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Z24 twin spark distributor


Nic_A31
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I'm in the process of replacing alot of ancillaries at the moment, and want to get a new distributor.
I can only find single spark Z24 distributors on eBay, but I've also found twin spark model distributor caps.

Is there any reason why I can't buy a single spark dizzy and put a new twin spark cap onto it ?

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  • 1 year later...

Different setup, and they use a different length distributor drive.

I actually ran a twin spark engine with a single spark dizzy for a decade, just ran the leads to the drivers (RHD) side set of plugs. Had to change the oil pump/distributor drive.

Raised plenty of questions when I lifted the hood haha!

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  • 6 months later...

An Australian story: I had a Z24S - running on unleaded gas and LPG - with a rebuilt single spark dizzy from a Nissan Cabstar in it, so a set of spark plugs were unused in the block. Simplified everything and went, but it accelerated flatly / poorly, despite me systematically eliminating reasons / changing all possibilities/consumables over the years, including adding an after market electronic ignition.

 

A few things, once remedied (esp. a hidden vacuum leak), improved it, but it always missed a beat at vital moments accelerating, no matter what fuel was used. Then, years later, while eliminating the mixtures being too lean / rich at a garage, the old time owner mechanic said he knew what it was, and advised me to put in a twin spark dizzy from a Nissan Nomad / Vanette: he said he had seen it before and it was the acceleration curve being out.

 

I was VERY sceptical. But he was absolutely right! I have since tried three separate twin spark distributors in the same engine, and all accelerate cleanly & without grief. I tend to run now on only one coil and set of spark plugs fine, which doubles the life of the cap & rotor.  

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In answer to the original question, if the distributor and cap/rotor are like what we had here in North America, the dual spark cap/rotor is physically too big to fit the single distributor. 

My experience was with my 1980 200sx(Silvia for the rest of the world since it was a hatchback). My car was a federal emissions so had the single spark ignition. 1980 California and 1981 on for NA had the dual ignition on the Z series engines. I crushed the oil pan and wound up welding #2 rod to the crankshaft. So replaced engine. The replacement was a low mileage Japan engine and required lots of changes to work in my car.that one required me to swap the distributor/oil pump drive to fit my distributor to the engine. 

Move on a few years and the engine I built for that car used the dual spark head and I found the distributor/oil pump shaft was different length between the single and dual spark distributor. I had updated the electrical in the car from an 83, so was easier to swap to a dual spark distributor and drive than make the single spark work with my ECU and wiring. 

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