CB Performance Black Box, Timing solution Options

[Montreal914]

I ran across this product while surfing on CB performance website.

http://www.cbperformance.com/ProductDetail...roductCode=2013

Does anyone have experience with this? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chowtime.gif)

It seems like a possible alternative to timing and vacuum advance issues, especially when using different than stock cam that screws up the vacuum.

[Montreal914]

I don't understand why the need of the Mallory distributor if the advance needs to be locked anyway to use the Black Box.

I'm running D-Jet so I'm curious to see if anyone has experience with it.

Stugray, you say you are building your own similar device, will you use it on FI?

Overall, this product seems to give attractive benefits for a reasonable amount of money, especially for someone stuck with stock distributor.

[Moneypit]

I don't understand why the need of the Mallory distributor if the advance needs to be locked anyway to use the Black Box.

I'm running D-Jet so I'm curious to see if anyone has experience with it.

Stugray, you say you are building your own similar device, will you use it on FI?

Overall, this product seems to give attractive benefits for a reasonable amount of money, especially for someone stuck with stock distributor.

I think the emphasis would be more on having an optical/electronic points setup versus breaker, or at least that's how I'm seeing it.

Lets see if I understand how a regular Dizzy works: Gear in Dizzy shaft is connected to (Crank or Flywheel?). As engine turns, dizzy rotor turns. Each time dizzy rotor touches a "point", it sends the spark down that cylinder's spark plug wire, with charge coming from the coil. I know it's more complicated. The dizzy affects timing by advancing/retarding based on design. It can do these with vacuum and/or centrifugal force.

So for the black box to provide "dynamic" timing based on RPM with a non-fixed curve, here's how I'd imagine it working: Dizzy rotor is connected to engine. Dizzy is timed to whatever baseline is directed in Black Box instructions. All mechanical/vacuum advance or retard is disabled so the Dizzy basically works to tell timing. Somehow, dizzy tells black box "X" cylinder is at TDC or whatever predetermined timing was set. Black box also knows RPM and MAP. It uses these factors to decide when to spark, either advance or retard. Black box then sends spark signal either to the Dizzy to send to the cylinder, or does black box send straight to cylinder?

Wish someone from CB was here to explain...

[Montreal914]

I don't understand why the need of the Mallory distributor if the advance needs to be locked anyway to use the Black Box.

I'm running D-Jet so I'm curious to see if anyone has experience with it.

Stugray, you say you are building your own similar device, will you use it on FI?

Overall, this product seems to give attractive benefits for a reasonable amount of money, especially for someone stuck with stock distributor.

I think the emphasis would be more on having an optical/electronic points setup versus breaker, or at least that's how I'm seeing it.

Lets see if I understand how a regular Dizzy works: Gear in Dizzy shaft is connected to (Crank or Flywheel?). As engine turns, dizzy rotor turns. Each time dizzy rotor touches a "point", it sends the spark down that cylinder's spark plug wire, with charge coming from the coil. I know it's more complicated. The dizzy affects timing by advancing/retarding based on design. It can do these with vacuum and/or centrifugal force.

So for the black box to provide "dynamic" timing based on RPM with a non-fixed curve, here's how I'd imagine it working: Dizzy rotor is connected to engine. Dizzy is timed to whatever baseline is directed in Black Box instructions. All mechanical/vacuum advance or retard is disabled so the Dizzy basically works to tell timing. Somehow, dizzy tells black box "X" cylinder is at TDC or whatever predetermined timing was set. Black box also knows RPM and MAP. It uses these factors to decide when to spark, either advance or retard. Black box then sends spark signal either to the Dizzy to send to the cylinder, or does black box send straight to cylinder?

Wish someone from CB was here to explain...

Yes you pretty much got it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

All the distributor does in this case is give the black box 2 signals per engine rev. (breaker points, optical, hall effect, your choice...) which is enough for the Black Box to determine the engine speed and position of the crank (probably based on TDC #1).

Using this input and the vacuum, you program your own timing curve for various situations. The Black Box will trigger directly the coil. So, like the MSD box, the breaker points don't see any load and will last for a long time.

I think an attactive part of this product is the fact that it takes into consideration the load wich gets screwed up with a non-stock cam grind. But I wonder if getting 2 pulses per engine rev is precise enough. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

Now if only they could make a Black Box to replace the MPS... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)