Twin Spark Swap Owner's Satisfaction Survey - Page 8

iachella · #**106** (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 07:56 AM

Several people on this thread are putting them in 116s. Be carefull to assume that everyone is putting them in 105s. My TS is already in my 116 and the TS flywheel, oil pump and front cover were retained and I didn't spend a dime on exchaged parts. I even kept the exhaust manifolds.

I was concerned before the install about the flywheel because someone (who really didn't know but was quoting something they had heard) said the flywheel was too thick and the driveshaft would not fit. But that was false and the driveshaft fit perfectly.

**Biba69** · #**107** (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 11:06 AM

I'm confused as to what would be required to 'modify' the TS IF one is installing it in a transaxle car. Of course, if one is 'dropping it in' a Spider, that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish. If anyone is in the slightest bit interested I photographed teh flywheel from a '78 Alfetta GT nord engine, and separately the one on the TS. If I was to guess, I'd say the one on the TS is at least a third lighter. And of course the TS sump is, if not identical, it is almost so to the Alfetta nord - and of course no oil pump problem. And what is being referred to by teh 'front engine cover'? The timing chain chest? If so, why would this ever be required on Any installation?

Stefano, had a chance to pre-smog your Alfetta?

Biba

Seinista · #**108** (**permalink**) 09-14-2007, 04:23 PM

Biba,
because you have to get the rev counter working. This is mechanically driven from the front chest on older Nord engines, whereas on a 75 this is electronic.
Therefore there is no provision for a mech drive...
Another option is going to a specialized store that can rebuild meters.
There you could have your mechanical meter rebuilt to electronic, which would be far more accurate.
Otoh, you could mount a spider S3 rev counter which is electronic and fits right in a bertone with the twin meters.
Then again, you would miss the oil pressure gauge.

crashmctavish · #**109** (**permalink**) 09-14-2007, 04:58 PM

With my Bertone I used a 75TS revcounter & built it into the original revcounter housing, keeping the oil pressure gauge. The electronic tacho's can read incorrectly but there is a tuning screw inside. Regards to all.

**lgowin** · #**110** (**permalink**) 09-14-2007, 07:41 PM

How did you disassemble the tachs? I bought an electronic tach to do just that, but couldn't figure out how to do it without destroying it. Specifically, I couldn't get the tachometer removed from the faceplate without ruining the needle.

Regards,
Lawrence

crashmctavish · #**111** (**permalink**) 09-14-2007, 07:49 PM

The TS one you can destroy coz you wont use it again, the bertone one I cut the spindle with pliers & then slowly worked the spindle out clutching the needle in my left hand. Any marks you can touch up with matt modelling paint.

**lgowin** · #**112** (**permalink**) 09-14-2007, 07:59 PM

Did you pull the needle from the spindle or the spindle from the tach assembly? I'm assuming that you reused the twinspark tach assembly with the Bertone faceplate. Is that correct?

Regards,
Lawrence

crashmctavish · #**113** (**permalink**) 09-14-2007, 09:12 PM

pulled spindle from needle, twin spark tach, bertone faceplate. Ps I never said it was easy!

iachella · #**114** (**permalink**) 09-15-2007, 10:07 AM

Again, 116s have electronic tachs. I just hooked up my wire and it worked. 116 water pumps came with a tach block off plate anyway.

So Biba - you don't have to worry about anything they are saying. With an Alfetta, it is all moot. I got my TS for about $1200, put it up on a stand, checked leakdown, put a new water pump for good measure ($100 from Jon Norman as a late Spider water pump, same as the TS) and dropped it in.

Pushed the connector though the firewall at the air conditioning holes, mounted the 4 relay block above that. Had an aluminum plate made by a friend to mount both coils side by side. Got new plug wires - used 4 from my old Alfetta engine and bought one of those cut-your-own sets for a V8 ($30) for the other 4. I did have to source an extra long coil wire since I mounted both coils near the passanger inner fender under the windsheild. I bought a 1' long silicone tube ($20) of 1 3/4" (=45mm dia) and cut 4 pieces for some new intake runners. Cone air filter ($40), MSD fuel pump ($95), a few feet of higher pressure fuel line. I'd estimate $1600 total in engine and parts.

That's about it. So when people start saying you need to spend all this money on "conversion parts", don't worry about it. Alfettas are made for this engine. It's the same chassis so all hardware matches - engine mounts, tail shaft, drive shaft, flywheel, exhaust manifolds. Ancillary electrics are the same too - radiator fan, tach, etc. A couple of minor adaptation to be made - radiator hose routing, higher output fuel pump, cone air filter (since the air box won't fit anywhere in the Alfetta engine bay).

I guess we can actually say for an Alfetta, it's not so much a conversion, but an upgrade.

bcal · #**115** (**permalink**) 09-27-2007, 04:04 AM

Hi, I'm giving some serious thought to the twin spark.
I really want some more bottom end for hillclimbing etc.
For me, non alfa car, the swap would be relatively easy.
I haven't quite made up my mind whether to go NA with the ITB injection system off my existing 2L engine or to go with a small turbo.

I'll probably stick with the megasquirt because its the devil I know.

I've found a way of running EDIS on a twin spark.
http://www.msefi.com/viewtopic.php?t=28536

Just got to find a cheap needs a rebuild.

Anyway, it should be a fun project.

iachella · #**116** (**permalink**) 09-27-2007, 07:44 AM

Brett - the twinspark in this discussion is not wasted spark. Both plugs fire simultaneously. The later Fiat based engines are wasted spark.

bcal · #**117** (**permalink**) 09-27-2007, 05:48 PM

I'll use 2 Ford multispark EDIS4s running in tandem firing each cylinder simultaneously.

cowfy · #**118** (**permalink**) 12-18-2007, 07:59 AM

i have a ts from a 164ts which was the newer type.no entrance for a nisson or any distributor.any ideas besides the whole rig with the two coils as original.

Insoc · #**119** (**permalink**) 12-18-2007, 11:15 AM

Electronic ignition, why use dizzys if you don't have too?

iachella · #**120** (**permalink**) 12-18-2007, 11:39 AM

Also, a 164 TS "newer type" is not what is being discussed here. It's been corrected many times before that the 164TS and 155TS "newer type" are FWD blocks with Fiat 4 valve heads. It's the older type; the 75TS that is the subject of these conversions. The 155TS and 164TS older heads (8 valve & chain driven) can be used on the 75 block, and then there would be a distributor hole for the Nissan cap and the modified Marelli distributor.

It would be nice for someone to document a 4 valve TS engine into an earlier car. It would be a lot more fun to read than a Honda S2000 engine into a GTV or an LT1 engine into a Spider, or a Nissan turbo into a GTV.