"FAST START" Ignition System

[Turbo1dr]

Have you ever wondered why your Turbo Regal cranks for a long time and at other times it cranks right up instantly? Here is an ignition system upgrade I done to my car that uses the ignition module and crank sensor from a 1995 Buick LeSabre. This idea came from a guy named Bruce that used to post on this board and the other boards. I used his idea and fabricated a "FAST START" ignition system for my car. It works very well! Cal Hartline had the opportunity to tune my FAST XFI to aid in start up. Thanks Cal!

Read more about it here along with video's...78 Malibu Fast Start Ignition System

 

[turbofabricator]

Bruce Plecan LIVES!!!! (RIP Bruce!!) I was right in the middle of building Bruce a trick timing cover when he passed away. I wonder what ever happened to his hot rod and all his "stuff"? His landlord had sent me a letter asking me if I wanted a book back that I had sent him (Political book) and that she was trying to get stuff back to whoever it belonged to. Apparently Bruce didn;t have any hiers to his stuff. (Or so it seemed) Bruce was a GREAT guy and always had some cool ideas and would act on them. We lost a real asset to the Turbo Buick community when he passed. Even in his end times, he never complained about his physical problems. (and he had ALOT of them!!!) That guy had gone through the meat grinder, almost literally! We ALL could have learned from him.

Nice mod, by the way. Keep posting your projects!

 

[lazaris]

Another benefit to this would be more accurate timing. Something very impotant when your tuning on the edge. You should produce this product!

 

[DailyDrifter]

Great work. I just watched the video of the start up, damn that thing starts quick .

 

[TurboBuRick]

Very interesting. Nice work T1dr.

 

[TurboBob]

Another benefit to this would be more accurate timing. Something very impotant when your tuning on the edge. You should produce this product!

won't help unless the timing slots are machined more accurately than the stock pieces.

Someone should try blueprinting the stock timing wheel, or at least checking to see how far the stocker is off.

Bob

 

[Turbo1dr]

Someone should try blueprinting the stock timing wheel, or at least checking to see how far the stocker is off.

Bob

I believe Richard Clark has made a tool to check the trigger wheel on stock balancers.

 

[turbofish38]

Here's the link to Bruce's original thread. Quick Start Installation - TurboBuicks.com

I know there is a thread over here on how to dial in the stock trigger wheel but I'll be damned if I could find it.

 

[TurboBob]

I remember the thread, but I think it was a fixture to locate the trigger wheel, not to blueprint all 3 (or 18) tabs.

 

[liquidh8]

I'll be doing this her conversion pretty soon. Just have to finish getting the parts from the u-pull-it.

Thanks for the leg work and videos for proof!!

 

[Jerryl]

I believe Richard Clark has made a tool to check the trigger wheel on stock balancers.

Here is the thread.
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/engine-tech/250094-bhj-dampner-trigger-wheel-clocking.html

I am still confused about it though ............ like "how do you verify without the fixture, and where should it be anyway?

 

[turbofabricator]

Here is the thread.
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/engine-tech/250094-bhj-dampner-trigger-wheel-clocking.html

I am still confused about it though ............ like "how do you verify without the fixture, and where should it be anyway?

The fixture indexes off of the woodruf key slot in the balancer hub. I use a known good balancer and lock the crank on the engine, slide the balancer on, then use a metal strap bolted to the block to index against the interruptor ring. Then remove the balancer and slide the new one on. Checking the ring against the strap. Not perfect, but close enough to get it within 1-2*

 

[Jerryl]

The fixture indexes off of the woodruf key slot in the balancer hub. I use a known good balancer and lock the crank on the engine, slide the balancer on, then use a metal strap bolted to the block to index against the interruptor ring. Then remove the balancer and slide the new one on. Checking the ring against the strap. Not perfect, but close enough to get it within 1-2*

Ok, the operative word being "known good balancer".
How do you determine "it is good"?
Nevermind ......... I'll post in the other thread.
Don't want to water this one down.

 

[turbofabricator]

Ok, the operative word being "known good balancer".
How do you determine "it is good"?
Nevermind ......... I'll post in the other thread.
Don't want to water this one down.

It's KNOWN good,...........well,....because I am a DAD and I SAID SO!!!!!

I have checked three or four used balancers and averaged them out. They are all really close. At least the ones I have checked (factory ones) Now, if .5* of advance will POP a head gasket, then you better look for a better way. A CNC lathe can do the job, but I don't have one.

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

If you can add some accurate marks to the damper, can then use a timing light to check the accuracy of the timing wheel/shutter. I can't recall if a stock setup has a BYPASS connector or not. If it does then open it to put the spark advance at a fixed setting (don't rev up the engine). Otherwise will need a chip with fixed timing.

Then put a timing light on it and move from #1, then to #6, and on to #5 plug wire. Observe where the plug fires on the damper.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[Hot Air]

I don't want my engine to start immediately. I would rather crank it a while and build oil pressure before I let the ignition fire up. I use a switch to turn off the FAST until I get oil pressure!
Conrad
Hot Air

 

[Turbo1dr]

I don't want my engine to start immediately. I would rather crank it a while and build oil pressure before I let the ignition fire up. I use a switch to turn off the FAST until I get oil pressure!
Conrad
Hot Air

Hey Conrad,

I'd like to clear up something that people might take wrong refering to what you say above. Speaking about the engine starting up too fast before oil pressure rises...

On a regular TR ignition the car will start within two crank revolutions. Oil pressure does not rise enough to get any pressure at all in just 2 crank revolutions. Even so, not only TR owners but every car that's built in the world will crank up without oil pressure on the first 5-10 crank revolutions until the oil finally builds pressure. The only way to be sure the engine has pressure is to kill the injectors/ign system and crank it until you see pressure on the gauge...like you do. Even then, you probably will not get oil pressure up to every rocker arm if you cranked the engine with the starter for 5 minutes. I've seen too many flat tappet/roller cammed engines run with the valve covers off and still there will be a few rockers that will not get oil. Eventually they will start oiling. Anyway, there's millions of cars out there that crank up just as soon as you hit the key with well over 100 to 200,000 mile on them.

We all want our HP engines to last as long as possible but I don't see the benefit vs the time it takes to go through the task of seeing oil pressure on the gauge before it cranks up every time.

Please don't take this post wrong...just putting out some "food for thought" so others can see both of our points.

 

[vader87]

PLEASE produce these!!

 

[liquidh8]

I picked all the parts up today from the local u-pull-it. I sourced them from a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix.

Now if I just do the mod as you have on your site, It should be good right, no chip setting need to be changed?

Thanks!

 

[Turbo1dr]

No chip changing needed. The circuits in the fast-start module were redesigned so it allows the module to "know" when to fire the next coil in the firing sequence by using both the 3x and the 18x signal on the crank.



THe picture below shows how the stock ign system requires up to 2 full crank revolutions to recognize which coil to fire first.

The picture below shows the way the FAST START module determines which coil to fire within 1/3rd of a crank revolution.