Why 2

[alexideways]

Hi, anyone can help me here?

 

I just bought an 280Z dizzy to hook it up to an GM module.

 

My question is, why auto. tranny cars have 2 sets of points or pickups and standards get only one, is it to drive the tach or something like that?

 

Cause, the one I bought has 2 and in the write up I'm trying to follow only has one. Can I remove one and use the other or do I need an different dizzy?

 

Thanks, i really need the help, as I don't want to rebuld my old one since I'm soon goiing RB30 and i don't know mutch about carbs and braker points adjustements cause, when i got old enough to understand cars, these gadgets where long gone. I just want elec. ing. for my long wait for the RB.

[alexideways]

wow, it's the second time I ask the question, I' tried to ask differently, is because nobody knows or is it because nobody feels like answering.

[skipzoomie]

OK, these are my thoughts on your efforts. First you need a distributor from a ZX with the E12-80 module. Or an aftermarket electronic dist. Or a conversion unit for your points type dist. Points are a dinosaur. Get rid of them. All duel points do is increase dwell time. They don't have anything to do with the tach.

[alexideways]

All duel points do is increase dwell time. They don't have anything to do with the tach.

 

Thanks for that but, getting rid of them is why I bought an 1978 with an internal pick-up instead of points. The thing is, the distributor I got hase 2 pick-ups, does it only increase dwell time?

[zcarnut]

The automatic distributor has an “advanced†pickup and a “retarded†pickup that have a 7 (or 8) degree phase (timing) difference between them. When you are in DRIVE the advanced pickup output signal is used by the ignition module and when you are in NEUTRAL the retarded pickup output signal is set to the ignition module. This was done only for emissions. The switching between the two pickup is done via a relay.

 

Nissan did this mechanically because in 1978 the analog electronic circuit needed to accomplish this function would have been somewhat complex and therefore expensive. Nowadays this is easily done via a digital controller with a simple software routine.

 

Therefore, the second pickup has nothing to do with increasing the dwell (the time period that the primary of the ignition coil is being energized).

 

Just use the advanced pickup output and leave the other one alone.

[alexideways]

Steve, thanks alot!!! One more thing though, witch way does the dizzy spins? Counterclockwise right?, just checked the unit with my vantage to see if it workes correctly and was wondering because I wanted to know witch wire was signal but now, if you say it's switched via relay, well I guess that the 2 wires that are separate are signal right?

[zcarnut]

Yes, the L series distributor spins counterclockwise (when viewed from the top).

 

There should be three wires coming out of the automatic distributor: the two pickup signals and a common ground (which should be the center terminal on the wire connector).

[alexideways]

Thanks alot ZCARNUT, actually, there are 4 wires comming out but, as you said, 2 of them just splices together further down so, this must be the ground. Thanks to you now, I just have to plug everything and my car should be running with an 76 dizzy and an GM 4pin electronic module (27$ at autoparts) If everything workes good, I figure I could hook up the other (retard) wire to an clock (device that treats, lets say everything under .4V as 0 and everything over as 1V.) witch could be wirred to a nock sensor and have electronic retard on my 73 Z what do you think????