Hot Rods Want to hear another Pertronix woe

For some 7 years I have had an Accel module in my coupe. Well the car died. No start after that. Coil got so hot I couldn’t touch it. Changed the coil. No start. Changed to a Pertronix module. No start. Moved the timing checked this and that. It tried to fire. Moved the dist. again. Then it fired and blew the mufflers apart. Stopped and called for help. Long story short. Today we put a points dist. in it and it fired and idled nicely. I’m thinking I’ll just run me some points now.

 

“ NO “

 

Excellent choice, with an extra set of points, condenser, and coil you can always get back on the road. A good friend of mine made it to Bonneville and the Pertronic on their sbc quit working, they were able to locate a set of points etc and searched the pits for a dwell meter. No one had one but my friends knew how to use a feeler gauge and made it back home. Not every Pertronic will fail but there have been enough problems that it's hard to feel confident that they won't.

 

So how is that Pertronix’s fault? You had a no start issue and changing the dist. fixed it.

 

Seems like the engine may have been flooded when it finally fired it blew up inside the exhaust resulting in your blown up Muffler

 

I reside in the stock GM points camp. I have tried all types, Pertronix, MSD, dual point, Accel, with carbs,
blowers, dual carbs, etc. Always came back to good old GM. Easy to modify, easy to work on. Never had
one quit on me. This is going on for 50+ years of experience...just my preference, works for me.

 

The way I read this is you had a parts failure after 7 Years of smooth running. You didn't do a proper diagnosis of the issue. As most Parts Changers, NOT mechanics do started throwing parts into the box hoping to get lucky and make it run again. You blew up a Muffler due to your own lack of Home Work. There is a FREE 1-800 info tec line for Pertronix that you chose not to use. Electrical parts don't last forever yet after 7 good years this is Pertronix Problem? I think I see this differently. My Dad used to say there are Parts Changers and then there are Mechanics and Parts Changers will always blame the parts.

 

I don't understand why when someone's car quits they start moving the distributor, that is crazy. So then you have it out of time and it blows the muffler .

 

I had to go back to points just recently after I lost my ACCEL points eliminator kit. Wasn't the fault of the ACCEL kit, but my own fault. The ballast resistor is required with the ACCEL kit, and it failed. So I thought I'd just jumper it to see if it ran, and that worked. But I pulled the car into the driveway, and as I stopped, so did the engine. I did more testing, and discovered my short run time was all it needed to destroy the ACCEL kit.
Went and bought new points and condensor and swapped it back. ACCEL sent me a new module for a small fee, and maybe I'll reinstall them someday? In the meantime it runs great, so no big hurry to do it.

 

I understand exactly how both systems function. I’ve also been a truck technician for 30 years and replaced and tuned lots of points systems. That being said, I will always choose electronic ignition over a points set up. I have nothing against points, it’s just a personal preference. I also have approximately 10 Pertronix units on my fleet of equipment/vehicles and have not had a failure yet. However, I’m a stickler about coil resistance and NOT leaving a key turned on. Little Truckdoctor and I are getting ready to put an SBC into our 1950 3100, and I might put a points distributor in it just to teach Little Truckdoctor how ignition systems work. That and I’m thinking of rams horns and I love the under manifold look of plug wires.

 

So can you get 100,000 miles out of your spark plugs with points?

 

Nailed it.

 

so looking for some input & recommendations here. have a stock 305 sbc in my 40 Ford with a pertronix dist about 7yrs old. the pertronix replaced a stock hei dist that was in it. had a problem with the stock dist where the dist was advancing too much when I revved it up. mechanic friend did the diag so I used the pertronix with his recommendation. now I am having similar issues so I created a post about a month ago "sporadic rough running sbc". I am beginning to think I have a bad dist again. are pertronix any good or what do you "experts" recommend if I go with a different brand???? unfortunately I am just a parts replacer not a mechanic.

