massive EMI from DUI

Hi guys,
I just installed the DUI ignition. I'm very pleased with the quality and performance of the unit, but I'm getting massive EMI. I can't even listen to my radio. Thoughts, suggestions, similar experiences?

Obviously, I want to keep the unit, it's miles ahead of the DSII (and I kept cooking my coils - don't mount to engine!), but I really need to solve this problem.
Thanks,
James

yeah I killed a couple of coils too got it on the shock tower now

I e-mailed Performance Distributor's to see what they recomend. I will get back to you when I hear something from them.

Geez, that thing must be powerful! Do you have your power wire for the radio running close to it?

If its a standard GM HEI there is a condenser under the rotor hooked to one of the module wires. Where did you get the power to run it? I would more suspect something near the plug wires or a bad ground on your radio antenna. They usually ground with a couple of spikes on the underside of the fender. It sort of looks like a toggle bolt underneath. If its anything like my mustang I bet its a big rusty mess inside the fender....assuming thats where yours is mounted that is.

I haven't had any issues with my radio.....Strange?

Thanks Mike, I look forward to hearing from them.

Well, I redid a bunch of wiring to tidy up my engine bay since I was losing the DSII. In the process I moved a fuse block to the shock tower near the dizzy.

One likely culprit is probably the power wire, though, which runs from the I terminal on the starter relay to the dizzy along the shock tower braces. For part of that run it is alongside the memory power wire for the radio. cable tied and wrapped in flex conduit. As a video technician, you would never run signal wire alongside power wire, but since these are both power I figured it's be okay.

My spark plug wires are bosch, so pretty good, but maybe not isolating enough?

As for the antenna, I don't even have one, jsut a stump where it used to be. But yes, what's left is inside the fender and the rubber boot that protects the fender is long gone, so likely a rusty mess.

Could be a ground loop maybe. They sell isolators at Radio Shack and other electronics places that work pretty well. My radio is AM and picked up interference from the spark plug wires and alternator until I got one of those. Now it's (comparatively) crystal clear.

falcon fanatic":2rzu4mh3 said:

...One likely culprit is probably the power wire, though, which runs from the I terminal on the starter relay to the dizzy...

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Are you taking power FROM the "I" terminal? Normally this terminal supplies full 12 volts to the coil while cranking only. It has feedback voltage from the stock coil but will be at reduced level due to the ballast resistor in the stock system.

If you have removed the stock resistor/wire and replaced with regular wire then it will serve as a handy terminal post. Other than that I see no advantage.
Joe

Here's the reply from Performance Distributors

Is he runnig our Live Wires or some brand of 8mm wires? A good quality spiral core wire will usually prevent it. Also, make sure that his plug wires are separated nicely.

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Joe,
I removed the resistor wire years ago. Couldn't see the advantage to running the duraspark on 6v rather than 12v. So yes, a handy terminal post! Hopefully It's not a stupid idea for any other reason.

Thanks for the feedback mike. I suspected as much. Also, not only are the wires smallish, they're also a wee bit short with the taller distributor and kind of stretch across each other in several places. I guess It's off to your website!

falcon fanatic":g9o1xkfl said:

... So yes, a handy terminal post! Hopefully It's not a stupid idea for any other reason...

Click to expand...

Shouldn't be any harm that I can tell. Just seems like the long way around. Are the solenoid and coil on opposite sides of the engine bay?
Joe

so mounting your coil to the block is a bad idea?

"falcon fanatic"Thanks for the feedback mike. I suspected as much. Also, not only are the wires smallish, they're also a wee bit short with the taller distributor and kind of stretch across each other in several places. I guess It's off to your website!

Click to expand...

Doesn't the package come with wires?

Jackfish,
Yes, the package does come with the wires. I didn't get the package, just the stand-alone distributor. I'm going back for the package, though, since that seems like the "right" way to do it. Fiddling with my wire placement seems to help the emi a little, so I figure better wires with propoer spaces will probably do the trick. I'll let you all know.

hasa68mustang":6rrl0ao6 said:

so mounting your coil to the block is a bad idea?

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Maybe not but Ford (and others) have mounted many millions of stock coils on the block/heads. Can't be all that bad.
Joe

Lazy JW":1g5bju55 said:

hasa68mustang":1g5bju55 said:

so mounting your coil to the block is a bad idea?

Click to expand...

Maybe not but Ford (and others) have mounted many millions of stock coils on the block/heads. Can't be all that bad.
Joe

Click to expand...

mine's always been on the block with no problems.
It's a generic 40,000 volt coil with Pertronix and 8mm Accel wires.

Update:

Installed the live wires and that pretty much solved the problem. I'm sure if I separate my coil power wire from alongside my radio power that will get me to 100%. Interestingly, adding the live wires improved my idle over the Bosch wires to the tune that it went up 200rpm and I had to readjust the carb.