L6 226 Electronic Ignition, et al

parrottt

parrottt

Bigger Hammer
All-Star
Mar 14, 2022
177
North Carolina
First Name
Bill
Willys Model
  1. Wagon
Willys Year:
  1. 1961
Here I am again. The 1961 wagon had an electronic ignition prior to the removal and rebuild of the L6 226 motor. Got the engine installed with the KW electronic ignition. KW instructions say that it needs a resistor installed or a coil with a resister. Is one required? There was not a resister in the system prior to the rebuild and the engine started and ran fine.

Problems with too much fuel pressure. Had the carburetor rebuilt and installed. Now that the fuel pressure problem has been solved the engine starts easily, idles fine but when you punch the accelerator it backfires and does not seem to have the power it had before. Timing according to the mechanic is correct. He even used a light at the 5 mark on the pulley.

In hindsight I probably could have bought a bucket of oil to put in the motor when it was smoking prior to the rebuild.

In the past I have said that this was an adventure, but it has turned into a nightmare. Probably got more in than I can stand. :)
 
If it's any consolation, you have a beautiful wagon and it sounds like you're nearing the end of your rebuild saga and getting to the fun part where you drive it around. Not sure how to help with your trouble-shooting, perhaps others with more experience with electronic ignitions can chime in.
 
Whoa.... you actually bought one of the "electronic ignition" distys? Do you still have your original? If so, dig it out, dust it off and hopefully somebody like @oblvnnwtnjhn will chime in where to get it rebuilt like new.
Bill,
Not trying to rain on your pee-raid but more bad than good has been said about those aftermarket 'electronic' distributors. Granted, some folks have lucked out and I hope they chime in, but when I looked I got thoroughly scared away. I'm really hoping you can get it sorted but if not, consider getting the original redone by a pro.
FWIW, I went through my original and swapped in a Pertronix kit, couldn't have been happier!
parrottt said:
here was not a resister in the system prior to the rebuild and the engine started and ran fine.
Click to expand...
Hmmm... food for thought. Ballast resistors are cheap, so worth a try but... Did you replace the coil?
 
@parrottt budget electronic ignitions like KW sells from Crown/Omix do the job, but not the best job. You're leaving performance/complete combustion/stable timing on the table. I would recommend finding an OEM Prestolite, sending it into Advanced Distributors for a rebuild and recurve, that's "tuned" specifically for your engine/current health and the type of fuel you use.

Even with a Pertronix, it's a band-aid on a worn/sloppy distributor. If you choose, run one on a rebuilt/recurved unit if electronic is your preference.

www.advanceddistributors.com

Tech FAQ

Setting timing: One of the most common questions I get: how to set timing to a figure that’s not within the timing marks on my engine. The best answer is to upgrade to a dial-back timing light. The way they work is by entering your timing setting (such as 14 BTDC) into the timing light via a...
www.advanceddistributors.com
 
Advance Dist. took all of my drive train specs and had my dist. back to me in 2 weeks. Told them I wasn't running anything needing vacuum so they set up the advance curve without it, showed me how to adjust the timing and I swear my 226 starts like an electric motor. Try to just bump the starter and it's running - couldn't be happier.
 
airportops said:
Advance Dist. took all of my drive train specs and had my dist. back to me in 2 weeks. Told them I wasn't running anything needing vacuum so they set up the advance curve without it, showed me how to adjust the timing and I swear my 226 starts like an electric motor. Try to just bump the starter and it's running - couldn't be happier.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I do not have the old distributor, only the Omix electronic distributor that the PO installed. We are going to install the resister and see if that cures the problem. Not sure that Advance would do anything with the distributor that I have.
 
parrottt said:
Thanks. I do not have the old distributor, only the Omix electronic distributor that the PO installed. We are going to install the resister and see if that cures the problem. Not sure that Advance would do anything with the distributor that I have.
Click to expand...
Find one here, a Jeep forum, eBay etc it will be well worth it and you have a spare in the Omix unit
 
parrottt said:
Thanks. I do not have the old distributor, only the Omix electronic distributor that the PO installed. We are going to install the resister and see if that cures the problem. Not sure that Advance would do anything with the distributor that I have.
Click to expand...
Bolding mine.

Why do folks assUme this kind of thing? Just call Advanced Distributors up & ask them. They might be able to do something with your Omix unit, or they may have an extra distributor on the self ready to go. Ask. It only cost you a tiny bit of time & it might save you a ton of frustration.

I have been pleasantly surprised when I have called suppliers up and asked about this kind of thing. Get the facts, do not assUme.
 
cptlogger said:
Bolding mine.

Why do folks assUme this kind of thing? Just call Advanced Distributors up & ask them. They might be able to do something with your Omix unit, or they may have an extra distributor on the self ready to go. Ask. It only cost you a tiny bit of time & it might save you a ton of frustration.

I have been pleasantly surprised when I have called suppliers up and asked about this kind of thing. Get the facts, do not assUme.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure Jeff would touch a reproduction like those units. Big difference in materials and tolerances I would assume with a Prestolite vs far east reproduction.

But otherwise, I agree, always call a vendor and ask. May be surprised what the do or can offer.
 
I forgot to mention that I didn't even send in a complete distributor; I sent them a sack full of loose pieces and parts and they took it from there. All of this distributor talk reminded me that I have a brand new electronic distributor that I should make someone a deal on if they want to try one out. I will put it up on the "Parts for Sale" section.
 
cptlogger said:
Bolding mine.

Why do folks assUme this kind of thing? Just call Advanced Distributors up & ask them. They might be able to do something with your Omix unit, or they may have an extra distributor on the self ready to go. Ask. It only cost you a tiny bit of time & it might save you a ton of frustration.

I have been pleasantly surprised when I have called suppliers up and asked about this kind of thing. Get the facts, do not assUme.
Click to expand...
Thanks.......
I will call next week
 
parrottt said:
…Had the carburetor rebuilt and installed. Now that the fuel pressure problem has been solved the engine starts easily, idles fine but when you punch the accelerator it backfires and does not seem to have the power it had before. Timing according to the mechanic is correct. He even used a light at the 5 mark on the pulley….
Click to expand...
Do you have a timing light? If so, you could watch the timing mark as the throttle is opened and the engine speeds up.

At 2500 rpm with the vacuum advance connected, the timing mark should point to about 22.5 degrees. With the vacuum disconnected, it should be about 12.5 degrees.

You can make marks on the vibration damper at these points to help you see where it ends up. Based on my experience, it’s unlikely to be exactly on the mark, but it should be in the general vicinity at least.

IMG_2393.jpeg
 
The harmonic balancers are known to come somewhat loose and rotate on the rubber hub on these engines . If your pulley has moved out of position it will cause the timing to be incorrect when you line the timing marks up using a timing light. It would be a good idea to verify your marks on the pulley are indicating correctly .
 
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