123ignition - Please provide a fitment guide

N

nospark

Well-Known Forum User
The manufacturers provide a general setup guide with this distributer. However, my understanding is that the Datsun version has the shaft key/tang oriented at 90 degrees to the OEM distributer. So the rotor arm on the OEM dizzy roughly points in the direction of the radiator at TDC for cylinder No1. The 123ignition dizzy when fitted has the rotor pointed roughly towards the coil. In theory this shouldn't be a problem and the dizzy cap should line up the rotor and No1 ignition lead

I have seen a couple of youtube videos where the Datsun owners have not experienced a straight forward fitment of the Datsun 123ignition. Is it possible that someone who has fitted this unit can comment or even better produce a guide. Ta
 
AliK

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
I installed mine and stupidly followed the instructions by using the no.1 position as marked on the cap.

Timing 120 degrees out and biiiig bada boom - goodbye baffles in rear silencer!!! Funny thing is, four neighbour's rushed out to see if I had blown myself up followed promptly by my wife telling me off for making too much noise!!!

9381e47806df7e2f103db6d27190c093.jpg


I found (the hard way) that the position of the rotor at TDC was 1 HT lead away from what the cap claimed as No. 1. Check and double check before firing up!!!

And yes it does not point to the rad panel but on mine it's pointing somewhere between coil and shock tower.
 
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N

nospark

Well-Known Forum User
Thanks Ali. Could you take the time to talk us through the fitment

Did the dizzy come with a new base mounting bracket ? Did you use it? How does it fit ? Does it/should it reorientate the new dizzy differently from the existing mounting oem bracket ?

You say you "stupidly followed the instructions". How are the manufacturers instructions wrong for the Datsun ? What exactly did you do to get the new dizzy to fit/work. ? Is the stage to "turn the dizzy until the green light comes on" invalid for the Datsun ? Did you have to resort to a timing light to finally get it to work properly?

Geoff on Home Built by Geoff (youtube) found problems, There is also guy on youtube with a 280z that had problems with dizzy orientation.

It would be nice to know the proper procedure before committing to a pricey purchase

Anyone else got findings ? (Atomman has one fitted ?)
Ta
 
toopy

toopy

Club Member
AliK said:
Timing 120 degrees out and biiiig bada boom - goodbye baffles in rear silencer!!! Funny thing is, four neighbour's rushed out to see if I had blown myself up followed promptly by my wife telling me off for making too much noise!!!
Click to expand...

Car shenanigans comedy gold right there my friend! :EXTRAlol:all you needed to complete the sketch would of been a sooty face and crazy hair doo :D
 
AliK

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
toopy said:
Car shenanigans comedy gold right there my friend! :EXTRAlol:all you needed to complete the sketch would of been a sooty face and crazy hair doo :D
Click to expand...

You are soooo right!!! I was totally convinced I had blown the car up ;)
 
atomman

atomman

Club Member
When I fitted mine , I got the engine @TDC and took put the 280Z dizzy and put fitted the new 123 and noticed the rotor pointing a different direction , so took it back out and checked it again , then fitted it again and just used that lead as number 1 and fitted the plug leads anticlockwise from that point and also wrote them on the cap terminals in maker pen so I cant get it wrong again,
Also the map that came preloaded into the 123 was starting @0 degrees so changed that before I started it,

Hope that helps
 
Peato40

Peato40

Well-Known Forum User
atomman said:
When I fitted mine , I got the engine @TDC and took put the 280Z dizzy and put fitted the new 123 and noticed the rotor pointing a different direction , so took it back out and checked it again , then fitted it again and just used that lead as number 1 and fitted the plug leads anticlockwise from that point and also wrote them on the cap terminals in maker pen so I cant get it wrong again,
Also the map that came preloaded into the 123 was starting @0 degrees so changed that before I started it,

Hope that helps
Click to expand...
My installation was exactly as yours went @atomman.
I did make a small mistake by trusting in the green LED suggesting DTC but soon became better when I make some slight adjustment with the aid of a timing strobe light.
I'm very happy with mine.
 
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