Distributor Decisions, rebuild, replace, upgrade?

[ozmington]

Ok Folks! I need the assistance of the "brain trust" again.

I need to make a distributor decision and I’m just not sure which way to go.

I have an 81, FI replaced by dual 40IDF’s. Just got the car up and running after head gasket replacement and a few other things. I have balanced and synched the carbs using tons of research and a “snail” gauge. Sounding much better with lots of kiddy up but still not consistent with some of the issues seeming to come from the dizzy side of things.

The Marelli dist. I have has a few problems (purchased this way, don’t know history) : it is a non-vacuum S144, points were replaced with an electronic set up but I’m afraid it wasn’t done well. The (pickup?) semicircular plate rubs and just doesn’t look right. Hubby has "concerns". Also, why would I have a non-vacuum on an 81? I’m thinking this was taken from an older car? And, just for fun, it’s full of oil from a blown seal so either way, that needs to be addressed. (Sorry, not up to speed on dizzy jargon).

Need your thoughts on this one:
1. I’ve thought about re-building this one but it might be over my head.
2. Get a rebuilt Marelli w/ vacuum and figure out where I can port from. Having 40IDF’s means that the only port I can find is in the intake manifold and that’s going to the brakes and vapor canister.
3. Go for the spend and get one of Mark’s distributorless systems and eliminate the whole issue? (I thought about getting the 123Ignition, a little cheaper, but then I have the vacuum issue again).

I do want to get the most performance I can out of the car and the carburetors but I don’t want to just throw good money for bad. (still, I doooo like to go fast

Alright "think tank", hit me with your thoughts!
Deb

[maytag]

Deb:
I'm not far from where you're at, as far as project status goes.
I opted for Mark's system for cosmetic reasons, mainly. I think it is $$ well-spent,

BUT: if you decide not to spend the dough for Mark's system, I have a good-functioning electronic distributor from a '79, WITH a new vac advance unit on it that is available for sale. if you're interested. I also have a Blaster coil, still mounted in the coil heat-sink.

[bradartigue]

Vacuum for the distributor is pulled from directly below the primary throttle plate on a carbureted engine, on a fuel injected engine it pulls from just behind (the engine side) of the throttle plate. With IDFs you're kind of screwed, because they never had a port in the right place to begin with, and because IDFs are individual throttles per cylinder, it pulses like mad.

If you have IDFs with the right porting you can tie the four together using vacuum T fittings and it works....

Otherwise I'd find a Marelliplex or go distributorless. Advancing the hell out of your timing, as a lot of IDF owners do, isn't a good solution.

And I have to ask, why did you go from L-Jetronic to Dual IDFs? Just love carburetors?

[maytag]

And I have to ask, why did you go from L-Jetronic to Dual IDFs? Just love carburetors?

She probably needed a couple more hp, to lug around those dang bumpers!

[ozmington]

Brad,
It was the PO who made the carb change from FI. He had more $$ than sense based on the stack of receipts that came with the car.
Maytag,
Hey, watch it. Lots of guys love a woman with big bumpers.... just sayin.

Thanks for the input, I think I'll be placing an order with Mark next week. I'm seeing some concerns with alternator bracket. Mark......will there be mods to make?

Thanks,
Deb

[maytag]

Maytag,
Hey, watch it. Lots of guys love a woman with big bumpers.... just sayin.
Deb

oooooohhh..... man.... I hope you're teasin' with me.... 'cuz I could see how if a person didn't understand that my comment was a direct poke in Brad's eye.... then it might seem offensive to some.... and MAN I sure wouldn't mean to do that....

[ozmington]

Just messin with ya.......zalright.

[So Cal Mark]

the alternator bracket is really an easy mod. I just put one in on Friday and had to mod the bracket slightly. I can walk you through it when the time comes. It's about a 5 min task
Mark

[131]

Why chase vacuum advance, I've never owned a Fiat that had it, must be a yankee thing? I had a 2 litre with 40 IDFs, 10 deg static timing and it sang, not sure if the dizzys we got had different advance curves though.

[bradartigue]

And I have to ask, why did you go from L-Jetronic to Dual IDFs? Just love carburetors?

She probably needed a couple more hp, to lug around those dang bumpers!

Ha. But sad. Every time I look up at the FiatSpider.com banner and I see that sad looking car with the overbite I think "who would remove a bumper?" And it still has stock springs. Not even a FIAT, it's a pininfarina, without bumpers...probably has IDFs too, three of them, one bolted to the firewall just to make it look fast... but I digress.

The myth of IDFs and/or carburetion. Even early FI (CIS, D-Jet, K-Jet) was vastly superior to carburetors. I like carbs, have been known to remove fuel injection to use them but for my own perverse reasons (and usually on cars with troublesome systems like SPICA).

[bradartigue]

Want to solve all of your problems - get this:

http://www.fiatplus.com/1800-plex-ignit ... 76139.html

A Marelliplex. Electronic distributor without vacuum advance.

Back when I was a wee teenager these cost the same - $695 - but came with the coil, distributor, new plugs and wires. How's that for inflation?

[maytag]

Want to solve all of your problems - get this:

http://www.fiatplus.com/1800-plex-ignit ... 76139.html

A Marelliplex. Electronic distributor without vacuum advance.

Back when I was a wee teenager these cost the same - $695 - but came with the coil, distributor, new plugs and wires. How's that for inflation?

pretty sure I've got one of those on the shelf I'd sell ya, too.

[ozmington]

Ouch....$695! I'm not worthy! Someones going to have to buy the old one for rebuild so I can recoup a couple a bucks.

Thanks for the help as always but I think i'm going the tech route.
I'll report back with some honest feed back in 2 or 3 weeks. Meantime, it's a brake job this weekend while i wait.

Thanks

[ozmington]

Ouch....$695! I'm not worthy! Someones going to have to buy the old one for rebuild so I can recoup a couple a bucks.

Thanks for the help as always but I think i'm going the tech route.
I'll report back with some honest feed back in 2 or 3 weeks. Meantime, it's a brake job this weekend while i wait.

Thanks

[ozmington]

OK Mark,
Installation day.
What's the secret to bending the bracket (and remember, I have "girl arms")

Deb