123 help in south florida

[hippowalrus]

Hey guys,

 

Just to moved to Delray Beach Florida from NYC, and am looking for any recommendations for a shop that would have experience installing a 123 ignition. If there are any members with experience in the area, I'm willing to pay for a guided hand and instruction on installation. Would personally love to do it myself with someone who knew what they were doing and learn something in the process.

 

I've spoken to one shop "Palm Beach Prestige Auto"  - they will be installing one in the next month or two, but have no previous experience doing it. 

 

Thanks,

 

Keith

508 951 1393

[zinz]

It's so easy... do it yourself.

 

Bring the engine to Top Dead Center.  Remove old dizzy.  Install the 123. Follow program instructions.  Drive.

 

Ed

[hippowalrus]

Ed,

 

On the one hand i feel you. Seems pretty straight forward. On the other hand, the engine has 10:1 pistons and a 300 degree cam (previous owner). I'm not really sure what setting the advance curve for this particular engine really truly means. 

 

Keith

[zinz]

Ahhh..., you want it tuned, not just installed. Pretty sure the host of 123 users would have a curve that would fit the bill, but even the go-to Tii curve would get you running without too much worry. If you go with a pro, have them install a knock sensor on the engine block to help determine when you're at the edge of too much advance.  

 

Ed

[hippowalrus]

Yes, I want help in tuning the TUNE. ha. I'm currently running the IE distributor and it's fine. Everything runs nicely. But I want to see how much more I can unlock this engine, and the 123 can be adjusted for your engine's particular parameters. First 02, so no real perspective, and no mechanical expert, thus willing to pay to learn the process.  

 

any local advice is appreciated. 

[xferboy]

Darn, I just flew out of your area today.  I was staying in Lake Worth, just a little north of you.

 

We could have gotten it in,plumbed, wired and a 'safe' curve based on what others have done on #1 and a play curve on #2.

 

Having an IE distributor (or any other electronic pickup) already installed makes the 123 install nice and easy. 

 

C'est la vie.

 

 

[tisalover]

Hey hippo, I appreciate your perspective. Set up exactly right you should be able to get more power out of that motor with a 300° cam and 10.1 Pistons. Please be so kind as to take extremely detailed notes on your set up when you do find somebody to help you with it, and we post them to the 123 team page on the site. If you do it extremely well, you may be able to help others out much in the same way that you were currently searching. The installation is pretty simple, and you could probably do it. The optimal tuning though -it's not so simple, and probably a air fuel ratio on the exhaust pipe and repeated testing would bring you to an amazing state.

I also do not know whether you have 45 millimeter webers, or what carburetors you are running, which will be a factor in your alternate tuning as well. Good luck with the process, please share your findings with us afterwards.

 

Best regards, Peter

[zinz]

Forgot I had this... Here's some good reading on Ignition Timing for a Modified Engine from the FirstFives

 

http://www.firstfives.org/faq/timing/timing_for_modified_engines.PDF

[hippowalrus]

Peter, 

 

Running a 38/38 weber downdraft, bought from IE and I asked them to jet it to my specs. Running great. Maybe in the future dual carbs could be in the budget. Also has peanut manifold, and IE long tube headers and exhaust.

 

what's a ballpark estimate time wise to tinker and tune something like this? Do not currently have any AFR set up.  

 

Would be willing to go to Miami - roughly an hour away, or hell, even further. 

 

 

Ed,

 

Thanks for the PDF!

 

Cheers

 

 

[Simeon]

If you are trying to get 10/10ths out of your tune then you should find a chassis dyno and someone familiar with tuning carbs and ignition based on the feedback from the dyno. 

 

As as far as an initial tune for your 123, that FirstFives paper covers the basics. This will give you an idea regarding max advance and when it needs to be in by. This only needs to be conservative to get it running. 

[tisalover]

Ed, most of the perspective on this site suggests that the 38/38 carburetor gives as much if not more performance then a pair of 45 Webers, and it's easier to keep tuned(although I have found that if you set Webers up correctly, you can generally leave them alone for years although you may have to blow some fruit flies out of the crossover Jets with carburetor cleaner from time to time). I would probably not change it unless you are sentimental, and like the sound of twin Weber carburetors wide open. I would consider diving in, and just setting it up with the TI spec s, and maximum advance for your motor which Ed, Zinz has kindly provided a perspective on. I generally run as much advance as I can until things create detonation, and then back it off just enough. This can be as much 38° or thereabouts depending on your motor. It may be better to not push it too hard, because sometimes

 

the enemy of good is better.

 

 

I have learned to trade off reliability for maximum power over the years and I'm much happier for it.

Best regards, Peter.

 

PS why don't you post a picture of your car, it sounds very cool.

[Road trip]

Bmw 2002 race car building, owner of

modern BMW shop in west palm. Beach

jim Bayles 561-547-3300

 

[hippowalrus]

Peter,

 

"the enemy of good is better" - brilliant. If it wasn't for the 123 group buy I wouldn't be in this pickle. Curiosity got the better of me. This is not a race car, but the PO did what he did - former mechanic.

 

I'll get some pics up.

 

Roadtrip,

 

Thanks! i'll give Jim a call. 

[tisalover]

Ed

 

I am glad you like that expression, I am paraphrasing Voltair, who was hated by the French nobility. He was the first one to discuss this, and pointed out that perfecting something often ruined it.

 I think you're 123 tuned distributor is a good idea, I got one as well. I'm going to put it into my TISA which just so happens that I have about 10 to 1 compression ratio, at 45 webers, and a header. So I take a special interest in how yours turns out. I will probably install mine in the next few weeks I am waiting for nicer weather, and have been working on some other projects. It sounds like this guy Jim Bayles will be perfect for the job.

 

Best regards, Peter

[hippowalrus]

1971 a little rough around the edges. She's come a long way since i saw her sitting in my neighbor's yard. Didn't know what i got myself into. Bit by bit though, with some more runway to go. The last pic is with my friend John, who helped immensely. I met him off craigslist. He previously owned a shop in Walpole MA. Frankly, it was a cheap education to learn as much as I did, and accomplish as much as we did.