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adapt distributor to EJ22 tips?


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I have read of Fiori distributors adapted to fit the back of EJ22 heads.

I have seen crude photos of a Ford/Mazda distributor installed

I have never read the detail being shared in either text or photos or ANY other detail

 

What gives? Never a write up? 

The Fiori distributor looks like it needs a CNC machined up one piece adaptor to hold the dist centrally, at correct spacing from the back of the turbo side head, and sufficient clamping

Then there is the Ford Escort dist. I have one ! But is missing rotor button, cap and whatever three wire module that plugs in. It has a  47.00 mm round bit that loks to be a perfect fit in the ~ 47.00 mm hole at the rear of the cam if the o ring was removed..

 

Has anyone got info to share please?

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From memory Phinzina was working on this with an adaptor plate. I can’t find the thread I think I remember him writing about it on offroadingsubarus… 

I think it’s a case of make a plate that fits between the head and the dizzy that’s oil-tight an allow for timing adjustment. 

Or do what Silverbullet Sam did and make that electronic timing system that runs the ignition timing. 

Im looking forward to see what you come up with!

Cheers 

Bennie

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The LADM (Latin American Domestic Market) Specs Subarus from the first gen Legacy, came from Factory with Distrubutors, Carburetors and Dual Range Transmissions; in the EJ 15, 16, 18, 20 and even 22; however, the smaller displacement EJ15 and 16 used one part number for the Distributor while the Bigger ones used another part number. I tried to source such original Distributor for few USMB members who asked me for; and only I found rotors and caps; I sent a couple of said spare parts to fellow members in USA.

After purchasing those I realized the reason why those Distributors for EJ engines are so Scarse; besides the limited market areas where those models were Sold, the Original Distributors on the EJ were made by... Mitsubishít! 🤨

Take a look here for Photos of a Factory Fitted Disty on a EJ22

~► 

Maybe, with so much sales online, you can dig and find one on eBay,

and just install the original one instead of adapting.

Kind Regards.

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This is a Factory Carb'd + Disty EJ engine Running in an Honduran Subaru Legacy:

 

(More info, part numbers and photos on this Thread ~► Here)

 

The 1981 Ford Escort distributor fits with little modification. Slight modification of the drive plate to mate with the cam

and open up the mounting bolt slots, in case you want to adapt a Ford Escort distributor, the parts needed from the Ford, are

the complete distributor, the plug from distributor to the ignition module, the ignition module itself, an average ignition coil and its coil wire.

As far as I know, besides the Ford Escort distributor, also the ones from the Early Mitsubishi Lancer and Ford Laser / Mazda 323 works.

 

By the way, regarding this statement... 

36 minutes ago, Loyale 2.7 Turbo said:

... Maybe, with so much sales online, you can dig and find one ...

...Here I found one for sale, online:

 

~► https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-605372654-distribuidor-subaru-legacy-18-_JM

 

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Kind Regards.

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On 11/23/2022 at 2:02 PM, el_freddo said:

From memory Phinzina was working on this with an adaptor plate. I can’t find the thread I think I remember him writing about it on offroadingsubarus… 

I think it’s a case of make a plate that fits between the head and the dizzy that’s oil-tight an allow for timing adjustment. 

Or do what Silverbullet Sam did and make that electronic timing system that runs the ignition timing. 

Im looking forward to see what you come up with!

Cheers 

Bennie

The EDIS has been in the back of my mind, so too the speedyefi unit. Given that my EDIS project has stalled on my EA82T for too long, I don't think I'll ever get there on the EJ !

I have also been able to source the trigger wheel from a later EJ25 to use on an earlier EJ20 with speedy but suspect my EJ20 has been sitting too long with exhaust ports exposed to moist air - I need to check. I have only just hauled the project Brum off it's weed infested pavers where it has sat for three years or so with the 20 in it, waiting for more work on the gearbox cradle. Levers already shortened, 3.9 diff fitted in the rear. I have to finish polishing it up and pressure wash the redbacks out from under before I go any further. A simple hand crank may settle mind on if it is rusting up or not. I was also sourcing an early Lib as a donor of everything, and that has fallen through for the time being.

