Neil Potter Posted August 7, 2016 Report Share Posted August 7, 2016 Fitted new rotor and dizzy cap today, so about a tenner in the swearbox and forearms/knuckles lacerated as usual. This was prompted by lack of firing on cylinder 3 traced to obviously corroded number 3 terminal on old dizzy cap. Then it gets weird - this doesn't fix the problem. After a lot of lead swapping and head scratching it turns out that swapping over the spark plug with another moves the problem, so spark plug was also toast! Now fixed and running fine. Surely there's a cause and effect here - dodgy connection and weak spark causing plug to fail? Moreover I shouldn't have had to replace the cap after only about 2 years. What are people recommending as distributor-less solutions? I got a crank trigger wheel fitted in anticipation of doing away with the dizzy at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molemot Posted August 8, 2016 Report Share Posted August 8, 2016 Mine still runs fine on the original 1982 distributor and cap. The contacts on distributor caps usually corrode, but don't often cause problems even if they have. Plugs, on the other hand....(!) Quote Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been." - Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM johnpwalsh Posted August 8, 2016 Gold FFM Report Share Posted August 8, 2016 6 minutes ago, molemot said: Mine still runs fine on the original 1982 distributor and cap. The contacts on distributor caps usually corrode, but don't often cause problems even if they have. Plugs, on the other hand....(!) It's a lotus. Be prepaired for the unexpected, double it, deal with it, and enjoy. Hospital Tea aint so bad while being treated for cuts and grazes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molemot Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 As always, one has to make the blood sacrifice to pacify the powerful Lotus Ju-Ju....after that, it gets strangely easier.... Quote Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been." - Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted August 13, 2016 Report Share Posted August 13, 2016 I've fitted a wasted spark system that is controlled with an omex 200. I removed the dizzy and blanked it off with the chargecooler blank. Also removed coil and ignition amp and have fitted the ecu, coil pack and map sensor in there place. I went for an electronic ignition as my esprit has only ever let me down twice in over ten years and both times were ignition related. Plus the dizzy was not clever enough to deal with my chargecooler and boost controller fit. very happy with system and the mapping software is pretty friendly to us as well. It even helps with diagnosis as you can connect a laptop to the car and get various live readings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon a-b Posted August 15, 2016 Report Share Posted August 15, 2016 On 8/13/2016 at 18:19, chris said: I've fitted a wasted spark system that is controlled with an omex 200. I removed the dizzy and blanked it off with the chargecooler blank. Also removed coil and ignition amp and have fitted the ecu, coil pack and map sensor in there place. I went for an electronic ignition as my esprit has only ever let me down twice in over ten years and both times were ignition related. Plus the dizzy was not clever enough to deal with my chargecooler and boost controller fit. very happy with system and the mapping software is pretty friendly to us as well. It even helps with diagnosis as you can connect a laptop to the car and get various live readings. Was this very complicated to do? I guess you need a crank trigger? can you indicate costs? I'm sick of ignition related issues! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted August 15, 2016 Report Share Posted August 15, 2016 Most expensive bit was the brand new omex ECU which you could swap out for a cheaper version like megasquirt or something of that ilk. General advice is buy which ever ecu your tuner is confident using or whatever the person giving you the map uses. I paid a machine shop to weld the standard 36-1 trigger wheel to the the end of the v belt crank pulley and then fabricated my own plate which I bolted to the sump using original fixings. List of parts are: 36-1 trigger wheel crank sensor map sensor (you can set it up off of the 1 and 4 inlet branch using existing ports however it gives a slightly erratic iddle, I drilled and taped in take off ports into branches 2&3 just to make it spot on). temperature sensor and adaptor throttle position sensor kit vacuum line, 4 take off ports and a few t pieces. wiring loom (installed the version that included fuel injection in case I decide to get rid of the carbs) ECU converter for rev counter wasted spark coil ht leads and finally a charge cooler blanking plate but you could leave the dizzy in place of you wanted to. total parts spend about £700 with the lions share of that being a £400 ecu. labour was £80 for welding and £200 for mapping. once the trigger wheel was mounted the rest was easy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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