 

I don't know about Accel modules but when you change from points to a Pertronix kit or back, in the same distributor, the timing is off, enough that it probably won't start until re timed, and may backfire. They have to make the modules fit using then old points screw holes, so that determines the location.

 

Everybody has his own "favorite" system, that's cool. I have a Pertronix in my mild 327 10 years now. I used their coil and followed their directions. I'm happy. I worked many years in the equipment field ( forklift, warehousing equipment, etc) and literally installed or serviced hundreds. I can probably count on one hand the number of failures. Some of those might have even been self inflected, who knows? I think either system properly set up will give tons of service. No need to hate either.

 

Moriarity nailed it here. It don't matter what is under the Cap you have to service things,, Period!

911Steve. No matter what spark unit you change to in your Dist housing it will NOT CHANGE the advance curve. That takes a Mechanic with the proper machine and knowledge to recurve it.

 

Would you mail me the distributor with the Pertronix in it so I can "test" it out? I will advise if it negatively affects my mufflers or other parts. I'm serious and I will pay shipping.

 

Doing no provenative maintenance on a electronic system can cause failure as well. Not checking bad plug wires and plugs close to fouling out but still spark enough to fire are taxing and cause over heating of the electronics system. No such thing as maintenance free.

 

This post title by 325w should have been, "Can You Believe This"! And the opening line being I got 7 years and XXXXX miles out of my Pertronix ign with Zero service or maintenance! That is amazing!

 

Well, he got the 7 years out of an ACCEL module, then had issues, changed the coil but issue remained. Putting in the Pertronics did not solve it, but a new distributor did.

 

Actually he got 7 years out of an Accel unit and put in the pertronix when it wouldn’t start. No matter really, I’m betting “just” replacing the Accel module with points would not have fixed the problem either. JMHO
Edit: Budget36 types faster and was more concise.

 

I'm glad you said you blew the muffler. I was looking at the pic thinking you ran over a drip pan. Dang Pertronix caused me to run over a perfectly good oil pan !!


I'm in the I don't care crowd. I have points in some and a Pertronix distributor in others.
Points are easy. Not super efficient, but reliable for the most part. But, so are electronic modules. You can keep a set of each in the glove box in about the same amount of space.

I was amazed at how much spark plugs are now. I guess since most cars only use 4, if you double the price, you still have the same profit margin as when everyone needs 8.

 

By the process of elimination, for a minute there, it appeared to be a muffler problem.

 

The module in the HEI on the 351 W in my avatar went out recently. Waiting for a new one.
Update: put a new module in and it went in about 50 miles. Only waited 2hrs for AAA.
My friendly NAPA actually warrantied the module. I also replaced the coil and the condenser. So far so good.

 

I keep an extra points and condenser for my points rides.
I think I have an extra module with my HEI on the bus. (Need to check)
Sometimes carry an extra coil on long trips.
An extra petronix module isn’t cheap but points is simple to put back on.
Stuff breaks down. Part of this game.

 

I think he has a Pertronix brand distributor that replaced the original HEI distributor. Not a Pertronix module in a GM distributor housing.

911steve, I think maybe your friend misdiagnosed the original problem 7 years ago. Distributors don't suddenly change their advance curve all by themselves. Also, a Pertronix style electronic ignition rarely has intermittent problems, it seems they work great, until they don't; and when they don't work they don't work at all. Not rough running, they just don't work, period. I.e. the module fails to cause the coil to generate a spark. You could have other ignition problems causing an intermittent problem, such as lose or corroded wiring/connections. You could have a bad distributor cap and/or rotor. You could have failing sparkplug wires, and/or spark plugs. Really just changing parts isn't the best strategy for correcting the problem, a little more troubleshooting is probably in order.

 

With a Ford or other engine with the distributor in the front, it makes sense, for the same reason they start fiddling with the carb. Because it's right there on top and in front!

And a spare muffler!

 

Any ignition will start running rough or misfiring because of a bad plug wire that’s too close to an exhaust, hot coil, oiling or rich spark plug etc. As car guys we should look at wiring etc when we change our oil or other servicing.