I brought an AccuSpark electronic ignition conversion kit. My 500 is a 1970 L model with a 110 F engine. I just wondered wether it’s a normal coil or does it have a ballast in the wiring loom somewhere? After many google searches I can’t find a definite answer.

Cheers, thanks in advance Paul

I have an "AccuSpark" ignition kit fitted WITHOUT a ballast resistor. I purchased the ignition kit/coil/timing-light set from Accuspark as you cannot set up electronic ignition statically---it has to be set up with a timing light.
The trick is to set up your coil ignition with a test-lamp (10deg/13mm BTDC), note (a) where the rotor-arm is and,(b) mark where the distributor is in relation to the crankcase (tippex etc). Remove the distributor, fit the AccuSpark kit and then refit the distributor in the same position vis-a-vie the rotor-arm and the crankcase. The timing should be close enough to correct that the car will fire up. Check and adjust the timing with the timing-light.
My engine is a 652cc 126 engine.

Pammy500 said:

I brought an AccuSpark electronic ignition conversion kit. My 500 is a 1970 L model with a 110 F engine. I just wondered wether it’s a normal coil or does it have a ballast in the wiring loom somewhere? After many google searches I can’t find a definite answer.

Cheers, thanks in advance Paul

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Paul, we've had this debate before. There would be a standard coil on your car as delivered from the factory. Some later 126 cars have a ballasted coil-pack which I think is usually the non-cylindrical type. I think these engines are usually the type which have no distributor-cap.

So if you are working with a blank-sheet the recommendation that many people have all learned is to go for a standard Bosch, blue-coil. Several of us have fitted these and, from long experience and hard-use, I can say that these are reliable and very powerful.

https://simonbbc.com/bosch-blue-ignition-coil-0221119027/

I have a powerspark ignition with a Viper dry resin 3 ohm coil. Works well for me.
R

lazylobster said:

I have a powerspark ignition with a Viper dry resin 3 ohm coil. Works well for me.
R

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Spoken by someone else whose car really does some moving...

https://simonbbc.com/viper-dry-ignition-coil-sport-in-chrome-aluminium-finish/

Thanks for all your replies, bit confused about the timing issue. On conventional engines I have worked on before I usually line up the marks on the crankshaft with the mark on the timing cover..... using a strobe light and turning the dizzy till the marks line up. Do these rules not apply to my engine?

Please see picture

Cheers Paul

Pammy500 said:

Thanks for all your replies, bit confused about the timing issue. On conventional engines I have worked on before I usually line up the marks on the crankshaft with the mark on the timing cover..... using a strobe light and turning the dizzy till the marks line up. Do these rules not apply to my engine?

Please see picture

Cheers Paul

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..again (my pet subject) discussed many times but most recently maybe here:

https://www.fiatforum.com/500-classic/463935-air-fuel-filter.html?p=4366949

With your engine, to get the 28 degrees before TDC point, which is where you make a strobe-timing mark which should align with the timing-case arrow at the high rev-range, you measure 36mm in clockwise direction from the raised TDC timing-mark on the pulley.

There are loads more references in previous posts where you will see my name popping up a lot as the dawning of discovery hits me.

fiat500 said:

..again (my pet subject) discussed many times but most recently maybe here:

https://www.fiatforum.com/500-classic/463935-air-fuel-filter.html?p=4366949

With your engine, to get the 28 degrees before TDC point, which is where you make a strobe-timing mark which should align with the timing-case arrow at the high rev-range, you measure 36mm in clockwise direction from the raised TDC timing-mark on the pulley.

There are loads more references in previous posts where you will see my name popping up a lot as the dawning of discovery hits me.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't it be good if there was a sort of gauge or something you could simply push onto a couple of studs/nuts that gives you the timing degrees.....

I might be missing something but I think Paul is saying he doesn’t have a timing mark on the pulley?

It looks like a new pulley which would probably explain why or I could be totally wrong? I can’t see one in the picture?

Vitesse said:

I might be missing something but I think Paul is saying he doesn’t have a timing mark on the pulley?

It looks like a new pulley which would probably explain why or I could be totally wrong? I can’t see one in the picture?

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The mark's there...it's quite a good one actually.

You would have thought that Fiat could have come up with a bit more than just a TDC alignment mark. They seemed to get the hang of it with later engines with all those extra markings on the timing-chain cover where you have the possibility of the reverse way of reading the timing-light; a la Tom.

...just found my videos...

https://www.fiatforum.com/500-classic/446335-maximum-ignition-advance-650-engines.html?p=4299972

Bigvtwin996 said:

Wouldn't it be good if there was a sort of gauge or something you could simply push onto a couple of studs/nuts that gives you the timing degrees.....

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If someone could find one of those tools and then maybe with a bit of international co-operation it could be measured and then made into a scaled drawing and possibly a digital file could eventually be made which would allow anyone to print their own. Trouble is that the world isn't like that is it. Dream on.....

fiat500 said:

The mark's there...it's quite a good one actually.

You would have thought that Fiat could have come up with a bit more than just a TDC alignment mark. They seemed to get the hang of it with later engines with all those extra markings on the timing-chain cover where you have the possibility of the reverse way of reading the timing-light; a la Tom.

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Oh right I see it now, even though I had to look twice! It’s because I am so used to actually using the notch cut in the pulley itself that I never look for the one on the crank pulley cover.

Vitesse said:

Oh right I see it now, even though I had to look twice! It’s because I am so used to actually using the notch cut in the pulley itself that I never look for the one on the crank pulley cover.

