Robs New Toy & Early Birthday Present (to himself) | FerrariChat

Robs New Toy & Early Birthday Present (to himself)

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by robertgarven, Jun 10, 2005.

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  1. robertgarven

    robertgarven F1 Veteran Owner

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    Dear Friends,

    I have had an Allen distributor machine for a couple of years. Mike F. got one too and helped me get mine working. Since I am not very good at electronics I could never get it dialed properly in, so its on ebay. I would like to personally thank him for the time he spent with me. I had always wanted a Sun and after losing one on ebay the guy I lost to turned me on to a guy named Mark Saunders in MI. He rebuilds and calibrates them and I got a very nice one. He has had about 75 so he is the Sunn guy! If anyone is interested he has some more. As you can tell it will be well loved. I have 6 distributors and plan on experimenting with them till I feel competent and then plan to set up some of my friends. Im sure you'll hear more about my great distributor adventures!!!

    Rob ertone
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    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    robertgarven, Jun 10, 2005
    #1
  2. richard_wallace

    richard_wallace Formula 3

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    I may be the only one who doesn't know - but what is that? The box reads Pinball? Looks like auto diagnostic equipment AKA distributor testing?
     
    richard_wallace, Jun 10, 2005
    #2
  3. traimpz348

    traimpz348 Formula 3

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    Yeah, I have no idea either. It looks cool - whatever it does.
     
    traimpz348, Jun 10, 2005
    #3
  4. afwrench

    afwrench Formula Junior

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    They are great machines . Used to set up the distibutor, ie , custom advance curves , check for erratic operation, proper dwell. All in all a cool addition to any persons shop !
     
    afwrench, Jun 10, 2005
    #4
  5. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ Lifetime Rossa Owner

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    It's indespensible if you have an older Ferrari. My Dino owes its life to a Sun machine.

    It simulates the operation of the car with your distributor, and, at least to my understanding, helps you properly set the timing at several different RPM points.

    My timing changes at 3000 rpm, this machine can make sure that it's correct. Also, I have a three lobe, dual points distributor for my V-6 engine, it helps you make sure the are precisely synched.

    Dave M.
     
    dm_n_stuff, Jun 10, 2005
    #5
  6. Ken

    Ken F1 World Champ

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    I wish I had one. I did mine in the car, and while my advance curve is "close enough", it would be nice to fiddle with it 'on the bench'. In the car it's so much trial and error....you change a spring or bend a tab and take it back through the rev range, hoping you remember all the colors on the flywheel, hoping the tach is accurate enough, hoping your son can hold it steady every 1000 RPMs.....and you need to retime the engine every time you take the distributor out...

    At least the car runs great now; I don't want to do it again though.

    Ken
     
    Ken, Jun 10, 2005
    #6
  7. ernie

    ernie Two Time F1 World Champ Lifetime Rossa Owner

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    Geeze Robert

    Are we hording all the Sun machines to ourself.
     
    ernie, Jun 10, 2005
    #7
  8. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ Owner Rossa Subscribed

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    WOW! :)
     
    f355spider, Jun 10, 2005
    #8
  9. robertgarven

    robertgarven F1 Veteran Owner

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    The other machine are the ones Mark has for sale, I wish they were all mine!!! I was so lucky to find him.The ones on ebay sometimes go for cheaper but this was recalibrated etc.... The 504 I got goes up to 8000 engine rpm, he has a 600 that goes up to 10,000 rpm I was thinking of but this one was in such nice condition, and I rarely get my gt4 up over 9000rpm!!! :p. He repaints the cabinets and service, cleans and calibrates them. It was not cheap but like my tubi money well earned is money well spent! I have 6 distributors now so plan to go from idiot to novice. One freind was quote 1100$ for FO? to set up his so if I can help a few friends out that will be fine by me, plus I am facinated by old machinery, this machine I have was built in 1969!! I have his number if anyone is interested, he only goes by word of mouth. I posted the photo to show how well it was packaged!!!
     
    robertgarven, Jun 10, 2005
    #9
  10. thecarreaper

    thecarreaper F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    ballpark on how much the machines are? i would like one, as all i like are old carb cars. please pm if needed.
     
    thecarreaper, Jun 10, 2005
    #10
  11. 1975gt4don

    1975gt4don Formula Junior

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    U DA MAN ROB!

    I am jealous. I would not mind having one myself.
     
    1975gt4don, Jun 10, 2005
    #11
  12. robertgarven

    robertgarven F1 Veteran Owner

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    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    robertgarven, Jun 11, 2005
    #12
  13. 4Webers

    4Webers Formula Junior

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    Very nice machine Robert! Can you post a close-up pic of the mounting adapter for me? I have a machine but need to either buy or make something that allows the big Marelli's to be held in the Sun's small jaws.

