So I am thinking about trying a northstar DIS system on one of my winter projects. Everything I have been reading so far looks like a fairly straight forward deal, but I don't want wires crisscrossing the engine(that's half the reason for getting rid of the cap and rotor setup). So I was thinking, If I could use 2 northstar DIS units wired parallel I could put one on either side of the engine. The unused second post on each coil could simply go to ground.

Will 2 DIS units work in parallel like that? Perhaps I may have to only use the module output signal to the ecu from one, but then connect the downstream signal from the ecu to both boxes.

I'm for sure going to try a single DIS, but two would be real interesting.
Am I out of my head?

 

your biggest problem with this is going to be the mounting of the 4 sensors and two reluctors for that to work. also if grounded spark you'll need to run a @ .100 gap

The wires lay out prety good side to side with one. Ill have to get some better pics. Current set up is 454,ZF-6speed,CC266* roller,N*DIS, blaa, blaa, blaa.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w6LeLHKMRI

 

4 sensors and 2 reluctors? I cant feed both DIS units the same sensor signals?
I surely don't mind the ability to run a bigger plug gap.
I'd be interested in seeing more pics of your wheel and sensor bracket setup. It just so happens that the target for My DIS idea is a GEN V 454, but this one is in a 51 chevy pickup. I'm currently setting up an Offy tunnel ram converted to port injection, controlled by a '730 ECU.

 

Yes I believe they would have to be seperate. they sense off a 100V AC sawtooth sine wave. and they are very sensitive and would see the disipation in the other unit. triggering Limp mode. Yes limp mode is contained within the module.The sensor wires need to be run separate from the Engine harness as well. It will run and drive with Batt+, Gnd,and two of the three sensors (Fixed timimng slope) add the FUEL PULSE/EST HI (PPL/WHT) EST LO (BLK/RED) BYPASS (TAN/BLK Connecor removed)and EST CONTROL (WHT) and Your ECM will pick up the timing. Agian there is a certain Resistance that needs to be met between The CONTROL and EST LO. if this is not met it will again go into limp this will be an issue in a parralell system. You only need the Cam sensor if running SFI(Im not using that). My Reluctor is cut right out of the N* crank(oil passage filled, holes drilled and surface ground) My sensor mount is a chunk cut out of the N* Block and bolted to the studs I put in the pan rail. again Alignment was CRITICAL. I would have to dig out my papers again however I think it was 9* or was it 7* I made the spacers and cut the lower pully thinner on the lathe and rewelded it.

P.S. the N* Firing order and cylinder numbering are different as well

 

If you hadd enough room you could remote mount the module, use the module to fire 8 Multi spark CD boxes running 8 Standard coils conneceted to the plugs via firewall bulkhead connectors. say 4 on each side. and you would retain full muti spark through the whole RPM band. This CD on DIS has been tested with singe CD's using DIS coils and worked VERY well.
GRUMPY(Is Missed) ran this set up in his Buick.

 

GRUMPY(Is Missed), yep, no doubt about it.

There is a difference between Buick and other DIS modules. Which means that firing CDI units from a N* module most likely won't work. What these modules, and Chevy modules do, is to measure the coil current. And adjust the dwell via that measurement.

These modules are smarter then the average bear...

And will shut down if they don't see the proper coil current.

OTOH, a Buick ICM of this era doesn't care. It doesn't care about coil current or whether it is in BYPASS mode for limp SA.

Which means it works with a CDI for each cylinder under ECM control.

I would at least do some experimenting with another module on the bench before wiring the whole thing up in a car. Just to make sure that the ICM is happy with the environment.

RBob.

 

Here's a whole thread about this very thing:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/diy-...y-dizzy-6.html
A lotta reading and some superfluous stuff in there, but it may help you. There is also the EFI Connection 24X system running the LS1 PCM for coil per cylinder on a SBC.

 

How about instead, use a 24x reluctor (already on the market) and 8x LS1 coils. Mount them wherever you please

 

Yea I found this info earlier today and read through it. where was this 5 years ago???there is some Really Good and ALOT of mis info in there. The one major one is that there is no mention of first or second Gen N* DIS Systems. most of the IT WONT WORK examples seem to be second gen related. Yep second Gen is just plain impracticle. but the first gen system is a little dumber. it took me almost two years to get this running and it is a first GEN. and it was still a pita. NOW though the +'s are this thing is almost bulitt proof. it even runs underwater in a mud hole. I can pull the intake without reseting the timing. and I have not had to replace a rotor and cap since either.


and Yes the LS1 setup CNP does seem to be much better than the N* system but was out of my league when I did my N* system. I started @04'

 

Very good point. Yes it is a very touchy module.......only one thing......I never was able to get that thing to run on a bench. only in the truck

 

I think the LS1 CNP is the way to go, in fact that's what I'm working on for my project right now. I have everything but the 24X reluctor and harness, and those are next on my list. I had some ideas back then, 4 or 5 years ago, but this system seems to be the easiest. As I recall that link I posted earlier, some guy posting there got the N* thing working on his 3rd gen.

Here's my project, no pics of the CNP yet though:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3363053

 

Okay, I read the whole Northstar ignition conversion thread;
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/diy-...y-dizzy-6.html

And I am totally convinced that I can accomplish the N* conversion in regular waste spark DIS configuration for the 454 project. I intend to do a couple different cars with these, and when I get the first one running I'm going to go ahead and try to piggyback a second N* module to the first using the A&B crank sensors wired to both modules, the 4x signal to the ECU from only one DIS and then spliting the Ref_Lo, ESC and Bypass back from the ECU to both modules. This will be done as an experiment on an already working system so as to minimize test failures from unrelated issues regarding the DIS conversion.

I understand what Zbuickman is saying about a second module possibly pulling the AC signal down too much, and the comments about the N* DIS being really picky. I appreciate the advice from someone who has experience with these modules, but I still gotta try it because I'm hard headed, and just to say I did
As for driving 8 separate coils from the N* module, sounds like too much monkey motion for me. I think I'd rather just program a microcontroller based ignition driver that would emulate a 7 or 8 pin HEI. It would be fairly simple and use all bolt on hardware from the pick-n-pull yard. Using a Vortec crank sensor (timing cover, reluctor wheel and sensor) plus a Vortec distributor as a cam sensor/oil pump drive. it would be a much simpler task than the current microcontroller project I'm doing right now.
Anyhow, I'll mess with the N* stuff first this winter.

 

going off subject for a sec... what happened to grumpy?

 

Grumpy passed away several years ago.

 

 

it's not practical to mount dual DIS modulesfor alot of reasons, however, you could take the coils off the module and move them, if that helps, they are held on with screws, and have a few bladed connections.

you will have to use the coils in matched cylinder pairs however.....

1 and 6
8 and 5
4 and 7
3 and 2

 

Right, but that wouldnt accomplish what I'm interested in doing. I dont want any wires criss crossing the engine. Basically I was thinking of a simple way to implement a CNP setup, although it would obviously be double firing in a waste spark mode.
BTW, LS1's will fire in waste spark mode if they loose the cam sensor signal.

Now if the N* module could be wired up to 8 coils that would work for me just fine. But from what was said in previous posts, it sounds like the N* module may not tolerate out of spec coils.
Looks like I have a lot of experimenting to do this winter