Crane Ignition Installation

Finding TDC

The way I do it is this:

Remove the sparkplug from piston #1 (the front of the engine facing forward) and place a thin screwdriver inside the plug hole resting on the piston head. Rotate the crank with the fan (you can remove all plugs to remove the compression and make this easy.) until the rotor on the distributor points at roughly the 4 o'clock position. At this point the piston should be near the top of its stroke. You'll know this by the screwdriver pivoting up (or down). Rock the fan until the screwdriver pivots it it's highest point. CAUTION: remember the piston will goto TDC TWICE. Once at around 4 o'clock and then again at around the 10 o'clock position. You'll be 180 out if you adjust at the 10 o'clock.

Did I make this more confusing now?

Good luck! (I have the XR700 also.)

-Kyle

Oh yea

My description is for a GT. As long as you know where plug 1 (which is 4 o'clock on the GT's motor) is on the cap then you can apply to your case if it's different.

-kyle

Thanks, I''ll check it using your method. In the instructions for the ignition system it says to align the timing marks-this means cylinder no 1 at tdc right? my shop manual only describes timing marks in terms of the timing chain and I really don't want to remove the head to get at it! the rotor was pointing at the cylinder #1/4 o'clock position with the timing mark on the flywheel aligned, so I think I got that right, but I still have no juice coming out of the coil, anyone else been through something like this? Thanks again!
-Chad

I installed one of these several years ago. First, even if you do not have the timing correct, you should have spark. It just wont be at the right time. Are you using the stock coil. I would recomend the Bosch Blue coil, strong reliable and inexpensive. I wired mine using a bosch relay so the coil is fed a full 12 volts. Stock opels use a resistance wire to power the coil, this cuts voltage, which is ok for a stock setup. I can send a wiring diagram if you need it.

I would be interested in seeing the wiring diagram you developed for the coil hookup since I am in the market to make these changes pretty soon too.

Bill and the FrankenOpel
A couple more mods and it will live again. . .

I will draw it up and post it soon. I can also draw up the diagram on how to make life much easier on the ignition switch if any intrest. It can really extend the life of the switch which is getting harder to find and more expensive.

I think I know what I did wrong, I have the wires going to the coil reversed! I just checked the wiring diagram from the shop manual and my intuition was off. I'd still love to see those wiring diagrams of yours. I'm laid up at the moment from knee surgery so I can't check if that will fix it yet. I was looking at the summitracing web site and am intrigued by the jacobs coils-they give you a matched voltage/current for a given rpm ( super high voltage with too low current can be as bad as too low a voltage according to jacobs), sounds apealing and since they recomend increasing the plug gap it sounds like it might be legit, anyone familiar with jacobs coils? thanks Again!

Here's a thread regarding the Jacob's Ignition:

http://opelgt.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=961

Has anyone used the Allison Ignition system that OGTS sells? If so how does it compare to the Crane XR700, or should I just stick with the Crane? Thanks for all the help in advance.

Adam

They are exactly the same. Crane bought Allison

thank you for the help, i think that im just goin to get the crane though.

What all will I need to get once i get the crane ignition, is it mainly just the coil? And what all comes with the kit, and where did most of you buy them from?

I guess I did not communicate effectively. What you get from the Opel GT Source IS the Crane XR700. They just show it as an Allison because they have not changed their catalog/web site

Sorry that I didnt understand you, while I need to get a new distributor?

The XR700 is an electronic ignition that replaces the original points system. It comes with everything you need to do the install. It does not include a new coil. Although a new coil is not necessary for the XR700, I do recommend it. You can get the correct coil from the OGTS when you order the XR700.

You will not need to get a new distributor unless the one you have is worn out. The XR700 is an external electronic ignition box, and the kit comes with an optical trigger set-up that replaces the points inside the distributor.

I was using the Jacobs coil/ignition system (not electronic ignition like the XR700) it was simply a computer box (like the one you always see MSD selling) that pumps the spark up at the right time. It had me open the gap on the plugs to compensate for the increased spark power. It WAS effective though. It was easy to disable/bypass and see the difference. But I don't know if it was because of the system was so good or that I was running a "stock" ignition on larger gapped plugs... Either way, it did seem to run stronger after installing it. In fact, that in combo w/ the electroninc ignition would probably work very well. I believe the instructions that came with the Crane mentions if your running an MSD or Jacobs system you can wire it up with it. Although I plan on trying Rally Bob's Compufire distributerless ignition he found online with my 2.2 after I get the motor running with the XR700.

sleeper said:

I think I know what I did wrong, I have the wires going to the coil reversed! I just checked the wiring diagram from the shop manual and my intuition was off. I'd still love to see those wiring diagrams of yours. I'm laid up at the moment from knee surgery so I can't check if that will fix it yet. I was looking at the summitracing web site and am intrigued by the jacobs coils-they give you a matched voltage/current for a given rpm ( super high voltage with too low current can be as bad as too low a voltage according to jacobs), sounds apealing and since they recomend increasing the plug gap it sounds like it might be legit, anyone familiar with jacobs coils? thanks Again!

Click to expand...

While viewing this thread I noticed DDOYLE wired his coil 12volts. This will provide a hotter spark, but will quickly burn points ( if you still have them) and the coil was not designed for it. In stock form the coil is supplied with 12 volts when the starter is energized (for easier starting).