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Using the B310 electronic distributor in other A-series engines s a very simple swap, with only one minor modification needed to put it in an older 1971-1973 A-type engine. This distributor is factory stock on 1979-1982 Datsun 210 (North American version of the B310), and is commonly known as a "matchbox" distributor for the small black electronic box bolted to the outside of the distributor.
The 1980 Hitachi "matchbox" distributor on 1972 A12 engine. Note how it looks very similar to the 1971-1973 Hitachi or Mitsubishi distributor.
NOTE: This is not the same as the Hitachi electronic distributor as can be found in some New Zealand Sunnys and earlier North American B-210s. The one we are talking about here has a small 'black box' bolted on the side of the distributor.
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Advantages
- stealth. Looks very much like a factory 1200 point setup
- Larger cap -- less chance to crossfire (important in humid climates)
- High-energy spark -- uses full 12V coil (no ballast resistor)
- No points to wear out, no dwell to adjust
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Inspection
See: Matchbox#Inspection
CAUTION: The mechanical parts often go bad after 20 years. Inspect carefully before buying.
The good news is the electronics almost never go bad!
Mechanical
1. If you are working with an old-style A-series engine (1966-1973), modify the distributor hold-down bracket to fit old-style block. The mounting bracket on newer distributors needs a slot cut with a hacksaw. For details, see Using Newer Distributor.
2. Remove old distributor, Insert new distributor. And of course, set initial timing. For details, see the Ignition Timing article.
Wiring
Ah, this is the easy part, especially if you get a cut of the wiring harness when you purchase your distributor. But if you don't, it's still easy to hook up the wires.
The module has two wires
Battery
Signal out
Connect wiring as shown here.
- The small black square on right side of schematic is the condensor
- As you can see, the two wires on the distributor go to the two coil wires.
The two wires on the distributor go to + and - terminals of the coil
- Remove the standard low-energy coil and ballast resistor, then bolt the 12V coil in its place
- I believe the condensor is optional, it is to reduce radio interference. I bolted the condensor to the distributor mounting screw. Keep it away from the vibration and heat of the engine (mount it to the body panel). One end of the condensor can go to the ground spade-connector on the distributor body
- One side of the ballast resistor has a 12V IGN feed, so connect the Black/white wire to this original wire (Black/white)
On the distributor's black box module, the T-connector wiring is:- Head of T: "C" connector goes to Blue (L) wire (coil negative)
- Stem of T: "B" connector goes to B/W wire (coil positive)
Spark Curve
When swapping distributors, will the spark curve be right?
Actually, the weights and curves from a stock A12 distributor are not right for performance. You should calibrate every distributor if you want maximum performance.
Otherwise, yes it will run as-is no problems. Set the static initial timing to 5 degrees BTDC for USA distributors, as they have MORE advance than non-USA distributors (which are set to 7 degrees initial). Likely you could go up to 7 or 9 degrees, but it depends on the tolerance of the individual distributor and your specific engine. In other words, don't let it ping.
Troubleshooting
The black matchbox controller is super-reliable, so any problems are likely to be elsewhere. For testing procedure, see Matchbox Testing.
Part Numbers
The B310 (D4K) cap & rotor is the same as Hitachi D4A points ignition. See Hitachi_D4A_Distributor#Cap_.26_Rotor
The coil is
For other distributor parts see Hitachi D4K Distributor
Vacuum Advance
All 1974-1982 USA model B210 and B310 use the same vacuum advance modules. Advance varies slightly by year and model. Some are advance/retard units. See Datsun Factory Service Manual for details.
See Late-model Vacuum Advance for part numbers.
Distributor Numbers
See Hitachi D4K Distributor
