Subject: [TR] Crane Electronic Ignition

From: Dan Cronin <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:42:27 -0400

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Folks
A couple years ago I had a Crane XR3000 Electronic Ignition installed in =
a DM2 (Feb. 1959) #40480E Distributor while the unit was out of the =
motor and rebuilt by a Mr. R. J. Sarama from Ohio.  I am just now doing =
final assembly on my uprated TR motor and was interested in using a =
dist. cap with =E2=80=9Cupright=E2=80=9D plug wire fittings.  Found that =
This cap as well as the stock TR cap (side loaded plug wires) will not =
fit down on the body of the distributor.  It seems that the spring steel =
attaching tabs on the caps protrude into the interior of the cap just =
where the new electronic optical trigger sits on the mounting bracket.  =
Have looked thru the instructions that came with the unit and can find =
nothing that discussed an alternate location within the distributor that =
would allow the =E2=80=9Ctrigger block=E2=80=9D to be re-located to miss =
the interference=E2=80=A6..
Anyone had this problem or have any advice you could share either on =
list or off.  Sent a couple of emails to Mr. Sarama but have not heard =
back from him=E2=80=A6.
Thanks, Dan=

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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" =
class=3D"">Folks<div class=3D"">A couple years ago I had a Crane XR3000 =
Electronic Ignition installed in a DM2 (Feb. 1959) #40480E Distributor =
while the unit was out of the motor and rebuilt by a Mr. R. J. Sarama =
from Ohio. &nbsp;I am just now doing final assembly on my uprated TR =
motor and was interested in using a dist. cap with =E2=80=9Cupright=E2=80=9D=
 plug wire fittings. &nbsp;Found that This cap as well as the stock TR =
cap (side loaded plug wires) will not fit down on the body of the =
distributor. &nbsp;It seems that the spring steel attaching tabs on the =
caps protrude into the interior of the cap just where the new electronic =
optical trigger sits on the mounting bracket. &nbsp;Have looked thru the =
instructions that came with the unit and can find nothing that discussed =
an alternate location within the distributor that would allow the =
=E2=80=9Ctrigger block=E2=80=9D to be re-located to miss the =
interference=E2=80=A6..</div><div class=3D"">Anyone had this problem or =
have any advice you could share either on list or off. &nbsp;Sent a =
couple of emails to Mr. Sarama but have not heard back from =
him=E2=80=A6.</div><div class=3D"">Thanks, Dan<img height=3D"240" =
width=3D"320" apple-width=3D"yes" apple-height=3D"yes" =
apple-inline=3D"yes" id=3D"ADC9F078-8130-476A-BAFF-19020B5BB945" =
src=3D"cid:[email-masked]" =
class=3D""><img height=3D"240" width=3D"320" apple-width=3D"yes" =
apple-height=3D"yes" apple-inline=3D"yes" =
id=3D"1E10FAED-FB13-4D3A-ADD9-28BDA4231730" =
src=3D"cid:[email-masked]" =
class=3D""><img height=3D"240" width=3D"320" apple-width=3D"yes" =
apple-height=3D"yes" apple-inline=3D"yes" =
id=3D"287AA996-7C3A-4E60-BFC1-441F6BA53DDD" =
src=3D"cid:[email-masked]" =
class=3D""></div></body></html>=

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From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2015 14:14:36 -0700

>   It seems that the spring 
> steel attaching tabs on the caps protrude into the interior 
> of the cap just where the new electronic optical trigger sits 
> on the mounting bracket. 

The Crane setup is a "one size fits none" arrangement.  When I installed an XR3000 on my 59 TR3A, I found that I had to cut off the
bottom of the bracket that holds the pickup to make it fit properly.

You may also need to change that rotor.  I had one that looked very similar (if not identical), and it was brushing the pickup as it
turned, causing no end of strange ignition problems.

Good luck with your XR3000.  I never was all that happy with mine, it eventually wound up back in the parts bin and I use points
today.  Changing points once or twice a year is a whole lot less hassle than I went through to get the Crane to work; and it always
seemed to me that the engine ran stronger with points.  I switched back and forth several times before figuring out the rotor thing.
Dying one night in the rain didn't exactly endear it to me either.  (Granted, I probably should have gotten the ground screw tighter
to begin with.)

Don't forget the obligatory fiddling with the phasing.  I never did understand why it needed to be different than with points, but
the engine definitely ran better with it off by 10 or 15 degrees.

Oh yeah, and don't forget it won't work properly with the stock coil.  You have to switch to a 1.5 ohm coil.  The instructions I got
weren't especially clear, but I confirmed that with Crane.

Randall