spitfires
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Re: Electronic Ignition Question

To: Spitfires@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Electronic Ignition Question
From: trunnell@mindspring.com (Glenn Trunnell)
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 19:38:23 -0400
Vic said,

>Listers,
>
>   I was hoping to swap the electronic ignition from a parts car ('78
>Spit) to my '77 Spit, which currently has what I believe is the Lucas
>45D4 distributor with the amplifier on the base. The electronic ignition
>set that is coming off the parts car is stamped 45DM4 >>----> 1883
>(41807A; part number I assume) with the amplifier a seperate box. The
>box is black and marked Lucas AB14 (47261A). The coil is appears to be
>aluminum and (had, until I wiped it off with carb cleaner :^\ ) a label
>stating to use with a ballast resistor. The components from the parts
>car seem very clean and hopefully will work properly.
>
>   What I don't understand is why I have never seen this setup in the
>parts guides I have? And since I haven't, will this setup work on my
>'77? I would like to replace the '77 electronic ignition given it's
>reputation for failure. Is this new one more reliable?
>
>Thanks for any and all input - and remember, post to the list. ;)
>
>Vic

Vic,
 what you have is probably the Lucas CEI (constant energy ignition) that
was used on some spitfires (my '76 had it) and was also a replacement for
the earlier one peice unit that has the amplifier mounted directly on the
distributor.  I think that it will work without any problems, I had this
setup on my '76 before it became a parts car and never had a problem with
it.  The previous owner had bought but never installed a new Allison system
and high output coil so I swapped the new system and sold the original one
and of course about 6 months later the Allison unit failed!  The CEI unit
uses a magnetic trigger similar in operation to the pertronix units.
Victoria British shows the whole setup in their catalog.

Good luck,
Glenn Trunnell



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