Attn Craig - eDist info?

[JDEstill]

Craig -

A friend of mine has been thinking that an eDist might be a good addition to his older TPI Corvette. He's been trying to find some info on it (how he'd go about installing it for example), and such info is apparently lacking. An email he got back from someone over there at FAST basically told him to forget about it, that it wouldn't work!

Is there an electronic copy of the instructions/installation manual that we could get for him? If he can figure out he he'll go about this project, I think you'll have yourself a sale...

Thanks

John Estill

 

[bruce]

What ecm is he running?.

The hard part is getting a cam signal from a SBC. MSD has suposedly got a distributor that has a cam synch output on it.

Once you have the cam signal it's just wiring, but there is a bunch to it, ie 4 wires per coil.

With a FAST ecm, the interface to distributor is a no brainer. If you use a GM ecm then you need to use a GM ignition module somewhere in the system. The difference is the FAST ecm developes an EST signal when cranking and the GM ecm doesn't, so with the GM ecm you need to use the module to get a EST signal during crank. With the GM module wired up replace the stock coil with a 1K ohm resistor. On the module side of the 1K resistor feed that to the eDIST as the EST signal.

He'll be glad he did.
You should do it too, it really beats the pants off of the stock ignition.

If you get hung up, write me off list, and we can go thru it in more detail if needed.
nacelp@bright.net

 

[JDEstill]

Thanks for the info Bruce, he may get in touch with you at some point in time. He's running the stock ecm, burns his own chips for it though, and electrical projects don't scare him, so I think he could do it. Problem is just getting the info to know what has to be done before jumping into all this headfirst.

John

 

[Racetronix]

Originally posted by bruce
What ecm is he running?.

The hard part is getting a cam signal from a SBC. MSD has suposedly got a distributor that has a cam synch output on it...

MSD does make SB Chevy and Ford EFI sync distributors that are IPU based. Large cap adapters are available on some models although the part numbers are not listed in their catalog.
I have used these MSD distributors before with mixed results.

Accel DFI has a new line of EFI sync distributors which use hall effect sensors similar to what EO crank and cam sensors use. These distributors have two high-intensity LEDs (one blue, one red) for CAM and CRANK sync which make phasing the distributor quite easy. The hall-effect signal output is less susceptible to external interference. Phasing and zero crossing issues are eliminated. (I have had a bunch of MSD IPU's with reversed wires from the factory. Without a scope this problem would have been hard to diagnose.) The DFI distributors are based on billet Mallory cores. Currently they are available for SB / BB Chevy & Ford, SB Chrysler. Most are available in small and large cap versions. The large cap version is preferable where it will fit as this will help prevent spark scatter and other interference problems under high cylinder pressure / engine RPM.

The only catch to running one of these Accel DFI distributors with a FAST system is that you must special order the ECU setup for hall-effect input as standard configuration is for IPU on a sequential SBC.

Racetronix sells these Accel distributors for apx. $300.00. This is about $100.00 less than the MSD unit's street price.

Jack
Racetronix

 

[NoSlix]

I had the Accell distributor on my car. It's pretty cool and easy to set up. FAST's marine ecu uses the Hall effects sensor to match the distributor.

Anyone ever found a way to run a three step with a eDist system? I'd love to convert over, but I need a three step for staging.

Shane Hill

 

[bruce]

Originally posted by NoSlix
Anyone ever found a way to run a three step with a eDist system? I'd love to convert over, but I need a three step for staging.

You would need to run a series of Solid state switchs on the output side of the eDIST. On a 6 cylinder you'd need six, v8 eight etc.

Probably a couple 4066s should do it.
Maybe one of the circuit cookbook books would have the info you need.
HTH