Technical Dumping the points

Sorry guys, but points ignition are about the least reliable ignition systems ever, and have left people stranded on the side of the road millions of times. And yes, more than once I've had to clean and set points on the side of the road, and once I had to replace the points completely. I was lucky that the local auto parts store in the middle of the desert (Adelanto CA) happened to have a set of points for the Holly distributor on my Cornbinder 345. That was 40 years ago, I doubt I would be so lucky today.

I'm not terrified of points, I've driven many, many miles on cars with points ignition, and would do so again. But I'm realistic in that they do crap out on you when least expected, and often at a bad time, like when you're in a hurry to get somewhere, or at night, in the rain, or in the middle of the dessert. Let's not romanticize things here, it is a primitive system at best and it is prone to failure. And sorry again Claymart, but it's not because I don't know how a points type ignition system works. Because people don't agree with you it must be because they don't know how they work? Really? That's a pretty ignorant statement right there.

None of my cars currently have points ignition, but it's not because I am terrified of them or don't know how they work; the cars I have came to me with electronic ignition, and I'm not inclined to reverse that and go back to a more primitive less reliable system. If my next car has points I'll probably be fine with that too. I'm just not into romanticizing about a particular ignition system, and forgetting about all the troubles that go along with it and pretend that it is something it isn't. Electronic ignition systems are far more reliable, if you compiled the data (and I bet somewhere in the logs of the SAE somebody has) electronic ignitions systems have improved the reliability of the modern automobile by multiple times over points ignition systems.

If you LIKE to use points ignition systems, that's fine. "Likes" are subjective and there is way to quantify it. It is something you like, and that's it. Objectively, electronic ignition is superior in spark intensity and in reliability. Arguing otherwise is foolish.

 

Are you gonna reimburse me for the tow bill when the electronic ignition died in my OT suburban, and the parts were not available in town to fix it?

That's never happened to me with points

 

Are you gonna reimburse me for the time spent replacing points?

 

I'll reimburse your tow bills.

 

I have also had issues with an aftermarket electronic ignition system.... When they quit you are done. Period. Call a tow truck. OEM electronics however, are very reliable.

I may have had to fiddle with points on the side of the road a couple of times over the last 50 years but was always able to drive it home.

 

Most incredulous statement so far. Based on what? Maybe you are thinking of how many petronix failures get towed.

How many old timers here that spent their entire careers in Auto Repair shops back in the "points days" can recall how few cars were towed in just for points/condenser failures??..then let us know how many got towed in for electronic ignition failures when they first came into being. Don't BS me, Ok?


Should we shut down the hamb just because a bunch of shit starters can't wait to bash the old ways and old parts? The biggest laugh I read on the hamb a few years ago, was some asshat that said converting to just a dual master cylinder alone, will make the car stop better. F- me, this place needs a refocus.

How sick do you get of the never ending threads on some tool that does a "brake upgrade" to discs, and then can't get it to stop. .., or, use a hyd TOB because linkage is too "hard" to design and then they have failure issues from overextending or whatever. The old ways WORK.

BTW, my daily for over 1.5 years is a 32 with ALL old stuff, and I don't have a wife or a GF car here as a back up. My only other registered vehicle is a 66 truck (also with points). I don't own a cell, or AAA, or carry a spare tire or tools. I guess some of us can make this "old crap" work?..and.... quite obviously, some can't.
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I don't post much here anymore as things are changing a bit too much...the juice ain't worth the squeeze...perhaps..

.

 

Every system will have someone who has a horror story. I have had points systems that had condenser failures without warning and a fried Pertronix due to my failure. I once bought a very nice ‘40 Chevy because the owner put in cheap points and condenser and could not get it to run right. As time goes on the availability of quality replacement parts may be the problem with old ignitions.

 

My vehicles are from 1929, 1960, 1965, and 2006.

None of them have points. The newest one does not even have an ignition system!

 

Well, I worked in a commercial truck dealer service department back when IH still sold a lot of gas powered trucks. And road calls for downed trucks due to a failure with the points ignition system was probably one of the most common service calls, next to air leaks.

 

I have been stranded for a bad condenser, never points. I did have a condenser throw me a curve. I had an O/T 68 Camaro, it would die then restart and run for about a quarter mile then quit again. Thought it was a fuel filter or something. Let it sit for a bit and fire up and do it again. I was a young man then and Dad told me a bad condenser would show a pink spark at the points. Checked and sure enough. Weak spark. Just a little story I thought I'd share. Lippy

 

gotta love the "trash can"

 

I like to use points with a Boyer Brandsen unit that takes the HT off them and just uses the points as a switch. Solves the problem of unreliable condensers.

