Product information
With hundreds fitted at RPi, and thousands more sent worldwide, this is the essential ignition upgrade kit to suit any Rover V8 with a standard electronic distributor (except the Lucas Opus). Supplied in the kit is our in-house-developed upgraded ignition amplifier with the option of dual timing for dual fuel vehicles, a set of Magnecor spark plug leads, a Lucas 12V ignition coil, a distributor cap, rotor arm and a set of 8 NGK spark plugs. This kit is intended for vehicles where the present electronic distributor body is in good condition, see below for the tests we normally carry out. Please note we are currently supplying Lucas coils with this kit, not the Bosch coil shown in the photo as these will be unavailable for at least 10 monthsWith this kit, spark output is increased massively compared to the standard system, which means you get an engine which is smoother, has better throttle response, cleaner emissions, increased torque and yes even some additional fuel economy. If that's not enough, we've spent many years and many thousands of miles testing all the products we sell in this kit to ensure it's as reliable as possible and built to last.
What's in the box?
A&R Ignition Amplifier
The A&R ignition amplifier was originally developed as a dual timing unit for vehicles running petrol and LPG. However, during development we found an inefficiency in the standard amplifier, and so the A&R amplifier was born with increased output over the standard amp as well as dual timing ability, resulting in a much bigger spark output - giving gains on both petrol and LPG. A bigger spark at the spark plug means that more of the fuel is ignited at the initial firing of the plug, which leads to the rest of the fuel in the combustion chamber being burned faster and more completely. This in turn results in the gains in throttle response, torque, smoothness and efficiency whether your vehicle is dual fuel or petrol only.
Magnecor spark plug leads
The only brand of plug leads that we will use or consider acceptable for the Rover V8 engine - in our experience even genuine Land Rover items aren't up to the job for long. Magnecor leads are hand built in the UK using stainless steel ends and high quality, EMI suppressed cabling with an aerospace grade silicon outer, these are not to be confused with cheaper alternatives that offer a lot of silicon and not much performance. Looked after properly (aka removed by pulling boots not wires) these leads are guaranteed to last a lifetime. Having seen so many problems caused by other brands of plug lead, we won't use anything but Magnecor. The leads supplied in this kit are 8mm blue but 7mm black and 8.5mm red leads are available by request, please contact us if this is something you require. Please select which vehicle the leads will be fitted to using the drop down menu above to ensure the correct lead set is supplied.
Lucas 12V coil
Compatible with all Rover V8 engines which use a 12v coil and compatible with our ignition system.
RPi Approved Distributor Cap and Rotor Arm
We have tested a huge range of distributor caps and rotor arms, and these come out on top. Please note the cap may be supplied in blue or black depending on availability and is no longer Lucas brand. The rotor arm will be red.
NGK Spark plugs
Last but not least, the set of 8 NGK spark plugs. Built to a high standard, we have used NGK spark plugs for many years and will continue to do so for many more. There's no need for any of the "fancy" spark plugs on the market for any variant of the Rover V8. Iridium, twin electrode, quadruple electrode, platinum, none of them will offer any gains but all will cost you much more. Please select which plugs you require using the drop down menus above. For Post-76 cylinder heads we fit BP6ES, for pre-76 heads it's BP5HS
How do I test my distributor?
- Check the vacuum advance by sucking on the pipe to ensure that it's holding a vacuum. Also check that the base plate is being pulled round
- Check there is no free play in the distributor shaft side to side or rotationally
- Rotate the rotor arm through the mechanical advance, and make sure it snaps back sharply when released
- If your distributor passes all of these tests, the upgrade kit here will be suitable. If only the vacuum advance fails replacement units are available and your distributor body can be retained. However, if your mechanical advance has failed or there is free play in the distributor shaft we advise fitting a new distributor body or purchasing our upgrade kit with the complete distributor. Please see the ignition section of our shop for more information and parts.
RPi Advice
- The base ignition timing for petrol should be set to 6 degrees BTDC, on LPG it's 14 degrees. This will get the engine running but usually a couple of degrees extra advance is required for best performance, in most cases ending up at around 8 degrees BTDC on petrol and 16 on LPG. In all cases the best timing should be confirmed by road test as every setup, engine and vehicle is different.
- Full fitting instructions for wiring the A&R amplifier are supplied in the box, but are also available online here
- Always solder your connections when fitting terminals to wiring - we have seen many issues caused by poorly fitted electrical connectors
- Fitting and tuning advice is freely available from RPi - mail info@v8engines.com with your enquiry or give us a call.
| Brand | Bosch |
| Condition | New |
| Weight | 5kg |