    Many Thanks,
    Darrell
     
    4Webers, Jun 11, 2005
    #13
  14. rivee

    rivee F1 Rookie

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    Can you still test a distributor with this machine if its points have been taken out and been converted to electronic ignition?
     
    rivee, Jun 11, 2005
    #14
  15. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ Consultant Owner

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    AWESOME! Rob, On the rare occasion FC'ers need to use a sun maybe you can set up a "rent some shoptime from Rob" program. You know you could really help some guys who are gutting their 308 distributors and putting in the Crane xr 700 systems. I have said many times that IMHO using the proper Sun machine is the only way to set these distributors up properly and set up the advance curves. EXCELLENT JOB ROB! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
     
    fatbillybob, Jun 11, 2005
    #15
  16. robertgarven

    robertgarven F1 Veteran Owner

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    The machine will work with electronic ignitions if the pulse module is attached, I did not get one but a buddy has a jarama and it has an electric one so I may have to pick one up. here are some shots of the adaptor Mike F. made. Note: Mike and I bought Allens about the same time I sent him a spare dizzy to use to set up his machine and he was kind enough to make a second adaptor for me. The only difference is he his an electronic wiz and I am just a wiz. That is why my machine is on ebay and i bought this "like new" Sun! I works good but the Sun is a little more critical on the alignment than the Allen so I may have to modify it a little. I am hoping that I will get proficient enough to do some for f-chatters if not I hope i will get proficient enough to do mine!! :)
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    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    robertgarven, Jun 12, 2005
    #16
  17. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ Owner Rossa Subscribed

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    Very cool Rob. Went on a open house and garage tour of three seperate "garages" near my home of various car collections...great fun, and low and behold, saw a number of these machines...one exactly like yours. And it had a distributor on it, that they were working on!

    Dave
     
    f355spider, Jun 12, 2005
    #17
  18. ferrarioldman

    ferrarioldman Formula 3 Professional Ferrari Technician Silver Subscribed

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    Hi Rob,
    I used one of these for many years setting up distributors. They work great. I bought an old one a few years ago for myself but have yet to even plug it in to see if it works. I would think that this guy would be receptive to tradeins. Does he have any other types of test equipment? I also have an old VAT 28 that needs new guages ( broken during shipping from an ebay transaction).
    Tom


    BTW, Happy Birthday!
     
    ferrarioldman, Jun 12, 2005
    #18
  19. rivee

    rivee F1 Rookie

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    How do I get my hands on one of these machines?
     
    rivee, Jun 12, 2005
    #19
  20. robertgarven

    robertgarven F1 Veteran Owner

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    Rivee, I pmed you his email but he said it was OK to give out.

    Mark Saunders
    [email protected]

    Tom, I think he only workes on the distributor machines, you know how we all get the bug apparently he started working on distributors and after a while brached out into the sun testors. BTW Thanks for all the advice you have given me over the years, hows work going? Is there any Magnetti manuals on how to set these up, I doubt it but just asking. If they were like the Ferrari manuals it would be one paragraph!!

    Dave, notice I have one on mine too! BTW I am having one of "your" wheels I got from you redone after a FCA "offroad" trip it got a bad chunk out of it! :-(

    Rob
     
    robertgarven, Jun 12, 2005
    #20
  21. GaryReed

    GaryReed F1 Rookie

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    NICE!!! Those are great machines.

    Have fun with it.

    Gary
     
    GaryReed, Jun 12, 2005
    #21
  22. ferrarioldman

    ferrarioldman Formula 3 Professional Ferrari Technician Silver Subscribed

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    Is there any Magnetti manuals on how to set these up, I doubt it but just asking. If they were like the Ferrari manuals it would be one paragraph!!

    I've never seen or heard of a manual Rob, but if you have the advance graph for the distributors, you can figure out the progression of the springs in the weights and adjust by adding or taking away shims. After a little practice you will figure it out. Bearings are easily obtained locally and the more old distributors you obtain the better your parts supply :p Have fun!
     
    ferrarioldman, Jun 13, 2005
    #22
  23. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ Consultant Owner

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    The real problem is finding weights and shims
     
    fatbillybob, Jun 13, 2005
    #23
  24. mikeyr

    mikeyr Formula 3

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    I have been actually looking for one of these machines off and on the last few months, I set my Dino's advance by the seat of my pants with the help of friend and I would love to check out our work and if not correct make it correct. I almost purchased one but could not figure out 3 things on it. 1. The base for the Dino distributor. 2. My car was converted to breakerless ignition and didnt know how to set up a machine for that. 3. The machine I looked at had a 4,000RPM limit and the guy kept telling me it would not work for my car, I tried to explain to him that my distributor being run off the cams would be half speed and 4k RPM was more than enough but he was not convinced. In the end, I passed on it and I am very sorry I did. See there are 2 on ebay :)
     
    mikeyr, Jun 14, 2005
    #24
  25. 4Webers

    4Webers Formula Junior

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    Firstly a big thanks to Robert for posting the pics of his mounting adapter, which leads to your #1 above - apparently no one sells an adapter to mount the fat Marelli's on a normal distributor machine, you have to make one. As far as #2, everything is basically the same with a point-to-electronic converted ignition, except that you don't need to set the dwell as it's pre-set inside the ignition module. Static timing and advance set-up will be the same as with points.
     
    4Webers, Jun 15, 2005
    #25
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