Is this the correct way to set up a distributor?

[norbs]

Ok, I finally got to install my distributor today and this is how it was done, this is using a gen 7, using the factory balancer and crank hall effect sensor , but i am sure it applys the same to fast. Please correct me if i made any mistakes.

1. all but one reluctor tab was ground down to nothing.
2. A set screw was installed to lock the reluctor tab in position.
3. A line was scribed on the balancer at 1.45" (25 degree) and 3.48" (60 degrees) as on the stock balancer each .058" is one degree approx.
4. The motor was brought to 25 degrees BTDC instead of zero degrees. The distributor is now dropped in with the rotor centered on #1 cyl on the cap. As this is the timing i intend to run possiblly at WOT.
5. The distributer is now locked down in this position with the rotor pointing at #1 exactly.
6. The motor is now brought back to 60 BTDC and the reluctor tab is now lined up with the reluctor pickup and the sets screw is loctited and tighten.


Am i on the right track?

 

[TurboTR]

Can the gen 7 handle a mix of crank and cam sensor tech, ie a Hall effect crank sensor and a magnetic cam sensor?

TurboTR

 

[Otto J]

on a fast system,you need a min of 10* difference from cam to crank,Cam signal coming before crank signal, But if your using the factory reluctor on your balancer that is at 10* btdc,Which will only allow you to run 0* timing.Your crank signal needs to be 10( more than the max timing you plan to run.

IE.. Cam signal at 60*
Crank signal at 50*
will allow 40* max timing

So on a fast system to use the stock crank sensor you must reset the reluctor to signal at 50* or 10* more than the max timing you plan on running
I hope i didnt make this confusing
I can give you my number if its easier to walk you thru

 

[TurboTR]

Well that may be true for a delayed spark system but the stock buick approach is a predictive spark.

 

[Otto J]

I was explaining a distributor setup,not the stock dis.

 

[TurboTR]

Yeah. I think he said he was using the stock crank sensor.

TurboTR

 

[norbs]

I understand, but i'm not sure if the gen 7 operates the same way, once i get it running i will have to check the timing and see what numbers i get on the balancer and on the timing map, and establish what is going on.


As far as i know, the Gen 7 can accept any combination of signals, you just change the settings in the software. This is why any gen 7 box can work on any car from ford, lt1, etc.

 

[Otto J]

The xfi is also that way now,You can choose between a number of ignition strategys.And alos use 2 different signals
I use the hall effect for a crank signal and inductive ign

 

[norbs]

They sure did there homework on the xfi. I have a new problem now is that my turbo inlet pipe doesn;t fit now with the distributor. Anyone make a pipe that fits? 4" diameter?

 

[norbs]

on a fast system,you need a min of 10* difference from cam to crank,Cam signal coming before crank signal, But if your using the factory reluctor on your balancer that is at 10* btdc,Which will only allow you to run 0* timing.Your crank signal needs to be 10( more than the max timing you plan to run.

IE.. Cam signal at 60*
Crank signal at 50*
will allow 40* max timing

So on a fast system to use the stock crank sensor you must reset the reluctor to signal at 50*

How do you set the factory crank sensor to 50? do you have to move the reclucto wheel on the balancer?

 

[S2V6RACER]

How do you set the factory crank sensor to 50? do you have to move the reclucto wheel on the balancer?

Dan at DLS has been doing them for everybody.

 

[Otto J]

Dan at DLS has been doing them for everybody.

Yep, I sent it to Dan and he installed a new reluctor and indexed it to 50*

 

[HighPSI]

Norby, you can leave it at 10 with the DFI (predictive spark)

 

[norbs]

Thanks, just to add to this you should phase the rotor in to the timing you intend to run at peak torque, so it could be 20-30 depending on your combo. so spark i guess has the smallest gap to jump in the distrirbuter.

 

[norbs]

I think i made an error, you should not turn the motor backwards, as vadersv6 pointed out the slack in the timing chain/ distributor gear will throw you off from being accurate. So i should change the instructions to turn the motor to to 25 drop the distributer in and then bring the motor around again to 60 degees btdc compression again . SOrry for the mistake..

 

[TurboTR]

It seems good. The rotor should be phased to about 25 deg BTDC or so, as you have done. The cam pulse occuring ~ 50 deg before the crank ref pulse (which is occurring at 10 deg BTDC) sounds about right. Hopefully the gen7 box can mix and match sensor technologies. Are you using a factory harness and a jumper harness to the gen7, or? One issue that comes to mind is, when you remove the CCCI module from the factory setup the crank pulse will no longer be making it to the ecu harness. I assume you have addressed that already?

TurboTR

 

[norbs]

Actually Cal has a adapter harness made up for that, but for temporary i am going to come up with something, just to make sure this is all going to work before buying something proper. I am using the factory harness with a jumper harness i built a while back. The gen 7 acutally, you set the factory crank setting as a digitial input , not hall effect. I am just estimating by measuring wiht some tape 3.48" to the 60 bdtc, i hope it works! I have relocated the coil to the fender for now. Heres a pic of my poor tensioner

 

[TurboTR]

Thanks for the pictures! I was wondering how much carving was required to get a distrib to fit in the factory config.

It should be fine on the cam pulse, the timing of it is probably not critical at all since all that it needs to be is a logical pulse that just resets an internal cylinder number count.

And it makes sense to set the input to digital since the Hall effect signal is a digital signal in this case

TurboTR

 

[turbobuick]

Actually Cal has a adapter harness made up for that, but for temporary i am going to come up with something, just to make sure this is all going to work before buying something proper. I am using the factory harness with a jumper harness i built a while back. The gen 7 acutally, you set the factory crank setting as a digitial input , not hall effect. I am just estimating by measuring wiht some tape 3.48" to the 60 bdtc, i hope it works! I have relocated the coil to the fender for now. Heres a pic of my poor tensioner

Looks good Norbs. I just picked up one of the adapters and they are pretty slick. I have to sit down and look at it but the instructions are written for the XFI and it talks about swapping one of the crank signal wires on the harness A7 and A3. Not sure what that's all about and if it is relevant to a GEN 7 or not. I don't run an adapter harness and repinned my factory one last year. I'm hoping to get mine running this coming week so I will let you know how it works out. Looks good and thanks for the pics. I'll share notes if I figure anything new out.

 

[norbs]

Ya a pic is worth 1000 words.. That unhappy face slipped in by mistake, it has nothing to do with Cal's adapter harness, in case anyone wonders. Keep us updated on if you " notice "the car runs different or good or bad compared to the DIS.

Well the problem is when going to an inductive pickup you must use both the +/- inputs, and at the coil pack conector there is only a cam + back to the ecm. But using the factory crank sensor we can use only the + input to the ecm and we don't need a - reference for some reason. It gets very complicated between ecu;s. But i think the gen 7 is the same as the fast set up.