The V8 Owners Forum -

well the fun has started we tried to start the engine out of the car boy we are having fun with the dizzy
the problem is we cant get a spark nor do we know how to wire it up it is from what i have been told electronic ignition but the haynes manual states we should have a black wire coming from the dizzy but we dont i have a white and black- and then a red?
the coil is mounted on a module with 3 small white wires on one side and two thicker wires on the other red and brown i think
can i swap to a normal dizzy with out electronic ign or are the drives on the dizzy shaft different are they interchangeable
please help as i am baffled
thanks

You can change to non-electronic ignition no problems, but then you'll be plagued with the usual crappy points that always need replacing and adjusting etc.
Electronic ones are more accurate and once they're fitted and going require no adjustment.

Can you post a picture of the dizzy you have? Also have a look here to help you identify the type you have.
http://www.v8engines.com/electrics-1.htm
Just less than half way down.

Hope this helps
Tom.

hi tom thanks its the opus 35de8

If you have an OPUS DE8 distributor then you will need the silver ballast resistor box to make it work

You mention the coil being situated on a module which sounds more like the DM8 system.

AFAIK all the distributors D8,DE8,DM8 & DLM8 all have the same drive gears on their shafts

Here's the wiring diagram for the Opus sytem




and here's a picture of the little silver box with my Opus dizzy

If you're thinking of changing the dizzy, then I'd recommend getting a 35DLM8 (early range rover) - it's the one that has a small electronic module on the side of the distributor. The only caveat is to make sure there is enough room around the distributor so that the module doesn't stop you turning it to set the timing!
The module has 3 pins on it, which left-to-right are coil -ve, unused, coil +ve.
Early ones has lucar connectors, the later ones had a 'junior power timer' connector (which you can get from places like Vehicle Wiring Products) - or you could use a couple of 'skinny' blade connectors, like I did before I found the correct connector.
On mine there was also a lucar connector on the back for earth, which I just connected to a convenient earth point.
I've heard rumours that you need to have the right balance weights to fit the performance "profile" of your engine, but that doesn't seem to be a problem on my relatively untuned engine.
The electronic distributor is pretty much zero maintenance, which is more than can be said for the old contact type ones...!

If you're worried about the rumours (possiblu unfounded) about the reliability of the 35DLM88 amplifier module, or want something a bit more hi-performance then you can get external amplifiers for 3DLM8 distributors from RPI that give you better spark, and it has some complicated electronics to do the advance/retard properly. It does cost £150+ and is retro-fittable to most Rover dizzys except the Opus system (D'oh!). A friend of mine has one of these and swears by it. I use a standard module, and have had no problems, but then again I've only had my engine running a few months!

Slothie wrote: If you're worried about the rumours (possiblu unfounded) about the reliability of the 35DLM88 amplifier module, or want something a bit more hi-performance then you can get external amplifiers for 3DLM8 distributors from RPI that give you better spark, and it has some complicated electronics to do the advance/retard properly. !

Or you can use one of these at about £20 from a local motor factors. Just an amplifier that replaces the stock one.

Paul B wrote: Or you can use one of these at about £20 from a local motor factors. Just an amplifier that replaces the stock one.

Well, that's something I'll remember for the future. Cool!

I honestly wouldn't recommend the dizzy with the module on the side of it as this fails with all the heat it gets. Better to use the 35 dm8 or dlm8 with module re-located to somewhere cooler

katanaman wrote:I honestly wouldn't recommend the dizzy with the module on the side of it as this fails with all the heat it gets. Better to use the 35 dm8 or dlm8 with module re-located to somewhere cooler

With the amp like the one in my piccie, all you need is the two wires from the dizzy plugged onto one end, and then connect the other two terminals to the coil. Job done, no need for the other gubbins that is inside the box, whatever it is.

My 3.5 has done a 1000 miles like this. No starting or running problems whatsoever. In fact the coil is inside the car with the amp bolted to the end of the original 35dlm8 box, so I use the ally box as a bracket for the coil to sit it, and the amp is in view for testing or checking if needs be.

Ahmen to Paul B. thats the route I'd take

Hi,
i have just put a new 35dlm8 on my rover 3.5 v8 sd1 engine to get rid of my opus one, and put a new lucas coil on it to and got rid of the resistor.

i was guessing on the wiring as to what wires go to the coil + and - and which one is + and - on the amp, managed to get it running anyway and it was running very nice and smooth, for about 2 hours worth of driving then it just stopped and wont start, there is no spark anymore, would this be the amp as it was trial and error to start with as to what wire goes where and maybe damaged the amp, also is the coil ment to get hot.
any help would be greatful, thanks
james

The coil shouldn't get hot if the engine isn't running. With the engine off, but the ignition on, both coil terminals should have +12V on them.

If the -ve has 0V (or significantly less than +12), then the amp is duff.

Chris.

i dont run a live to the - on the coil though do i ? it just comes back off the amp as a + does it ?

on the coil i have on the + side an ignition live, a condensor, not sure if i still need this on this coil and set up, and then the wire running to the + side of the amp. On the - side of the coil i have earth wire and the wire running to the - on the amp

thanks for your help appreciate it alot

hi,

are the wires i have connected the correct ones ? to the + on the coil i have an ignition live, a live going to the live on the dizzy amp and a condensor, do i still need the condenser on this set up ?

and just an earth and a - going to the dizzy amp on the - side of the coil.

i have put a multi meter on the - side when the ignition is switched on and it comes back as 12. 5 v which i understand means the amp is good.

how do i check the coil is working ? i have put a plug in the coil lead but no spark, does the condenser have anything to do with this as that is the only old part left to change unless th ecoil is wrong or dead, it is a lucas DLB 198
thanks for your help