Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor?

Posted By: ScottG

Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 12:11 AM

Hey Guys, my dad and I are thinking about installing Ignitor kits in our cars. If you are useing one do you like it? Did you use your same coil or put the Flame Thrower on? Any advise would be appreciated!

Thanks Scott!

Posted By: ph23vo

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 12:12 AM

i,ve got them in 2 cars..bought the ignitor and coil together..also made a custom ballast resitor out of an old burned out one so i keep the stock look dan

Posted By: amxautox

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 12:14 AM

I have Pertronix on my AMX. Had it installed in '98. I don't know if it is the Ignitor, and I have no idea where the box is, but I DO have the box, someplace.

I use the 'original' [nothing fancy/special] coil and it works great.

Posted By: DAYCLONA

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 12:58 AM

Scott;

I've been running the Pertronix Ignitor systems since 1990 in my own and customers cars, with no issuses or failures....IMHO your better off going with the Pertronix Ignitor III conversion kit PN# 71381A, retails for $115, from Summit Racing, fits under the stock cap, has a RPM rev limiter,...fits into a stock Chrysler single point dist, BBlk or SmBlk, completely bolt-on, no mods needed to the dist,....I'd recommend you get rid of the ballast resistor, you could retain it for "looks" by gutting it out and soldering in a #10 wire between the connectors in the ceramic ballast, or just join the 2 ballast wires together with a double ended spade connector, and toss the ballast resistor completely,...you do need to use the Flame Thrower III coil with the unit, they have oil and epoxy filled units, chrome or black, they appear factory like in appearance,...regardless of the Pertronix system used, you need to use their line of coils if you delete the ballast from the system, (keeping the factory ballast/coil results in a 9 volt set-up,... Flame Thrower coil/ no ballast results in a 12 volt system, much prefered IMHO)I'd recommend the epoxy coil, wiring is straight forward and easy, after bolting in the module and setting the gap on the HallCell (much like putting in points) there's 2 wires that go to the coil, black to negitive, and red to positive on the coil,...just make sure the ignition lead (usually blue) from your car's harness is connected to the positive lead on the coil,...simple

Few do's and don'ts, do run a copper terminal dist cap, the mopar REPRO FACTORY tan cap is recommended, do not run an aluminum terminal cap, never gap the HallCell with anything other than the plastic feeler gauge supplied, do not run solid core ignition plug wires, do not run any MSD/Accel or other CD IGN systems with the Pertronix (not needed, plus they will destroy the HallCell), never remove the GREEN tape (magnetic) wrapped around the HallCell magnet, never leave the key on in the ighition mode without the engine running for more than 30 seconds as this will destroy the HallCell, if you must trobleshoot the ignition with the key in IGN mode for long periods of time, remove the Pertronix red/positive lead from the coil, for extended periods of testing, with the Pertronix the Bosch Platinum plugs (single or multi tip) are best plugs for the system that I've found to run,...the Petronix III is good for up to 8400 RPM,....I'd recommend you use a new/rebuilt CHRYSLER single point dist when you do the swap, the HallCell is sensitive to shaft side to side play, a worn busing/shaft will shorten the life of the HallCell,...Pertronix also offers a set of Factory looking plug wires, SM/BBlk applications....follow these simple rules/install tips and you'll find that the Petronix Ignitor series is very reliable, troublefree, experiences no ignition break up at high RPM, no more carbon tracking in the cap/rotor, easier/faster starts, hot or cold, and you can run the Bosch Platinum single or multi tipped plugs that the Factory Chrysler/MP electronic ignition or MSD CD set-ups can't even fire, let alone run...

Mike

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 01:12 AM

Dayclona I've been wanting to get an ignitorII & I'm wondering if the only adv of the III is the rev limiter which I do not need. If more than that what are the diffs between the two units

Posted By: NicksGarage

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 01:18 AM

I had the Petronix in my '64 wagon fail when I was on a camping trip last year. I wasn't close to home so I didn't have the parts to put the points back in. Ended up buying a rebuilt distributor at a Napa store to get me back on the road. I don't think they fail very often. It had been on the car for four years.

