CDI thingy failed / Options?

[obrut]

OK - the CDI unit has failed on my race car (2.7 litre with webers).

What are the replacement options - can you still buy them or are there better aftermarket versions?

Cheers - Ryan (he who hates all things electrical...)

[Zendalar]

Replace the whole ignition system. MSD makes excellent (so i have heard) ignition systems, but also Allison/Crane has proven (in my case) to be pretty good system.

Allison/Crane with optical pickup is cheaper than MSD and for 150$ you would get performance coil to match the ignition box.

[AirCooledExcellence]

Ryan,

Might be worth taking it to an auto electrican might be fixable?

Cheers

[81Turbo]

Ryan;

I recently had mine rebuild by our host. Cost about the same as an aftermarket unit and is as good as new.

Cheers,
Todd

[bigchillcar]

Ryan (good name, brother),
Did yours start having problems by intermittently making a very loud squeal that you could hear while driving? During very cold weather the past few weeks, mine has occasionally squealed loudly when cold at least...haven't heard in about two weeks, thankfully.
Ryan

[obrut]

Thanks all - the unit has been sent to the elec to see if it is fixable.

Z - Can't replace thre whole iginition system as I also use the car for hisotoric rallies and it needs to be reasonably "period" correct.

Ryan - Haven't run the car since last nov, has been sitting at mech's shop having carbs rebuilt. Took it out for a test drive and it want kaput (probably not due to cold - I'm in Sydney and in the midst of a great summer) - Ryan

ps: First race of the season in about a month now.....

[A Quiet Boom]

MSD



I've got the 6AL with rev limiter, tach adapter, and the programmable timing computer, worth lots in terms of drivability and power. And yeah those are Zeniths with 36mm venturis on a 3.0.

[Fishcop]

Ryan, I've got the Crane XR700 optical ignition on my '69. If you can get it past scrutineering (sp?) you'll find it very worth-while.

Cheers

[CamB]

I ran an MSD in the '69 while it was still a 2 litre. It made up for the dodgy Marelli distributor's NLA consumables (rotor and cap). It idled and ran beautifully.

I now run it in the BMW, which also idles beautifully. In fact, it didn't foul the plugs when inadvertently run at about 10% CO for 10 mins while being tuned...

MSD (or Crane) = cool.

[ein 6er]

pardon me for jumping in on this thread, i have a question for fishcop ....
are you running your xr 700 through the bosch cdi unit? and/or with the crane cd unit? what coil are you using? and how is your tach connected?

i'm using the xr700 on a '67 2.0 in a 70 914-6. i have the crane box running through the bosch cdi and the bosch blue coil.

i'm chasing erratic running and i'm wondering if i have the correct coil.

thanks!!

doug waters

[Zendalar]

No rough running here without the Bosch box. Straight from the XR700 unit to Allison/Crane high power coil.

[Early_S_Man]

Doug Waters,

The Bosch Blue Coil is MOST ASSUREDLY NOT the correct coil to be using with a Bosch CDI unit!!! Using that coil can destroy the CDI unit if/when the coil shorts out internally!

The two most common Bosch part numbers for the correct CDI 'Ignition Transformer' [factory speak for coil] are 0.221.121.001 and 0.221.121.006 ... former is the '70 - '73 part with '1', ''4', and 'A' terminals, and the latter is an SC coil with 'A', 'B', and '4' terminals ... with the 'A' and 'B' primary terminals offset on one side about 1" apart.

[ein 6er]

aahhh ....... oops!!!

warren and zendalar, thanks for the info!! i must've gotten some wrong info!!

thanks again!!

doug

[Wayne 962]

Right-o, you can't use the blue coil with the Bosch CDI unit. You can use the Bosch blue coil with the MSD unit. We do have these Bosch Units rebuilt - cost is about $150 or so, and they come with a warranty too...

-Wayne

[pwd72s]

THat's good news Wayne...just looking at the price of a new Bosch CD box can cause heart failure...