Fitting the Black Stallion Programmable Ignition

I want one! I want one!

Not Fair!!! :0(

Whats it cost? I will ask the bank manager.

Mark......

 

This is great news! I had inquired a month or so ago here on the Chat about whether anyone had any experience with this setup or not, and I had no luck. Glad to hear that it's DIYable as well...

I was hoping to have a BSM setup in my car before mid-August, but with my recent starter and/or alternator issues, it looks as if it'll have to wait.

Congrats to you...

 

Nick

Good info - I have been considering this for my twin distributor GT4. Did you source it from Superformance?

 

How much is it?

 

Carobu Engineering sells it on this side of the pond - quoted me $2200. With the exchange rate, I think Superformance has the better price, unless shipping to CA is just entirely overpriced, and then it might be worth it to pick it up locally...of course, then there's sales tax locally. Hmm...

 

For $2K you are well into Electromotive territory which I think is a better product for an electronic ignition, but does not look as traditional because it doesn't use any distributor and requires more modification to the car. Of course the modification is completely reversable. But this is a good looking product.

Birdman

 

Agree with Birdman as you still have to deal with a distributor cap. Still, am debating which way to go when the car here gets ignition mods.

 

Steven,
Multiple coils, no distributor and very long spark times means the electromotive gives a more powerful spark. This unit has the advantage when it comes to programmability and the switchable advance (could be set for street/track). But the electromotive can be tweaked in the field with no computer--just pull the cover and adjust trim pots. Looks like you couldn't go wrong with either one.

Birdman

 

Yeah...when I called Carobu to inquire about a new ignition system, I mentioned that Brian Crall, who turned me on to Carobu in the first place, suggested I ask about a distributorless ignition. I sort of left my inquiry open-ended, though, along the lines of, "...unless there's something you would otherwise recommend..."

That's when he brought up the Black Stallion. He said that they're installing them in a lot of 60's and 70's era cars and are having really positive results. If it were an in-house setup that they'd designed and were selling themselves, I'd be skeptical, but since it's from "down undah," I figure it must actually work. I don't know why they'd go to the trouble of carrying it if it didn't. Seeing that Superformance had it, as well, sured up my confidence in the system.

Now I just need to decide where/how/who to install it.

 

We'll talk at Verells as i'd love to see yours while at Verell's on July 30. Might get the Electromotive (your unit or perhaps the top-line TEC3r) and we'll have an install-fest at Verell's one weekend. Was debating going turbo, but am apprehensive due to all the track time and **reliability is key***.

To finish fist, first you much finish. Al really jealous of your setup Birdman and sounds like the way to go.

 

I'll be there for sure, and it's looking like I'll be in the 308. (New baby boy born 3 days ago, I doubt my wife will want to come with him). If the family wants to come, I can always make a play for bringing both Fcars rather than piling us all in the Mondial.

I love the Electromotive, it's fantastic. But honestly this Blackhorse thing looks pretty awesome too, and a lot easier to install. Nonetheless, if I were going to do it again, I would still go with the electromotive. If the black horse were under a grand, I would seriously consider it over the electromotive though. It seems a bit expensive for what it is, but it's probably very low volume.

What I really like about the blackhorse is the "traditional" look that appears to be a single-dizzy stock 308 engine. (Yet it has electronic ignition and electronic advance). As long as it uses a reasonably available standard distributor cap, there is nothing wrong with a distributor. The electromotive has some definite performance advantages with a waste spark and seperate coils (more energy at high RPM), but the engine bay is not as clean, and it DEFINITELY doesn't look stock. The electromotive coil packs are big and take up space.

Birdman

 

Birdman,

JUST ordered Fchat sponsor Nick Forza's setup just like yours. How about we do an install-fest in August at Verells and post it on Fchat

 

Do you think both systems will give an equal worthwhile performance (HP) increase as well as the drivability benefits?

 

I think they are both a significant improvement over stock on a points-ignition car. Each has advantages and disadvantages. I love my electromotive, and the only disadvantage is that it is more work to install!

 

The crank may twist a teeeeeeny amount under extreme load, but not enough to bother the timing. The error in the camshaft is going to be larger because of slop in timing belts/pulleys/drive gears and the fact that cams turn at half the speed of the crank.

For each time that the electromotive fires the plug on the power stroke of a particular cylinder, the crank turns twice, giving 60 teeth x 2 resolution (120 teeth over 720 degrees) whereas a cam triggered ignition only has one turn of the cam to resolve the same event, so it can't be as accurate.

That being said, I do not believe the "errors" in either system are enough to make any difference at all unless the engine was turning 20,000 RPM like a F1 engine.

Birdman

 

I am thinking of getting one of those lightweight balancers from Nick so I might as well fit it at the same time as the Electromotive.

Has anyone actually purchased and fitted one of the custom harmonic balancers yet?

 

Just fitted one to my 246

Works really well, slightly different to the 308.
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nice work. i'm very happy with it on my 308