These conversions are cycling through on a rotation of such slow speed, I am a little ashamed of self.......

 

Phiz is pretty busy with his new home ...I bet he needs some relief :)

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I forgot that not all members have realized that I am in Honduras, between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean at Central America, so Latin American websites are the first that pops up upon my searches, thanks to google's Chrome ... :) ... By the way, there are some USMB members from Uruguay.

Sorry for the Currency Confusion, Kind Regards.

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4 hours ago, Steptoe's photos said:

Do the 1.8 dizzies fit ej22 ?

As in EJ18? Same heads so I don’t see why not! 

Id take an EJ18 dizzy and shove it on an EJ22E without thinking twice about it if I were doing something like this setup. 

Cheers 

Bennie

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  • 1 month later...

actually, using a rare  as dizzy might make life hell trying to get rotors and caps. Even early to mid 90s dizzys look to be hard to find cheaply. Word is mid 90s , say 96 Ford Courier/Mazda Bravo 2.6 dizzys work, with a module external I think. Everything needs some physical adaptation. I have been sidetracked lately with an all EJ Foz so learning more stuff off this topic 

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I’d imagine there’s an abundance of cam driven dizzys from inline fours such as the honda range from the early to mid ‘90s that would still have spare parts available! 

You “just” need to work out what you can easily adapt. 

Do you have any sort of distributor for this setup on hand already? 

Cheers 

Bennie

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47 minutes ago, 1 Lucky Texan said:

user @GeneralDisorder has a brand of aftermarket ECU he likes (forget the name) but, may be as easy to learn to use that as adapting a physical disty.

Link. 

Problem there is the $$$$ they ask for aftermarket systems here and that’s before you even factor in tuning! 

Plus where’s the fun in that? I know GD won’t understand that as time is money and EAs are a dead platform etc etc.

Cheers 

Bennie

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I have a Fiori distributor (two actually, but keep that quiet as that fact may quell prices if I sell them :) ) 

Also bought a Ford Escort reman from US, but it came a little naked, looks good fit, so possibly same body as the Ford/Mazda one.

The o ring seal gets in the way of fitting in the EJ22 housing. I suspect remove o ring would be perfect, just seal with silicone sealer/gasket maker.

Use enough correctly, maybe no bracket required :)

I spied a mid 96 Courier dizzy still in it's own Courier and I recall it had side entry cap, which is always good

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  • 6 months later...

I used the Ford Escort distributor on my 2.5 frankenmotor with EJ22 heads and dual Weber IDF carbs. It was fitted into a long travel buggy. I had to fuss with the slots and I think file the drive tang a little. The slot in the cam and the tang don't have the same offset from the centerline but there is some float so the tang can slide on a pin. To me this is a bad situation because every revolution causes the drive tang to shuffle in the slot and on the pin. Expect high wear here. I ended up using an aftermarket cam which did not have a drive slot so I was able to machine the drive slot to fit correctly. 

It runs best with 15 degrees of initial advance but that causes too much total advance so I need to limit that. The Escort used a couple different versions of the TFI module and the one I got had the bastard first year TFI that was only made for one year and has issues. I bought up 4 of the modules on ebay and in stores and every single one was dead. I ended up adapting a GM HEI module with good results. I carry a spare cap, rotor and HEI module for trailside repairs.

Still looking for a programmable digital ignition that doesn't cost $500. Right now I have a great engine that runs with just a few wires and a fuel line including a one wire alternator. It would be a shame to add a complex computer to something this simple.

 

 

Edited by kayaker43
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I am sitting on a collection of Fiori distributors, and one "Escort" from the US. I only got the body of it, no cap or rotor, or module, so likely to be useless here in Australia. I have been playing with an idea and measurements to spin up something - just my lathe men are busy - one is too busy to even return my calls and text. If I make an adapter plate to convert EJ202 intake manifold to phase2 EJ22 I may go a different path. I like the idea of electronic control out the window with an old dizzy :)

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