Posted By: 05dakota

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 04:13 AM

had an ignitor II fail last year. drove car in garage next day nothing.

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 02:46 PM

Quote:

had an ignitor II fail last year. drove car in garage next day nothing.

I was just reaching for my debit card

Posted By: HPMike

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 03:03 PM

One word of caution regarding Pertronix kits with Prestolite dual point distributors. The module doesn't fit properly and needs to be modified to fit the breaker plate. If and when you get it to bolt up, the distributor will likely now be out of phase. It may run, but you can have some engine performance problems. I brought this up with Pertronix some year(s?) ago and spoke at length with a "tech" guy there at which point he proclaimed that the kits should really be pulled off the market and re-designed. I even offered to send them a virgin distributor to get it sorted out, but never followed up on it. In addition, they sell the kit with a really crappy grommet that doesn't fit the distributor housing properly and constantly falls out. I haven't used them since that experience.

I am one of those people that thinks that a properly working breaker points system is completely FINE, especially for the way these cars get used(sparingly). The way you hear people talk about point failures, you would think that in the 60's and 70's that cars were strewn all over the highways with burnt out points. Pure folklore and just not the case. Remember that all the points do is open and close to collapse the field in the coil. There was more to worry about "silent" timing chain sets with the nylon teeth than any points related failures on these cars. Heck, I raced a car for years with a points distributor and never had a failure-ever. On the other hand, I have had MSD boxes take a crap- on several occasions....

Your results may vary....

MB

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 03:44 PM

Quote:

I am one of those people that thinks that a properly working breaker points system is completely FINE, especially for the way these cars get used(sparingly).

My tach/dwell meter has been collecting alot of dust EDIT for a points afficionado the Jacobs' ign bible has a TON of excellent info on all aspects of hotrodding points systems, worth the money

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 04:07 PM

Quote:

One word of caution regarding Pertronix kits with Prestolite dual point distributors. The module doesn't fit properly and needs to be modified to fit the breaker plate. If and when you get it to bolt up, the distributor will likely now be out of phase. It may run, but you can have some engine performance problems. I brought this up with Pertronix some year(s?) ago and spoke at length with a "tech" guy there at which point he proclaimed that the kits should really be pulled off the market and re-designed. I even offered to send them a virgin distributor to get it sorted out, but never followed up on it. In addition, they sell the kit with a really crappy grommet that doesn't fit the distributor housing properly and constantly falls out. I haven't used them since that experience.

I am one of those people that thinks that a properly working breaker points system is completely FINE, especially for the way these cars get used(sparingly). The way you hear people talk about point failures, you would think that in the 60's and 70's that cars were strewn all over the highways with burnt out points. Pure folklore and just not the case. Remember that all the points do is open and close to collapse the field in the coil. There was more to worry about "silent" timing chain sets with the nylon teeth than any points related failures on these cars. Heck, I raced a car for years with a points distributor and never had a failure-ever. On the other hand, I have had MSD boxes take a crap- on several occasions....

Your results may vary....

MB

I maintained 8 or so international trucks in the early 80s that all have points and gas engines. What PIA that was, they had those gull wing hoods where you had to lay across the fender to get to the dist in the back of the engine to adjust points/dwell. No matter how well you lubed the rubbing block it would wear after 8-10 hours use per day. So dwell would change a little each day, when the truck didn't have any low end power I would have to adjust points. I did it hundreds of times, it sucked. When those converisions came out, I used one on every truck. It was way better than points, made way more spark for sure.

So I don't see how you can say points are just as good?

Just like what said above, don't leave the key on...without the engine running.

The key got left on, on our old fork/lift truck last year and it fried the pertronics in the dist. So I start calling around for another one and hardly anyone who I talked to at the parts stores knew what I was asking for. I wound up buying it from Summit, they carry the full line.

Pertronics list O'reilly auto parts as there distrubuters and the O'reillys I called didn't even know what I was talking about, what a moron that guy was. Because he didn't even offer to call me back even after I indentified myself as a local business just down the street from one of there new stores in our area.

