Z Ignition Help

[Ron Earp]

I'm working on re-wiring my Z car and am almost finished. Everything is good to go, but when I went to crank it I realized I hadn't hooked up the distributor (dizzy). Quick check showed an electronic pickup of some type. Can anyone identify this pickup? I thought it was a Pertronix but I'm not sure. I also don't know how it triggers.

I imagine it should hook up to my white wire on my MSD the way the TR8 and Jensen does, but I'm not sure how that might happen.

I thought to feed it 12V on one side of the pickup, and the other side of the pickup to the MSD white wire.

But, then I thought to feed the white wire from the MSD to one side then the other side of the pickup to ground.

Then, I thought maybe I should be using the mag pickup on the MSD.

Anyone seen this piece before and know how it should be hooked up?

Thanks much,
Ron

[Ron Earp]

Alright. Talked to Steve, had a shower, and some beer. Steve thinks it might be a 280z dizzy but I don't know. I've never seen a 260Z dizzy other than the one on this car, and it might not be a 260z dizzy.

If it is a 280z then it'd be a magnetic pickup dizzy, right?

I need to hook it up to my Oscope and see what it does on cranking. If I get a sq wave type function then I'd assume that is what I have and should hook it to the mag pickup wires on the MSD, not the white points/pertronic stuff.

My goal is to get it running so I can run at Roebling and then sort out what sort of dizzy it is. If it is a 280z dizzy then clearly it needs to get replaced with a legal 260z unit.

R

[JeffYoung]

My research (yeah Web!) shows that Datsun started using an electronic pickup in 1974 -- with the 260z. Your pictures appear to me anyway (but I'm no expert) to be a stock 260z distributor with electronic ignition.

[Joe Harlan]

So are you using an MSD? That looks like a mag pickup for an early electronic ignition with an external box. I will look in the 260 FSM in my shop.

[Ron Earp]

Joe that would be very helpful.

I think it is a stock dizzy and pickup per Jeff/Steve's recommendation and some further research. However, I need to know how to use it with an MSD. In the morning I'll hook it up to an oscilloscope and see what it outputs, but now I'd think you'd hook it to the mag pickups on a MSD6AL, not the white wire setup like you do with points. Got any idea?

I hate to admit it but I don't know what is stock on a 260z. I only have this car and internals I've seen, so this one could be a 280z, stock, or pertronix, I don't know.

Thanks for the help. Man do I want race this weekend after working on the car for the last three. I like the Zs though. Good cars, and I think once the electrics are sorted on this one, which they almost are, then it'll be reliable except for maintenance.


R

[Joe Harlan]

Ron that is not a pertronix or even purlux...I have an MSD book in the shop also I will get you the info in the AM. I would use the mag pickup to trigger an MSD 6AL. Use the Ford mag trigger diagram as they will be the same.

Joe

[Ron Earp]

Got Oscope out, got a wave on cranking. Hooked it up to the MSD mag trigger, the little purple and green connector and she fired right up!! Now if I can get the other stuff sorted I can go to Roebling and do some racing, or in my case some driving around, but still fun all the same!

Thanks for the help on this one. Guys with a stock 260Z dizzy can simply hook up to the mag trigger on the MSD6AL.

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Sorry for the late response, that is a manual trans 260 dist. I have mine hooked to a MSD box with no issues. Before that I had it hooked to a HI6AL. Watch the vacume advance, mine messed up and the plastic broke, balls fell out, timing was running all over. I welded the two plates together and reassembled. No more variation.

Mike