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Ohh dear I think it's time for "computer spectacles" for some one :devil::devil::devil:

Paul,

Just to clarify, with the marks you currently have, when aligned, this is Top Dead Centre. So to add a little to what fiat500 and the hobbler have said:-

To check ignition timing is set at 10 btdc you need to make a new mark (e.g using Tippex) 13mm clockwise from the existing mark on the crank pulley and align this with the stationary mark on the timing cover when using a timing light at idle speed.


To check timing at higher engine speed (iirc c. 3000 rpm) i.e. at full advance, you make a mark on the crank pulley 36mm clockwise from the standard mark, when this is aligned with the stationary mark on the timing cover using a timing light, this will be 28 degrees btdc.


If you happen to have one of those super-duper timing lights with the adjustable scale, you might not have to do the above making of additional marks, just set the advance to 10 degrees (for idle speed) or 28 degrees (for full advance) and when the existing standard marks align this will be 10 or 28 degrees depending on which you've selected and the corresponding engine speed.

P.S. the mention that Fiat should have produced a tool which clips in place to show timing marks is a bit of a joke. They did! There was lengthy thread on here a while back by iirc fiat500 who either refurbished such a tool or fabricated one from a factory illustration.

AL.

Sorry about the flippancy, Al and Paul. I didn't want too much repetition of the descriptions I've penned previously; it's all available from a search.[emoji3]

And don't forget to mention at list in my case but i think that others will agree from personal experience, that after you perfectly adjust it by the book to 28 degrees you will only found that this is not the optimum for your engine. In the end you will end up adjusting with your ear!!! I think mine is adjusted to 32-34 degrees or something. It is good though to have a gun and mark the 28 degrees.
Thomas

I had a nasty misfire on Valentina when she got hot. One cyclinder playing up. Turned out to be a dodgy plug. See pic for the coked up culprit! Multimeter showed resistance on the plug and also on the old ignition leads.

So, for peace of mind, I replaced the whole ignition platform. Cheap insurance imho. Already mentioned the dry resin viper coil, but new dizzy cap, rota, plugs and silicone leads. So far, all is well and she starts easy when cold or hot and pulls like a train. A model train that is

R

lazylobster said:

I had a nasty misfire on Valentina when she got hot. One cyclinder playing up. Turned out to be a dodgy plug. See pic for the coked up culprit! Multimeter showed resistance on the plug and also on the old ignition leads.

So, for peace of mind, I replaced the whole ignition platform. Cheap insurance imho. Already mentioned the dry resin viper coil, but new dizzy cap, rota, plugs and silicone leads. So far, all is well and she starts easy when cold or hot and pulls like a train. A model train that is

R

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You're doing the sensible thing by being thorough and ruthless in weeding out the old but inexpensive-to-replace, basic ignition components. They work hard in an exceptionally hostile environment.

I hadn't really clocked the other members of your fleet and I now that I have done I can see why you will have no need to force any pretensions of being a supercar on Valentina....a change is as good as a rest. So how different is the 500 from driving a beast like a Vauxhall Astra?

The Astra is very easy drive, even with the copious amounts of power it has. Your grandmother could drive it!

I find driving the 500 so rewarding due to the fact that you have no power. You have to think about the approach to roundabouts for example, if you time it right, no stopping, 2nd gear and yee haaa . . . . So brain engaged (for once) and away you go. I like the fact that the car is slow, I seem to get to my destination a lot more relaxed. If in one of the other cars, I always seem to have some idiot up my backside trying to prove a point. I also got nicked for doing 96mph last year which came with a nice prize of 5 points and a £700 fine so need to be a little bit more careful.

I love pretty much all Italian cars. I love the soul they have, the character which is hard to find in cars made elsewhere. I'm sort of in love with Valentina at the moment and it's killing me that I can't drive her.

The point you make about pretensions to be a supercar is very valid. I was thinking of going down the route of big tuned engine, extra cooling, bigger wheels, lower suspension and the like. But then I was asking myself what the purpose of the car was and why did I buy her. So apart from a few sensible upgrades to aid some small performance gain (28 carb) and reliability, I think I'll leave her as she is. I may get the itch in the future but if so, maybe I'll buy another 500 with the intention of a racer for the road. But would go quite radical and look to fit a v twin Ducati bike engine. Now, that would be interesting!


Apologies for the waffle, a subject close to my heart

Rob

lazylobster said:

.................................

The point you make about pretensions to be a supercar is very valid. I was thinking of going down the route of big tuned engine, extra cooling, bigger wheels, lower suspension and the like. But then I was asking myself what the purpose of the car was and why did I buy her. So apart from a few sensible upgrades to aid some small performance gain (28 carb) and reliability, I think I'll leave her as she is. I may get the itch in the future but if so, maybe I'll buy another 500 with the intention of a racer for the road. But would go quite radical and look to fit a v twin Ducati bike engine. Now, that would be interesting! ......

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As I always say.. people can do what they want to their cars..... and i see the attraction of trying to achieve the maximum possible from something so small...but having done all the "speed" stuff myself I do (or did) find that traveling in a 500 brings many more smiles and attracts more comments...
I found the same with bikes, I had a 180mph race tuned Ducati... but sold and purchased a 1951 48cc Ducati that will be lucky to reach 30mph, but among all the R1s and super bikes at local show there are so many more "Errr whats that mate?" and the crowds gather at the mention of "It's a Ducati"...

I like to keep things simple and I must confess electronic ignition is used for me simply to reduce maintenance, points can take a hammering and are not as good as originals but electronic ignition has the complication that if it goes wrong it is hard to really diagnose, but I like to keep a working "something" so you can swap out to check...