I recently bought a B20 distributor for a D-jet B20 on ebay. It showed up today
and I noticed that instead of points it has a chopper wheel. Here is what it looks like:



It has a 3-conductor cable with a plastic plug at the end:



Is this a pertronix distributor, or some other kind?

What else is needed to go with it and make it work? Anybody got an extra one?
If so, e-mail me offline and we'll deal.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

I'm with the other guys. That is *identical* to the allison unit in my B18 Dizzy. It worked great, my mileage was climbing and then it abruptly died on my way to work at 5:45 AM.

I think the brain unit dies, not the dizzy part.

FYI: I just sprung from a new set from an eBay seller ~$120.00 Much cheaper than from IPD, but it's presently backordered.

Way back when I had my first Volvo, a 1973 164E/Automatic (bought new), I was putting a lot of miles on it commuting and it felt like it needed a tune-up (including adjusting the points) every six months or so. Fed up with having to adjust mechanical points each time ...
[it wasn't as easy as a contemporary GM's Delco, which could be adjusted (a hex insert through a metal "window") with a dwell meter while the engine was running (giving a more reliable reading); the Volvo was a "trial and error", even with a good feeler gauge.]
.... and envying the electronic distributor introduced on the '75 model, I converted my '73's distributor to electronic with the Allison aftermarket kit -- it had a chopper wheel very similar to yours, except that it was metal instead of (what looks, in the photograph, like) plastic.

But if you need your distributor (you've specified 1973 in the subject) to be original, as I recall the Allison's installation didn't require any irreversible modification -- you should be able to just remove the sensor block and reinstall the points, condensor, etc., just like OEM.

Good luck.

Do you recall if it used the same plug as this one?
BTW the 1975 164 distributor was electronic and DID have the trigger points for the D-jet.
Some 30 years back I had point adjusting problems on my 69 164 and it turned out
that the distributor was trying to cut its case in two from the inside with the
advance weights. They had made a groove almost halfway through the cast iron
case by the time I got it home after resetting the points numerous times in
some of the darkest places in North Carolina. That was the end of the first
distributor in that car. As it nears 300,000 miles I am still on the 3rd one
which works pretty well, so I have not been motivated to put the '75 electronic
system in it YET. It sits on the shelf, biding its time till its moment of glory
comes.
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

Hi George -

That's either a Crane or an Allison. Or a copy of same. As with any other breakerless setup, it will likely work beautifully until it abruptly quits, which usually happens at inopportune times.

Best,

Cameron
Rose City

I'm with Cameron on this one - they abruptly quit.
I've installed a few that look just like that - Crane Fireball was the name of the kit - to replace Lucas parts on Triumphs.

Thanks!
Is there a way to test it?
Would it be fruitful to try to find the mating parts to make it work, or should
I just go to some other system? (One thing I have considered is to put the
reluctor, etc out of a B21 electronic distributor into a D-jet job - maybe this
is a good candidate for transplant.)
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

I know that others have used the pieces shown in your pictures along with the Bosch 'brain' as well as other similar 'brains' (such as MSD boxes) but I'm afraid I've never seen such an interface firsthand.

I'd think you could get the remaining bits through Crane, though it may not be cost effective when compared with a complete kit - and that option is certainly going to be more expensive than a set of points and condensor. Many sets of points and lots of condensors.

Best,

Cameron
Rose City