ZX electronic dizzy
 

Hey All,
I am still running points type ignition on my car and would like to install and Electronic dizzy. Eventually I want to go to a stand alone ECU , so I want to keep the cost down on this dizzy. What are your thoughts on the zx dizzy swap ?
The car will normally be shifted below 6500 RPM.

Thanks !

Maybe you can clear up this for myself and others, what the heck is a dizzy, and what is involved with the swap?

Hey Preith,
a Dizzy is slang for distributor. For what I understand Nissan made two types of electronic distributors for the L6 one has a ignitor atttached to the side of the housing . This came on the ZX and the other has a module that mounts to the firewall. This might not be fact , but just what I understand were the differences.
I want to swap in the ZX type distributer this would eliminate my points.

Either ditributor is a direct fit as I recall. I ran a ZX distributor for years before the mechanical advance turned to crap at which point I switched over to the Mallory Unilite I'm running now. Some people prefer the remote control module from the 280Z saying it is less sensitive to vibration, but I never had a problem with the ZX module. Either choice is a nice improvement over the points.

Tom

One other thing... I did have to modify the adjustment bracket, at the base of the distributor, to get the orientation right.

Tom

Tom,
You are second person to mention that the ZX bushings wear out and its start to miss above 6,000 rpm. The other guy said he switched to a unilite as well.

Thanks,
Mike

My problem wasn't with the bushings, it was actually the vacuum advance plates. I wasn't using the vacuum advance, but the sanwiched plates and ball bearings shifted and seized causing the mechanical advance to go bad... Or something like that. That was a couple of years ago and I didn't spend much time trying to fix it, so I may have my facts off... Bottom line, a ZX distributor that was 15 years when I got it, went bad after 5 years of my abuse... I can't say that is bad! :)
Tom

Hearing it called a dizzy is a first for me. Anyway I had similar problems with the stock one on my '77, it would cut out after about 5500. I took it apart and inspected it and found the same thing...the plastic sleve that held the ball bearings in was damadged and the advance didn't work. I beleive this was 20+ years old as well. Just got a replacement from Victoria British. I would think having an external module would be a little better, Less vibration and heat.

You might want to go ahead and get the Electromotive crank fire if you are going to an after market ECU. Most all the aftermarket ECU,s need a crank fire or at least a crank positioning sensor. I think SDI uses the stock dizzy, but not 100% sure. Yes the crank fire costs more. BTW all the FI z dizzys should work just fine. That is 75-83. I've never heard of one of the modules going bad. Even if they do the wrecking yards are filled with them.

Randy