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 04:12 PM

That's one of Dayclona's does and donts is to not leave the key on. I think I'm gonna try the Pertronix II mainly cause I wanna try something different

Posted By: HPMike

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 04:22 PM

Quote:

Quote:

One word of caution regarding Pertronix kits with Prestolite dual point distributors. The module doesn't fit properly and needs to be modified to fit the breaker plate. If and when you get it to bolt up, the distributor will likely now be out of phase. It may run, but you can have some engine performance problems. I brought this up with Pertronix some year(s?) ago and spoke at length with a "tech" guy there at which point he proclaimed that the kits should really be pulled off the market and re-designed. I even offered to send them a virgin distributor to get it sorted out, but never followed up on it. In addition, they sell the kit with a really crappy grommet that doesn't fit the distributor housing properly and constantly falls out. I haven't used them since that experience.

I am one of those people that thinks that a properly working breaker points system is completely FINE, especially for the way these cars get used(sparingly). The way you hear people talk about point failures, you would think that in the 60's and 70's that cars were strewn all over the highways with burnt out points. Pure folklore and just not the case. Remember that all the points do is open and close to collapse the field in the coil. There was more to worry about "silent" timing chain sets with the nylon teeth than any points related failures on these cars. Heck, I raced a car for years with a points distributor and never had a failure-ever. On the other hand, I have had MSD boxes take a crap- on several occasions....

Your results may vary....

MB

I maintained 8 or so international trucks in the early 80s that all have points and gas engines. What PIA that was, they had those gull wing hoods where you had to lay across the fender to get to the dist in the back of the engine to adjust points/dwell. No matter how well you lubed the rubbing block it would wear after 8-10 hours use per day. So dwell would change a little each day, when the truck didn't have any low end power I would have to adjust points. I did it hundreds of times, it sucked. When those converisions came out, I used one on every truck. It was way better than points, made way more spark for sure.

So I don't see how you can say points are just as good?

BTW the key got left on, on our old fork truck last year and it fried the pertronics in the dist. So I start calling around for another one and hardly anyone who I talked to at the parts store knew what I was asking for. I wound up buying it from Summit, they carry the full line.

Pertronics list O reilly auto parts as there distrubuters and the O reillys I called didn't even know what I was talking about, what a moron that guy was. Because he didn't even offer to call me back even after I indentified myself as a local business just down the street from one of there new stores in our area.

Nowhere did I say that points are "just as good".

Just that there are thousands of classic cars today that run points with NO issues-ever. The points distributors in some of these cars are very high quality(Prestolite). Are you going to tell me that the average guy that puts 1 or 2 thousand miles a year(and that is even more than most drive) on a classic musclecar is going to be wearing out points and condensers? No way. Easily last the life of the car.

My father was notorious for never maintaining his cars. Never screwed with the points. Drove into NYC daily and never had a distributor/points failure that I ever remember. And I am old enough to have worked on many points equipped cars and never remember anything close to the failures of "epidemic proportions", the way people talk about it today.

When I raced my Pontiac back in the day, I ran an Accel dual point that I never bothered to change the points on-ever. Shifted at 6500. Switched to an electronic with an MSD box. Car never went any faster.

MB

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 04:33 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

One word of caution regarding Pertronix kits with Prestolite dual point distributors. The module doesn't fit properly and needs to be modified to fit the breaker plate. If and when you get it to bolt up, the distributor will likely now be out of phase. It may run, but you can have some engine performance problems. I brought this up with Pertronix some year(s?) ago and spoke at length with a "tech" guy there at which point he proclaimed that the kits should really be pulled off the market and re-designed. I even offered to send them a virgin distributor to get it sorted out, but never followed up on it. In addition, they sell the kit with a really crappy grommet that doesn't fit the distributor housing properly and constantly falls out. I haven't used them since that experience.

