[john cross]

Hi. I purchased a "rebuilt" distributor for my 78 some time back. I went to put it on my car, and check it out. There was a part number on the side, that corresponded with the correct part number form Nissan, good for 74 through 78 manual (which is what my car is). However, I noticed that when I opened up the distributor, there appeared to be two "pickups", not one. I was expecting one, as that is what I think my car has stock. I have the original distributor from way back when. The number of electrical connections jives with what is there now. Two leads to the points and 1 to the coil.

Is this the proper distributor for my car? Am I going to have a problem driving it if I put this on??

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Roadman]

Hi john--------------The distributor for '77 and '78 280's should be the same, at least. I ran across a '78 in the local pick&pull awhile ago that definitely was a dual pickup unit. If the connections match, it should be ok. I'd suggest you bolt it on and give it a try. It'll either work or it won't, and AFAIK it shouldn't cause any damage to try it.

Roadman
Gulfport, MS

 

[john cross]

I received an email from Zman of Washington that says that it makes a difference which one i use. I also have talked to a couple of people from a dealer that say that it does not matter. A mechanic told me htat it depends how it is wired up. There ae 4 wires coming out of the distributor, going into a sheath. 3 wires come out of the sheath, which corresponds to the external connections. Either the two pickups are wired together (wrong) or only one is wired in and the other just sits there (right). What I am goign to do is to take the sheath apart and see how it is wired up. I got this from a guy with a Canadian 280, so I assume it is correct. Maybe the other pickup is just a spare.

 

[ConorP]

One side of each pickup coil is connected together that's why 4 become 3. I'm confused how their is any misunderstanding with this situation, unless your harness is totally chopped up the new dizzy should plug (or screw terminal) right in. What's this talk about "points"? Maybe you need to explain a little more of the cars history.

ConorP

 

[john cross]

Well, i duess you are correct. I don't relaly know what "points" are. I think I am using the wrong word. They are probably contacts. The things beside the coil. At any rate, there are 3 external connections, 2 wires to these contacts and 1 to the coil.

I took the sheath off. The 2 pickups are wired together. Since I don't want to cut anygting (that is hard to undo), I am just goign to install it and see how it works. If it does not work, then I will cut the wire corresponding to the pickup that should not be there. If tyhat does not work, then I will throw it in the garbage and forget about it.

If anyone has any other advice, I would be glad to hear it. Thanks all.

 

[john cross]

Isn't it true that a pickup just does somehting electromechanical (forgive my ignorance), so if 2 pickups are wired together they effectively are 1 p[ickup. In a real dual-pickup application, wouldn't each pickup be hooked up differently somehow, therefore acting as two distinct pickups...

So I should just put it on as-is.. right?

 

[79-280-ZX]

Put it in, hook it up, turn the key.

Z'ed should Vrooom!

Just remember that now that you have a Canadian Dizzy in your Z'ee it is now a Z'ed!

Got to love NAFTA.

Wayne Monteath
Masham, Quebec.

 

[aren77z]

As far as I know the dual pickup distributors were used on auto tranny cars.

Aren

 

[RobSime]

Finally, someone got it right. aren77z is correct. The dual pickup distributor is from an automatic transmission model. Either a 280Z or an 810. The stator-reluctors in these distributors are phased 4 degrees apart. One potential use for it would be to rewire it so that you can switch between the two stator-reluctor sets using one for daily driving and the other for Rustang stomping.
I don't think that using this will be a problem but I would need more detail on what you are trying to put it into. Sorry no time for that right now, have these guys help you out. I am still fighting the Taliban (sort of) for about two weeks. I look forward to getting home soon.
Rob

 

[ConorP]

The single/dual has everything to do with which model emissions system and nothing to do with manual/auto transmissions.

These are:

Non-California emissions
Manual, D6F4-01, dual pickups
Auto, D6F4-02, dual pickups

California emissions
Manual & Auto, D6F4-03, single pickup

The only difference in the D6F4-01 and -02 versions is the vacuum advance curve. The -03 uses the same as the -01.

The phase difference between the pickups is 6 degrees, not 4.

ConorP

 

[RobSime]

The dual stator reluctor system came on the auto transmission 280Z. If they came on later cars (ZX or 810 which I consider parts cars) they may have been part of the particular emissions system and not associated with auto vs. manual transmission. The factory manual lists the phase difference for the Z model dual as 4 degrees. This is also confirmed by Z Car Magazine. Part of the beauty of owning a Z is that you can mix and match parts to get the best in reliability or performance or both. If in fact the phase difference on the later dual stator reluctor distributors is 6 degrees that is all the better. However, in this instance the question was if the distributor could be used on his car and if they came with the distributor.

 

[ConorP]

I'm quoting my numbers from a '76 FSM, I also know that the D6F4-03 single pickup would have been stock for a California '77 ... so I can only guess that a non-cali '77 would have the -01 I'm refering to. If you read the FSM it will clearly indicate that Non-Cali emission vehicles (auto and manual) use dual pickups. The ignition system (dizzy, transistor unit, vacuum system) vary depending on Cali or Non-Cali emissions. For that matter so does the EGR and exhaust. Although your statement is correct, "The dual stator reluctor system came on the auto transmission 280Z". It totally misleads everyone into thinking, "It's auto tranny therefore it has dual pickups" ... which is a wrongful statement. I even pulled out my shitty Hayes manual for the **** of it and it has an equally misleading statement, "On cars fitted with automatic transmission, an advance control relay and water temperature switch are used in addition to the dual pick-up coil." But then they also go on to mis-quote the phase difference as 7 degrees. I can see how someone would read the FSM and think that 4 degrees is correct. Their is a diagram that clearly shows phase angle of 4 degrees, but they are actually trying to show that the stamped increments are 4 degrees. The correct angle is show in the specifications table as 6 degrees.

All this is beside the point since the original author thinks that one of these wires goes directly to the coil when we know they should go to the large terminal block mounted to the fender. My advise to him is still, "Go install it and see". If he has more problems/questions he can come back and tell us more.

ConorP

 

[mike240zt]

the secondary pickup is activated by the thermotime sensor in automatics as to vary the timing for cold running operation. once the car has warmed up it drops over to the primary. just match up the pretty colored wires like everyone else said and it should work fine.

 

[john cross]

Year of car: 1978

Type: 280Z 2+2

Reason why I am chanigng the dizzy: because I want to do a total tune-up and bought the new one for $20 off of ebay. My dizzy is original and due to me extensive research on this site, I figure that there is no way the vacuum advance is workign properly. No other reasons than that. I want to take the old one apart and see how it ticks!!

 

[79-280-ZX]

For a description of how the Dizzy works try here:

http://zcar.com/forums/read.php?f=1&i=229859&t=229699

IMHO you would have been better off with the Dizzy from a 79 - 81 N/A 280 ZX but what is done is done.

Wayne Monteath
Masham, Quebec.

 

[john cross]

I for got.

Transmission: Manual
Colour: Blue
Options: Air

THanks for the link, Waynew.

 

[john cross]

Well, ihad a mechanic install it. The difference is HUGE. My god, it works well now compared to the way itwas!! Their was a hesitation off the line that is totally gone now. it runs really, really well. one guy told me that the double pickups only cause a double spark, so it makes no difference installing it.

Anyway, I have a new problem now. The mechanic tols me that my valves were knocking. When I drove the car I saw what he meant. Itis a soujd upwards of 4000 rpm that is liek a rattle. Sounds like your exhaust system is loose. See my most recent post "Valve Lifter Knock - How Easy to Fix" above.

Thanks guys.