Which One Is the Proper Distributor for My Car?

[Pawel66]

All the discussions, your kind advise and what I am going through just brought me to a fundamental question I should have asked 3 years ago. Which is the proper distributor for my car? Maybe thet is where I should start. Or should have started. I was looking at 009 as this is what was in the car and it was roughly matching the 280SL. But it may be all wrong...

Maybe you can help:
 The car: 280SL, European, March 1970, 113 044 12016726
Engine: 13098312010982; there is no installation for transistorized ignition (I do not know if it was there in the past), no emission control wiring like in the US. But when you go to EPC to, for instance, timing, it sugests camshaft from air pollution control picture.

EPC suggests distributor A0021583901 (also from air pollution control picture), but it also says A0021583801 is ok from the regular picture.

The Technical Manual suggests by dates that this car should have 062 distributor. Not sure, but it may be the MB number 3901 (difficult to say from Technical Manual).

If it is indeed 062 that I should have, it has the specs with ignition later than 009 and later than Dan was suggesting. And the car was running great in these more advanced settings.

Please let m eknow your thoughts:
1. Which distributor should I have?
2. Which specs should I use?

I think with 123 the second question is more important, actually...

Pawel

[Benz Dr.]

More than likely a 051.

[Tyler S]

Pawel, Have a look at this thread. Some good info.
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=1455.0

[Pawel66]

Dan, Tyler, thank you - very helpful indeed.

I will then stick to what I was advised before with setting the curves (I think in setting the 123 there are 5 points of the curve determined, separately for shaft advance and vacuum advance):

1. Total 38 BTDC at 3000rpm (with vacuum, but that does not matter that much at 3000rpm)
2. Say 27 BTDC with vacuum at 1500 rpm - I am reading from the table in Technical Manual, adding 8 degrees
3. Say 8 BTDC with vacuum at idle
4. This would mean 16-22 BTDC at starter speed, if I am not mistaken

We have the graphs separate for rpms and vacuum, but I am not sure if I know relationship between rpm and vacuum value. So I am not sure about e.g. 1500rpm values.

If you have time and nerve - please take a look at the above and correct me. In this 123 I cannot simply set the 3000rpm value - I have to input the curve.

Pawel

[Tyler S]

Pawel, you do not need to use all 5 points. You can use a start and end point only. I'll fire up my app and get a screen shot for you to use as a baseline. Also because vacuum is very low at starter speed, the 123 is already advancing the timing during cranking.

[Tyler S]

I have been messing around with the curves on the 123 and this is the best setup I have come across. This may vary slightly from car to car. This would be for replacing a 051 or 009. The key to remember is this is for Manifold Vacuum on the throttle body. This is with a static mechanical timing set to ~5 to 8 deg BTDC at idle. Be sure you have vacuum at idle from the throttle body vacuum line.

Since this is turning into a 123 thread, A Mod may want to move this to Research and Development and add 123 ignition to the title.

[Pawel66]

Tyler, lovely - the best I could expect, thank you!

Yes, the vacuum line goes from the manifold in the throttle body to the distributor through the thin hose - the regular way - I think this is what you mean.

Great!

Pawel

[Pawel66]

Well, yes, I am sorry - I started the 123 related topic under a separate thread...

Well, a Mod's got to do what a Mod's got to do... 

I will be more careful next time.

[Tyler S]

Pawel, Sorry I didn't see your other post. I missed it somehow. I will post the graphs in that thread.

[Pawel66]

I think they are valuable overall for many of those on this Forum...