mk1-forum.net

Just wondering what the general opinion would be on type / spec of electronic ignition I should fit to my rally Mini.
I'm running a 998 A Plus with Minispares stage 1 kit. Thinking of full dizzy replacement rather than the gizmo to replace the points.

Thanks

ive been very happy with the csi one I fitted to my gtm.

I think they 'win' over the 123 as they look standard and use standard, cheap and easy to get lucas caps and arms - try finding a bosch cap and arm in an emergency!!!

I am in the 123 camp...
I am using two of the 123/tune version and I consider these to be one of the
best value "tuning parts" that I have ever bought. I could literally watch more
power appearing on the dyno each time the curve was edited...

rich@minispares.com wrote:use standard, cheap and easy to get lucas caps and arms

MY VIEW AND SHARED BY SOME OTHERS
... cheap, and rubbish/unreliable, especially the rotor arms which are now made
from a special electrically conductive non-bakerlite material. Many of the official
"Lucas" boxed parts have been known to fail with alarming frequency.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR DOCTOR "RED" TYPE ARM,
WHICH, IN MY CASE ON ANOTHER CAR, PROVIDED AN INSTANT CURE.

rich@minispares.com wrote:- try finding a bosch cap and arm in an emergency!!!

Agreed, which is the reason why I bought a spare arm and cap for each car
and carry them in the toolkit...

Another consideration: Unless you really do drive with your foot flat on the floor
100% of the time, a distributor with a vacuum advance is my recommendation.
If you have a vacuum distributor and are going "flat-out", it will not be affecting
the advance curve anyway, so there should be no harm in having this version.

Ian

I maybe should have said 'easy to find lucas style caps'

the sort of thing that every mini owner has thrown in the 'emergency spares' box in the corner of the garage.!


the other thing you have to watch with 123's is that they use two different size caps, so its worth checking that any spares do actually fit!

rich@minispares.com wrote:ive been very happy with the csi one I fitted to my gtm.

I think they 'win' over the 123 as they look standard and use standard, cheap and easy to get lucas caps and arms - try finding a bosch cap and arm in an emergency!!!

+1 on the CSI, also have curves better suited to the A series engine. Great bit of kit (and I think cheaper than the 123).

Get the Britpart kit, time it in at 14-16 degrees and send the rest on something else.

Smiffy wrote:Get the Britpart kit, time it in at 14-16 degrees and send the rest on something else.

ok for a std engine, but doesn't really help with a decent advance curve.......

rich@minispares.com wrote:ok for a std engine, but doesn't really help with a decent advance curve.......

A 998 stage 1 doesn't need anything fancy on the advance curve front

Smiffy wrote:

rich@minispares.com wrote:ok for a std engine, but doesn't really help with a decent advance curve.......

A 998 stage 1 doesn't need anything fancy on the advance curve front

true, but the op did say 'rally mini'

so I assume its either got potential, or he is going to drive it like he stole it!

rich@minispares.com wrote: true, but the op did say 'rally mini'
so I assume its either got potential, or he is going to drive it like he stole it!

I use the Mini for classic trials and autotesting so I drive it like I stole it for sure!! lol

Thanks for the advise lads