Fiat or Lancia DOHC engine crank trigger set ups

[MillersMule]

In the past few years I've made many crank trigger set ups for Fiat/Lancia DOHC engines.

Originally I started out just mounting a standard Ford trigger wheel and the Ford VR sensor:


This set up used a sensor mount that clamped on the barrel of the VR sensor and replaced the timing bracket on the 1995cc/2.0 liter engines. This original setup left a few things to be desired. For one, the vee belt ran too close to the sensor, two, not every engine has the timing marker on the front seal cover.



I was not happy digging through junkyards for dirty trigger wheels so I started having my own plasma cut. I found out pretty quickly that the EDIS system and Megajolt are fairly robust with regards to the input signal and did not mind the roughness of the plasma cut wheels, or that they were only 1/8" thick. I also began mounting the sensor under the oil pan. This was less than ideal also because different gasket thicknesses resulted in different sensor offsets.



Another solution was to use two bolts on the intake side of the crank seal cover. This method worked well but was difficult to make with the drafts/angles required using a Ford sensor and if using an intake side alternator, again the sensor would foul on the vee belt.



My final ideal solution was to modify the above slightly using a sensor with a threaded barrel. This allowed for a more compact sensor mount design. In addition I started laser cutting trigger wheels. From what I can tell it doesn't make a difference to the electronics but they just look a hell of a lot better!



This mount is similar but at a 15 degree angle for clearance. Again the electronics didn't care but just in case I cut a 15 degree angle on the trigger wheel as well.



As for coil packs I've come up with a couple of solutions. The easiest way is to mount it where the distributor once lived:



If you use one of the flat bottom coils, its even easier to mount, and there is no need to change your plug wires to the goofy clip on type.

If you have any questions or need any dimensions, I am happy to help!

Happy motoring,
-Jason Miller

[Midas]

There's some nice machining going on there!

[NITROPIXIE]

Hey Jason, alot of excellent effort there fella.

Just as a thought, i have mounted my VR sensor perpendicular to the triggerwheel, so instead of it reading the circumferance (if you will) of the the wheel it reads the last 1cm of the diameter. You may then be able to mount the sensor in a more convenient place.

The later fords do this off the flywheel and they don't actually read the circumference of the wheel, just the outside of the face.

Hopefully this gives you some more thought in later designs.

Keep up the good work, do you have an in house lathe to do your work???

[MillersMule]

Thanks for the kind words!

I also like perpendicular mounting Last time I did something like that was with an optical sensor though. Never really though about it on this engine.

As for machines.. No one really makes anything for the cars I'm in to so I've had to make the parts myself. My "hobby" machine shop has grown out of control in my quest to make the best parts possible.. now there's 3 lathes, 3 mills, and a ton of misc equipment saws/welders/etc.

I just like makin' stuff!

[NITROPIXIE]

Fair play to you. You must like making things lol. There is definatley a sense of achievement found when something works/fits well.

I'm trying to get a lathe sorted for our workshop at the moment but not sourced one yet. I do have a pillar drill lined up though at the grand old price of nothing, just need to find a redudnant lathe to, ahem, find.

I work in a dockyard so there must be one somewhere lying around i can put to good use.