Crane HI-6 & LX92 Ignition...

WydRyd · 05:14 PM

Is anyone using one of these babies on their 3.2 Carrera?

Would like some feedback on their performance and installation etc...

Crane HI-6 vs MSD 6AL

jpnovak · 08-25-2004, 07:10 PM

Sorry, not a carrera but I have one in my carbed 3.0. Sems to work quite well.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

I have one on the 2.0 and the 2.2.....work fine. Needs a tach adapter in some cases.

Also have it w/o the coil in the Dodge with the blower....

WydRyd · 08-25-2004, 08:47 PM

Cool, anything has to be better than the factory suff, especially when trying to keep up with 550HP

I seem to be experiencing what seems like ignition break-down under high loads, so I'm hoping going to an aftermarket unit like this will cure the problem.

Juan had similar problems when he was at 404RWHP

ssetek · 08-25-2004, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WydRyd
Cool, anything has to be better than the factory suff, especially when trying to keep up with 550HP

I seem to be experiencing what seems like ignition break-down under high loads, so I'm hoping going to an aftermarket unit like this will cure the problem.

Juan had similar problems when he was at 404RWHP

are you experinceing a misfire under high boost?
if so tighten up your plug gap a little to keep the boost from blowing out your spark.
try staring at 28 tto 30 thou and then go open it up till the misfire occurs the close them up just a little.

911pcars · 08-25-2004, 09:27 PM

An aftermarket ignition box may be what you need to offset the boost pressures snuffing out the factory spark. However, make sure all the ignition components are up to spec (dist. cap, rotor, plug wires and plugs) before investing heavily.

Sherwood

WydRyd · 08-25-2004, 11:46 PM

ssetek, yes under load. The problem has just surfaced, which is really annoying

Plugs are 993tt units. Ignition leads are 8.5mm Magnecor's.

Ran fine for a couple weeks (since complete engine rebuild), but seems like something in my ignition has broken down. Checked for any loose hoses/pipes and there are no vacuum leaks, so it must be my crappy old Carrera ignition system.

Can't be my fuel pumps because I'm running two BOSCH 044 700HP fuel pumps

This is all happening at 1.0bar boost. Imagine what happens when I run the full 1.25bar the system is design to run at

The ignition needs to be upgraded anyway because I intend to hook up my twin-plugged heads soon

catuck · catuck's Garage

Can you use that with a motronic? I had one on my 2.7 and it worked great. I can't imagine it would do anything for a 3.2 though.

ssetek · 08-26-2004, 07:27 AM

Quote:

[i]
This is all happening at 1.0bar boost. Imagine what happens when I run the full 1.25bar the system is design to run at

[/B]

what are the plug gaps?

911pcars · 08-26-2004, 10:06 AM

Merv,
Let's step back a little and describe some of the high load symptoms you're experiencing. Do you know the spark advance, cylinder head temps and A/F ratios at 1 bar boost?

Sherwood

WydRyd · 03:27 AM

The problem is just more prevalent at high loads, but it does it under light load too. Even at cruising speed at constant throttle I can hear popping.

It doesn't only happen at 1bar boost. I've turned the boost down to 0.8bar and it still hesitates/misfires. Haven't had the car on the dyno to map the A/F ratios yet.

I checked all the spark plug leads and connections and all seems OK. I guess I can just go out and get a new coil. Maybe it's a weak coil?

I have noticed now when I get out of the car, the door handles intermittently gives me a bit of a zap and that's never happened before with my car. Maybe it's a bad ground somewhere or a short?

Started the car in the dark to see if there are any spark leakages anywhere but couldn't see anything.

I don't have the tool to remove these plugs, so I can't check gaps etc. Since I'm using 993tt plugs, the gap would be 0.8. Protomotive recommend the 930 W3DPO plugs for there systems, which use a 0.6 gap. Not sure if that makes a difference because it was running fine up until a few days ago

Hoping the Crane HI-6 and LX92 will cure the problem

dickster · 08-27-2004, 04:02 AM

merv,

seems like a sledge hammer to crack a nut if you don't know the cause. and it was running fine previously.......

RoninLB · 08-27-2004, 04:38 AM

only a guess that it's running lean enough to spike your EGTs.

Wil Ferch · 08-27-2004, 06:35 AM

This is odd...as the Carrera ignition system can flat put your Arsch on the ground if you mishandle it while troubleshooting.....

All we need to do is look at Porsche's racing 934's and 935's that may be developing similar boost and HP. Were there chronic ignition problems with these cars...using even more ancient ignition systems??

I don't really think so ........hmmm...

---Wil

911pcars · 08-27-2004, 10:41 AM

Merv,
My seat-of-the-pants assessment is that there's something going on with the factory ignition system. You should not have any part throttle, low-load ignition problems with a system in good health. Perhaps installing new components will fix it, maybe not. I would have it diagnosed at a pro shop. It might be cheaper in the long run. Maybe a dyno shop can find it as well as provide an A/F and spark map at the same time.

Sherwood

gsxrken · gsxrken's Garage

The consensus of the board is generally that you can't beat the Bosch unit for reliability, and that these aftermarket boxes deliver a bit less than their marketing may lead you to believe. Do you have access to another CDI box you could plug in to determine whether that is your problem?

WydRyd · 12:17 AM

Nope, don't have access to a spare CDI box

I've already ordered the HI-6 & Coil anyway, which should be here early next week. I'm having it installed together with a Haltech Haltuner A/F meter (AFTER checking plugs etc). If the upgraded ignition doesn't resolve it, then the A/F meter will surely tell me if there's any lean condition happening throughout the entire rev range.

Suffice to say, I've turned the boost way down low to 0.8bar and I'm still having the same misfire problem, which tends to point more towards a spark/ignition/electrical issue, than fuel starvation.

Exhaust tips are black as, which tends to indicate too rich a mixture and unburnt fuel which could explain the faint popping at light/cruising throttle.

In a few months I'll be ripping out the archaic Motronic system anyway and upgrading to an Autronic SMC setup and 964/993 dizzy to my twin-plugged heads. Should make the car feel like a totally different animal.

RoninLB · 08-28-2004, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by WydRyd

I'm still having the same misfire problem, which tends to point more towards a spark/ignition/electrical issue, than fuel starvation.

.

One dual EGT digital readout , numerical & bar column, meter with a single probe in one tube would immediately pinpoint the diagnosis once you learn to read it.

gsxrken · gsxrken's Garage

Hey WydRyd, I'd be interested in that run-down old 6 Pin CDI box if it's all the same to you.
Can you please contact me at yorktown6@optonline.net
Thanks
Ken

WydRyd · 08-29-2004, 04:52 PM

Here's an update folks:-

Started the car this morning and the battery light stays on much longer than usual.
Car idles for a while and the battery light slowly goes off.
Car intermittently (but more frequently) idles a lot lower than usual (around 500-600rpms)
Sometimes the RPM's float at idle and then drops down again.
Turn the headlights on and the rpm's drop by 100-200rpms.
Turn the stereo on and pump up the volume and the lights on teh dash tend to dim

I think I may have a slowly dying alternator

The battery is quite new (only a few months old).

Will test the Alternator output and see if that's the case. Grrr!!!

Possibly a voltage regulator or Alternator? What do you guys think?