may well be the best set up. However, I replaced my worn out Ducellier with a Britpart (yes really!) electronic Lucas copy a couple of years ago and so far it's been 100% reliable. It may not give the best ever performance but my engine is well worn too so it's hard to tell! David
 
I have fitted accuspark distributor elec ignition as part of my rebuild. As it's part of a more general rebuild it is hard to say the effect of the elec ignition on its own, but the motor starts on the button and running really nice and I would recommend it. I checked using a gunsons colour tune and the combustion is a lovely blue and looks nice and healthy. Not expensive and so far so good....
 
There were some very Informative threads on this forum in the last couple of years with distributorguy (that's the screen name) debunking a few myths and generally fighting the cause for points and condenser. Whichever way you decide I think it's worth doing the research

from memory, the biggest gripe with "electronic ignition" was the universal notion that it results in accuracy of ignition, which was actually false because you are fitting a delicate electro-magnetic or electro-mechanical or delicate optical sensor half an inch away from the thing dishing out 30 or 40 or 50,000 volts of electromagnetic pulses several thousand times a minute
 
Thanks @series2steve, @Rufus Series 3, @sid90v8 for the recommendations, I will have a look at all of them. Powerspark seem to be the cheapest but good to hear they seem reliable, as Lumientation & Pertronix seem more costly.
I will keep my distributor with points and condenser set up as an available option rather than going to an electronic module which changes the underbonnet set up as per suggestions from @Gaoler & @DarrenH, it is always good to be able to convert back to standard should it be needed, just hoping to reduce the time spent bent over the front wing with feeler gauges and screwdrivers. That said it is an old Land Rover, who am I kidding!
 
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