Powerspark 'Contact breaker electronic substitution'.

[Guildbass]

Ordered a positive earth powerspark kit to replace the points. The kit arrived, blister packed and with rather ambiguous instructions printed on the back.
The kit consisted of a backing plate with the red coloured pick-up block with a long white wire and a shorter black wire attached on it, a collar with four neodym magnets arranged around its inner surface to fit over the distributor centre boss, a random metal plate which seemed to have no purpose, and a red rotor arm.

The instructions informed me that the white cable was to be connected to the cable that originally attached to the distributor, and the black cable, to the -ve of the coil.
I was instructed that a fresh piece of cable also needed to be made up to 'earth' the positive coil spade connecter to the car itself.
Strangely, the white cable was unnecessarily long just to join to an existing cable, while the black cable wouldn't actually reach the coil.

once I lengthened the black cable with some scrap Yamaha loom cable with a decent heat shrink protected solder join, and stuck a spade connector on it, that was fine, and the white cable was shortened and a spade connector 'female' (supplied) fitted to receive the old coil feed cable, I used some scrap to make a patch lead from +ve to one of the coil mount fastenings as an earth.
To confirm it was working, I spun the engine, ignition 'on' with no dizzie cap, but used the coil's HT cable straight to earth on the car..lots of sparks!
I then discovered my ESM Chinesium vacuum advance diaphragm had failed after a mere two months. ESM were kind enough to rush me another one as a replacement which turned up a day later.

it's a lot easier to fit the vacuum unit with the dizzie out of the car so next day I pulled it again, fitted the vacuum part, and used the last of a tin of Molyslip spray grease to lube the distributor shaft.
Next (this) morning, pulled the plugs to relieve compression so I could easily turn the motor to re-check the valve lash. I wanted to be spot on so got TDC on each cylinder exactly by bringing each one up using the 'finger in the hole' and putting a plastic oiler spout down the hole at the last to confirm the piston was right at the top.
Did that, then got the engine back to TDC on No.1, put a set of new Iridium plugs in, and dropped the rebuilt distributor in loosely enough to turn roughly to the right place and it ran well enough with a bit of tweaking to get a nice slow idle. put the light on it and noticed if you reference the nozzle end of the vacuum device, the amount the timing mark is 'out' on the pulley wheel in reference to its mark is a pretty close approximation to how far the dizzie has to turn. in other words, if the strobe shows the timing mark is 10mm (ish) away, the nozzle moves about 10 mm to bring it back!
I had to back the idle down after I'd done it all
Doesn't really go any better, as it went very well already, but starts even more instantly and I'd like to think it'll keep in that state of tune for much longer now without me worrying about it. The old points are carefully wrapped along with the condenser and back in the car... Just in case...

[olonas]

Hopefully it works out well for you.
I have recently done the opposite and returned to points/condensor. However, not until the distributor and Lucas vacuum advance had received the Distributor Doctor's attention.
I agree re the white and black wires from the module, they should be the opposite with their lengths. I ran a short wire from coil +ve to the top front dynamo nut/bolt.
Did you add some heat transfer paste under the pick up? I think the one I fitted was supplied with some.

[Guildbass]

I ran a short wire from coil +ve to the top front dynamo nut/bolt.
Did you add some heat transfer paste under the pick up? I think the one I fitted was supplied with some.

I did check the integrity of the earthing where the coil is bolted to the dynamo and it was 0 ohms relative to the battery earth strap. I also used an anti-corrosion product (ACF50) on the loosened nut before tightening it up so should be OK!
No, no thermal conductive paste. The pick-up was already attached to a fairly substantial plate which itself screws onto the distributor 'floor'.
do you think it needs it?
I have the points, rotor arm and condenser tucked away in the back... I reckon 30 minutes to swap it back if it all goes pear shaped....
Did yours fail, or did you just feel happier with the old mechanical system in place again?

Im very tempted to get the Distributor doctor to rebuild or exchange my old one. Only thing is, having checked the numbers, the one out of the car has a 5.8.3 spec so it had what is essentially a Sprite or Midget one. When I took the engine out, the inlet ports under the manifold were shiny metal clean so now i don't know if it has had a bit of head work and perhaps that 5.8.3 is right.....

[olonas]

"Did yours fail, or did you just feel happier with the old mechanical system in place again?"
No it was still functioning, as you ask, I just felt happier with the original system.
Possibly there's some paste already under the module. The Powerspark conversion I received was not pre-assembled and I had to secure the module to the plate using the two supplied screws. It did need adjusting to achieve the required clearance with the rotary magnet.
D.Dr. does a fantastic job. I would say better than from the Lucas factory. Not cheap though. He provides a mechanical advance graph too. Hopefully relating to the reconditioned distributor and not just something generic.

[Guildbass]

"Did yours fail, or did you just feel happier with the old mechanical system in place again?"
No it was still functioning, as you ask, I just felt happier with the original system.
Possibly there's some paste already under the module. The Powerspark conversion I received was not pre-assembled and I had to secure the module to the plate using the two supplied screws. It did need adjusting to achieve the required clearance with the rotary magnet.
D.Dr. does a fantastic job. I would say better than from the Lucas factory. Not cheap though. He provides a mechanical advance graph too. Hopefully relating to the reconditioned distributor and not just something generic.

I heard nothing but good things about DD so will be going there first for any distributor/timing issues or upgrades in the future.