I am one of those people that thinks that a properly working breaker points system is completely FINE, especially for the way these cars get used(sparingly). The way you hear people talk about point failures, you would think that in the 60's and 70's that cars were strewn all over the highways with burnt out points. Pure folklore and just not the case. Remember that all the points do is open and close to collapse the field in the coil. There was more to worry about "silent" timing chain sets with the nylon teeth than any points related failures on these cars. Heck, I raced a car for years with a points distributor and never had a failure-ever. On the other hand, I have had MSD boxes take a crap- on several occasions....

Your results may vary....

MB

I maintained 8 or so international trucks in the early 80s that all have points and gas engines. What PIA that was, they had those gull wing hoods where you had to lay across the fender to get to the dist in the back of the engine to adjust points/dwell. No matter how well you lubed the rubbing block it would wear after 8-10 hours use per day. So dwell would change a little each day, when the truck didn't have any low end power I would have to adjust points. I did it hundreds of times, it sucked. When those converisions came out, I used one on every truck. It was way better than points, made way more spark for sure.

So I don't see how you can say points are just as good?

BTW the key got left on, on our old fork truck last year and it fried the pertronics in the dist. So I start calling around for another one and hardly anyone who I talked to at the parts store knew what I was asking for. I wound up buying it from Summit, they carry the full line.

Pertronics list O reilly auto parts as there distrubuters and the O reillys I called didn't even know what I was talking about, what a moron that guy was. Because he didn't even offer to call me back even after I indentified myself as a local business just down the street from one of there new stores in our area.

Nowhere did I say that points are "just as good".

Just that there are thousands of classic cars today that run points with NO issues-ever. The points distributors in some of these cars are very high quality(Prestolite). Are you going to tell me that the average guy that puts 1 or 2 thousand miles a year on a classic musclecar is going to be wearing out points and condensers? No way.

My father was notorious for never maintaining his cars. Never screwed with the points. Drove into NYC daily and never had a distributor/points failure that I ever remember. And I am old enough to have worked on many points equipped cars and never remember anything close to the failures of "epidemic proportions", the way people talk about it today.

When I raced my Pontiac back in the day, I ran an Accel dual point that I never bothered to change the points on-ever. Shifted at 6500. Switched to an electronic with an MSD box. Car never went any faster.

MB

Sorry didn't mean to misquote,

Was just thinking for about 100 bucks one could upgrade from points and maybe gain a lttle more spark and performance since most of us are concerned with performance.
And you know how that's kinda black magic to mess with in that distributer when it comes time to adjust dwell. lol

Posted By: DAYCLONA

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 05:59 PM

The key got left on, on our old fork/lift truck last year and it fried the pertronics in the dist. So I start calling around for another one and hardly anyone who I talked to at the parts stores knew what I was asking for. I wound up buying it from Summit, they carry the full line.

One of the first Pertronix conversions I did was to convert the companies 1954 Clark car lift (forktruck) over to the Ignitor I,...years of maintaining the points/condensor/cap/rotor which it went thru like wildfire, because the thing ran just about 24/7 were a PITA, I converted it in 1990, 21 yrs later it's only seen oil/filter changes, a few tire changes, and a few mechanical repairs,...but still has the same cap/rotor/plugs/and Pertronix HallCell as well as wires that I put on it in 1990, it's never failed to start/run since then,...still going with it's new owner at a scrap yard where it sits outside 24/7/365

I've played/used just about every factory or aftermarket ignition over the decades on many automotive/motorcycle/marine/industrial engines,....and I always find myself drawn back to the Pertronix line of Ignitior series ignitions,...I find that most failures of the Pertronix are those of an installation error or ignorance of it's function by others,...I've yet to see/hear of/experience a Pertronix failure personally, or of one I have installed in a customers vehicle/boat/equipment...