Sent from my moto g(6) play using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

No matter what they naysayers post, I still love points (and condensers)

 

Don't hand me that junk about"you just don't understand how points work" I was changing points before a lot of you were outta diapers, if even born. But the last motor vehicle I had with points was an OT '73 GMC p'up, and all those points did for the last several years I owned it, was to trigger one of the very first MSD systems that used the points as a trigger for a capacitive discharge box. The block and crank from that engine are now the core of the feisty sbc in my '31 Hiboy, and equipped with a MSD system that will throw a blue spark about 2"plus.
Sure, I've had a failure or two with electronic ignitions in those years since I got rid of points and condensers, but I haven't spent time on the roadside with a matchbook cover trying to clean up a set of points enough to get home, and I haven't had to change plugs that only had 8-10,000 miles on them because the damn engine wouldn't pull hard past 3500 rpm without another hassle of changing plugs, as they last for many times that.
Me? I'll chance a failure once in awhile rather than go through all the headaches of an obsolete system that is getting harder and harder to find replacements parts to maintain it, and even then, if you like to buzz one up now and again, it'll probably spit, pop, and just laugh at you when you lean on the "loud pedal"..

 

Am I in the Twilight Zone?
This is the HAMB,,,,site of traditional hot rods,,,correct?

Yes,,,,points can go bad,,,very rarely just out of the blue.
Yes,,,condensers do fail,,,sometimes just out of the blue.

You deal with it and go on,,whatever floats your boat.
The older I get,,,the more I don’t trust anything electronic.

Which is why I carry an electronic eves dropping device with me at all times,,,it’s called a Smartphone. LOL
They know more about me than I do,,,lol.

Tommy

 

I think the original poster got scared away.

 

That is actually the ideal distance for a 68 Camaro.

 

drove two OT Datsuns in the old days and put about 200,000 miles on the pair. you get about 6-8,000 miles before it starts to run shitty, then you change the points when it gets hard to start.

my "late model" 1993 GMC had close to 100,000 miles on the cap-rotor-plugs and wires before it had difficulty starting and I realized it had been that long. my spark plug gap was 3/8 if not 1/4 inch and it still started and ran pretty good. never saw an electrode so worn.

open your plug gap that big and see if it will start with points

 

i think we all got our point,s across

 

A new set of points and condenser in my travel tool box for my 32 , extra in saddle bag along with 2 new plugs in the Harley . OEM Electronic ignition is the only thing I would ever swap either for and don’t for see that in the near future . It has been years after I have owned or looked at a flat motor ignition breaker plate . The way Henry did things in the historic past , I would bet it would not be considered brain surgery to swap Dura Spark guts and run GM HEI brain . Not sure , but that is the way I would convert or just run what you brung .

 

You've advanced your position well, but expect some resistance, many people don't have the capacity to understand this stuff, it just doesn't spark their interest. Shocking, I know, that's just how it is.

 

The majority of vehicles here are driven 5000 miles a year or less. Points will work just fine, basic upkeep of the vehicle will keep it running fine. In my work truck I put over 35000 miles a year, that
is an application which calls for electronic ignition.

 

I got into my 65 F100 w/ 352 one morning and no spark. I take off the dist cap and look inside. Is it the points, condenser, or coil that has gone bad. I have no idea. I buy a Pertonix and matching coil and life has been good for the last 8 years.

 

Have patience, Grasshopper, your time will come.

 

I'm with the points people for several reasons. You have something old (car, tractor, tube radio, furniture) because of what it is, how it was designed, etc. Once you start changing things it becomes less of what it was. The joy (to me) is understanding how it was designed and the appreciation and ability to work on it, keep it working.
My wife and I have some old cars original as possible, but also new Mustangs. If the new Mustang stops running all you can do is safely pull off the road and start walking. Why open the hood? Old cars have always gotten us home, even with a variety of problems sometimes. Carry a few extra parts! Beauty is simplicity.

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Pertronix states in their instructions to have a spare set of points and condenser in the glove box just in case....just putting that out there

 

x2. Points will get you home.

 

Really? Where?

 

Step #4 in Pertronix Igniter II.

4. "The Ignitor does not require any modification to the distributor. Therefore the point, condenser and hardware can be used as backup."

Presentation is without bias, just provided as 'fact'. I take it as a polite warning.

 

The 250 I have in my 36 Chevy had the stocker, the shaft bushings had a lot of play and the dwell was jumping around SO I popped for a Pertronix flamethrower distributor and matching coil ( big money). Truck ran nice and smooth, I was happy UNTIL I inadvertently left the key on while doing a compression test and burned up the module ( my mistake, cant knock the Petronix for that). So back in with the points distributor and the fancy schmancy one has a new home in the spare parts cabinet, maybe I'll buy a new module, maybe I'll just refuse the stocker and buy quality points/ condenser. I've always kept a new set of points in the glove box with a old match book, simple is always better. Mitch.