electrical and ignition e21 m10 swap ignition woes

[PoorBoysRacing]

I've got a '68 1600-02 which I swapped in a 82 320i engine into, after converting it to carburetor. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the e21 distributor required an ignition control  module to tell the coil to fire. Without knowing that I didn't keep the harness to the e21's M10 and now am stuck with no spark. I haven't been able to track down another harness to wire in a factory control module so I am trying to figure out what my options are. I really miss driving the roundie.

 

Any suggestions on what I can buy/install to get me some spark? 

I've been curious about one of those universal muscle car style ignition boxes and if that could be made to work with the factory distributor?

 

Thanks in advance!

Joe

[TobyB]

The E21 gizzer is a reluctor- it generates an electric pulse for each firing event.  If it was me, I'd try to find the E21 bits- although, even around here, they're getting harder

to find in the cheap junkyards.

 

You can make your own harness- I remember it's not too complicated- or maybe someone on here has one. 

 

You can also convert it to Pertronix or something similar...

 

I THINK you could probably trigger something like an MSD box from the pulse, but I won't swear to that...

 

 

t

 

[Preyupy]

I think Toby is correct about triggering a MSD with the stock reluctor but it takes a 2k ohm resister in the circuit if I remember correctly. 

 

Also remember that the distributor turns the other way from a standard 2002 distributor.  You can't just swap distributors. 

Edited August 11, 2016 by Preyupy

[conkitchen]

One can also use a 1984/85 318i dizzy, wiring and control box more likely found in the junk yards of east America. 

 

OR 

 

Go crankfired with EDIS4 and Megajolt