ignitor / ignition control

[88accordSF]

jammin at 70 mph, everything was feeling tits... and poof... the engine just turned off (electricals stayed on)

rolled off a highway exit onto a sidestreet

i get electrical reading to the +, - ignitor wires on the distributor, but no spark...

time for a new ignitor probably

the car was running tits w/ the new head, msd coil, ngk iridium, taylor 8mm. guess i'll be adding a new distributor to that list in a few days.... if i'm lucky one of the FLAPS will have an Hitachi in stock

[88accordSF]

are the TEC and Hitachi interchangable units for the '88 carbureted LX?

TEC seems to be cheaper..

[Oldblueaccord]

I think you can check the resistance on the ignitor as well. You also might get the coil checked as well.

Not sure what ignitor goes with what. there fairly reliable only thing is that coil might be loading it wrong and it burned out. Keep us posted.


wp

[88accordSF]

also might get the coil checked as well.
Not sure what ignitor goes with what. there fairly reliable only thing is that coil might be loading it wrong and it burned out. Keep us posted.
wp

thought the same thing, initially. even tho i just bought the msd blaster SS a few days ago, walked down to the FLAPS close to where i stopped and picked up an MSD Blaster 2, set of 7mm wires. swapped that in, but nothing. turns over nice n healthy, no spark. had a friend check for spark while i cranked it, still nothin. swapped rotors n caps, nothin.

then started checking wires with voltmeter... the ignitor has the juice from the lead, but no primary flare. probably original from the factory a mere 92k miles ago...

also dummy-checked the new MSD Blaster 2 in my old school, worked great

[LX-incredible]

Sounds like an ignitor. The ignitor on the TEC mounts to the outside of the distributor housing. The hitachi igniter seems to be integrated with the pickup coil. They will not interchange.

[88accordSF]

Sounds like an ignitor. The ignitor on the TEC mounts to the outside of the distributor housing. The hitachi igniter seems to be integrated with the pickup coil. They will not interchange.

how about if i'm ordering a whole new distributor? can both TEC and Hitachi entire distributors work for a carb model? is one better.....

[LX-incredible]

how about if i'm ordering a whole new distributor? can both TEC and Hitachi entire distributors work for a carb model? is one better.....
Both will fit. IMO the TEC is better because the ignitor is external, making it easier to replace, run cooler, and last longer. The advance weights on the TEC like to grenade after a while, but I believe it's the same for both models, and it's not like it will happen in just a few years.

[88accordSF]

grabbed a brand new Vapex Distributor 11am this morning. Hitachi style with the all-round cap.

threw in the new distributor, fired right up. sounded pretty good. ran for a bit on idle to check reliability, revving once up to 6k once, some mid range revs, then another 10 minutes of idle.

ten minutes down the road for a test drive, the damn thing crapped out ~again~. wait 30 mins, get towed home 2nd day in a row. brand new ignitor failure for the 2nd day in a row.

i'll be grabbing another distributor in a day or two.... i'll try it with the stock coil first, to make sure i'm not accidentally frying the ignitior with the msd blaster SS. if the stock coil works long-term with a new distributor, then i'll move up to the msd blaster 2, since people here have positive experiences with that coil in particular.

the MSD Blaster SS is gettin the boot! damn pain in the ass.

good news is i got the auto tranny B&M supercooler installed, new B&M full synthetic trick shift, and new 15w-50 full synthetic EP mobil 1 oil & mobil 1 filter. runs pretty tits. EXCEPT FOR THE DAMN IGNITIOR.

(no anger here, whatsoever...)

[LX-incredible]

I've been running a blaster ss with a TEC for nearly 2 years now and no problems.

[88accordSF]

anybody have success with a blaster ss and a hitachi long-term?

if so, I could rule that out entirely...

[Poodlehead]

So you can use either a Tek or Hitachi dizzy without changing the coil or anything else? The reason I ask is I think my ignitor took a dump on my Hitachi and I have an extra Tek dizzy. Thanks!

[LX-incredible]

The wiring should be the same, but I'm not positive. It's pretty basic anyway... Dizzy bolts up the same and the TEC ignitor will handle almost any coil you put to it. Be sure to check the stock coil resistance before firing it up.

[Poodlehead]

This is a stock 87 DX with104K miles. The ole lady was driving it when all of a sudden it made a 'funny noise' (thats the only way she could describe it) and quit running. It would start and sputter and die. Plugs were worn to about .050" gap so I replaced them, cap and rotor. I had checked coil resistance before and it was .2 ohm higher than the spec. I measured one at AutoBone and it was the same way. Anyway, with a new cap, rotor and plugs it fired up and ran good. I shut it off after a couple minutes and then turned up the fast idle since I had the air cleaner off. Put it back on and it has a miss now. Not real bad, but doesn't want to idle. I'll see what it does in the morning to see if it's heat related and if so, does that sound like the ignitor? Thanks!

[LX-incredible]

A failing ignitor will usually start to act up at higher RPMs, after it has a chance to heat up. The needle on the tach will drop sharply when it cuts out (usually to 0). What you describe does not seem like an ignitor, but an air/fuel problem. I don't have much experience with these carbs, but check for proper choke operation and possibly the coolant temp sensor.

[Poodlehead]

Well my 'miss' was due to dumbshit me forgot to connect the vertical vacuum line underneath the air cleaner when I put it back on, so life is good now. Thanks!