Regarding the points opinion,...I grew up in the era when points was all there was, that's all we drove, thats all we serviced in the garage,....And I remember all the times I was stranded with burnt point(s)/condensor, the badly carbon tracked caps/rotors, the constantly degrading ignition performance,...yeah

they were awesome

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 06:24 PM

Quote:

Regarding the points opinion,...I grew up in the era when points was all there was, that's all we drove, thats all we serviced in the garage,....And I remember all the times I was stranded with burnt point(s)/condensor, the badly carbon tracked caps/rotors, the constantly degrading ignition performance,...yeah they were awesome

Yup When run all day long, there was a lot of maintance,

When I came to work at this company, they had a extension cord and hair dryer they would use to dry the dist cap so the truck would start. The driver would clock in and then go turn on the hair dryer and let it run while he did his paper work and then try to start the truck and hope it starts. lol Rainy days would shut down half the fleet of trucks until noon time when they could get em all going.

I imediately suggested we get new caps and wires and the lead guy says that would be a waste of money. lol

Well eventually I took over and we replaced caps and wires at least twice per year and never had to use that silly hair dryer ever again, exspecially after we got diesel engines !! lol

Like you said the performance is always degrading no matter how much you run it with points.

Posted By: NicksGarage

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 06:37 PM

Didn't know I was touching the third rail by saying my Petronix failed.

I was so convinced that it couldn't have failed that I replaced everything else before that but no spark is no spark and where I was at, couldn't get a replacement kit without waiting several days. The points distributor could be had in hours. I stuck it in, guessed at the timing and I was on the road again. This is only a 318 2bbl car so I'm not drag racing it or anything more serious than towing my teardrop trailer to campouts. I put the Petronix in based on everyone saying how dead reliable they are. It was installed properly and worked for almost 4 years. I guess I'm just unlucky. I should have just put the original parts in the glove box for insurance.

Posted By: roe

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 06:46 PM

Quote:

Didn't know I was touching the third rail by saying my Petronix failed.

I was so convinced that it couldn't have failed that I replaced everything else before that but no spark is no spark and where I was at, couldn't get a replacement kit without waiting several days. The points distributor could be had in hours. I stuck it in, guessed at the timing and I was on the road again. This is only a 318 2bbl car so I'm not drag racing it or anything more serious than towing my teardrop trailer to campouts. I put the Petronix in based on everyone saying how dead reliable they are. It was installed properly and worked for almost 4 years. I guess I'm just unlucky. I should have just put the original parts in the glove box for insurance .

After getting stuck with failed points,thats what I do, keep a set of points, condensor, and ballast in the glove box. Now that I've switched over to Pertronix, I keep them there as a backup in case the Pertronix fails as a recommendation from others here. But most guys say they have theirs on for many years without issue, maybe you were just unlucky and had a kit fail.

roe

Posted By: DAYCLONA

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 06:57 PM

Quote:

Didn't know I was touching the third rail by saying my Petronix failed.

......everything will fail at some point, regardless of the event, cause, etc,....the Pertronix isn't immune either, nothing in this universe is,....but my opinion, and others who have gone the Pertronix route, and have seen the results being positive, and the performance increased over other alternate ignition systems are supporters of it,...just as there are supporters of MSD (Might-Sputter & Die) systems, points

, and Chrysler/MP electronic systems, as well as a host of other aftermarket systems,...to each his own, in regards as to what one wants to use, the nice thing about this (Moparts) is we get to see/hear other's experiences, good or bad on any subject at hand,....in the end I think we're all trying to help one another

Mike

Posted By: Dakota_Don

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/20/11 07:25 PM

i have the ignitor II and coil, good brass cap and fire core wires on my original 68 dart 318, the first unit crapped out after a week, got replacement and its been running for yrs with out a problem.. this is also ny daily driver rain,snow or shine.. I would use it again.. this thing starts right up, havent had the plugs out since..

Posted By: six-barrel

Re: Who's running original Pertronix Ignitor? - 02/21/11 12:00 AM

Ignitor III has 2 extras vs the Ignitor II, rev limiter and double strike. The ignitor III will spark twice throughout the whole rpm range. Ignitor II and III are used with the Chrysler single point aluminum distributor. The Ignitor I are for dual point presolite distributors.

Alway use the flamethrower coil (different ones for each model of Ignitor) and bypass the ballast.

The Ignitor I, that I use (for dual point presolite distributors) the phasing was terrible!