OK. Thanks for the details. Got it.  I did not see the top rivet on the pickup (5).  I just did this adjustment on a similar set up and the pickup would move when turning the eccentric (3). It seems yours is not adjustable without drilling a rivet.

The car really didn't want to start/idle well with the gap opened up to .030"  So I put the #1 screw back in and tightened it back up.  280ZX dizzy shows up tomorrow so I'll try that out. 

280ZX dizzy is here.  Looking at the wiring diagrams I found. Do I need to switch over to a 3.0 Ohm coil or can I stick with my current 1.5 Ohm and Ballast Resistor setup?  Anyone know? I remember trying to delete the resistor and use a 3.0 ohm coil before and the tach would go wacky at mid-high rpms. 

 

I use a 1.5 Ps20 Fireball with my ZX distributor after researching. Works great!

You may need that specific cap and button too, they're bigger than Zs.

And the resistor is bypassed.  Oh, it says that above.  Sorry...

Edited July 25, 20197 yr by siteunseen

12 minutes ago, siteunseen said:

I use a 1.5 Ps20 Fireball with my ZX distributor after researching. Works great!

You may need that specific cap and button too, they're bigger than Zs.

And the resistor is bypassed.  Oh, it says that above.  Sorry...

Ok thanks! Do you run the ballast resistor too? 

I didn't think about the cap and rotor. I'll check tonight and see if mine fit by chance. 

Nope, and I followed Blue's Tech Tips I think are the same as your diagram above.

EDIT  It's the same, "John Hull".

http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/distributor/index.html

Edited July 25, 20197 yr by siteunseen

Ok. Thanks!  I also noticed that the dizzy I got has the e12-92 module on it. But it looks like this is fine as long as I only make connections to the B and C terminals. 

https://www.zcar.com/forum/10-70-83-tech-discussion-forum/116513-e12-92-e12-80-a.html

From what I remember that other spade on the matchbox was for a crank sensor?

I got lucky and got a '79 ZX one with E12-80.  Here's that Excel with the different specs if you haven't seen it.

Distributor advance curves S30-S130.xls

So it looks like I'll be going from 24 degress of centrifugal advance down to 17. Since the webers don't use vacuum advance, that's what I get. So I'll probably have to add a bit more timing to it overall to get the same full advanced timing at 3K+.  

So it looks like I'll be going from 24 degress of centrifugal advance down to 17. Since the webers don't use vacuum advance, that's what I get. So I'll probably have to add a bit more timing to it overall to get the same full advanced timing at 3K+.  

I think that's better. The Webers will be happier with more static advance.
You could go even further and take out a few mm of range in the centrifugal advance limiter.

You probably want ~34 degrees total. The mechanical advance will give you 17 of that 34 so setting at 17  at low rpms will work well. 

 

btw Cranking is tougher the more you advance. 17 is bearable.

I checked my timing before swapping the dizzy's out. 20 at idle and 37 at 3K+  So, I guess I did only have 17 degrees in the old one. 280zx dizzy is in but I need to adjust the timing tonight and go take her for a test spin.