To the OP. Electronic ignitions put out more spark, be it an HEI or a Pertronix unit. More spark = more power, better performance, better gas mileage and better starting. I've never had an electronic ignition system fail on me. I had a points distributor fail on me 3 weeks ago, dropped in an HEI unit and the performance was much better.
That must be why my Lemans has had the same set of points in it for the past six years, and I haven't even adjusted them. Run whatever ignition system you like, but stop making up stories.
Yeah, sort of like flatheads, stovebolt sixes, nailhead Buicks, straight front axles, buggy springs, torque tubes, drum brakes.............
just finished a 69 bug last week that I had to swap back to the stock points after the owner had multiple issues with the pertronix. this would be the 6th set of pertronix i have had to remove from cars to get them to run. i like the idea and what they do but unfortunately the unreliability turns me off. all differnt motors and different styles i have seen go bad. more bummer stories than success stories. on the other hand the mallory unilite is a great setup and the distributors look like the old dual point units. so thumbs up for that if electronic is what you wish.
I guess I should pull the points out of the Mallory in my Y-block Model A and put in pertronix. And then replace the generator with a 1 wire alternator. And then pull the Y-block and install an LS. And then replace the I-beam and buggy spring with IFS. And then s**** the Model A body in favor of a new Speedstar roadster. And then stop reading the HAMB because I've just turned into a cry-baby doll loving panzy that's scared of old technology.
I just think you see alot more problems from the points and condensors that are available new from the major parts stores today becuase they are not of the same quality as the original stuff. That's why you hear all of these stories all the time about the condensors failing or the points don't last. You sound like you've got a good set in your lemans. I replaced the points in my 72 Skylark with pertronix and it was like a whole new engine. Ran way way better. The points I took out were working and had been for some time. Major improvement for little effort.
After 3 failed Pertronix units in my 32 roadster, running a generator, I'm now using a Older Mag, and could not be happier, the car runs better than it ever did.
I always listen to what GMC Bubba (Jim Linder) says...a good rebuilt stock distributor with a quality set of points and a stock coil is all you need... I had a Pertronix in my '56 Truck, and my wife had a 100% original '67 Camaro 327/stock dizzy...they both ran great...I'm going to let Bubba do my next 283 dizzy with points.
I'm on the fence.....My first experience with petronix was with my 72 blazer with a SBC and points distributor. I installed the first petronix and it lasted for 6 months or so, then mysteriousness it died. The second set lasted 15 minutes. Died. the third set lasted a week before I then installed a factory HEI. as I didn't trust them anymore. No problems in 10 years. The second experience is My girlfriends Falcon, popped the cap to check everything out after we bought it. Found petronix, thought "Oh, great...." put the cap back on, haven't touched it since....that was almost 3 years ago.
WOW after reading 50 posts i finally seen one i can answer. You are correct, IF the engine made 300 horse power with a properly adjusted distributor set at 30 degrees of dwell using points and we installed a new pertronixs control module the engine would make 300 horse power. However thats not the way it usually works , the pertronixs is installed in a Smilies effort to fix a problem , ie : bad contacts , weak condensor, poor connections etc . Then we install the pertronixs and bang the condition is fixed , so it must have been the addition of the pertronixs.... This is not to say the electronics didnt help the situation and they do use a dwell thats much more accurate than some of the points. Coil saturation is better and certaintly overall performance is enhanced. If for no other reason the tech feels better for after spending some dollars. Only when a need is addressed does any of these higher energy ignitions do anything !!!! Example.= A engine is rebuilt using higher compression (need), and multiple carbs ( need), with a different final gear ration ( need) and a high lift , long duration camshaft ( need) , then a hotter spark is actually needed as the mixture is all messed up and often times we dont ever tune it in for proper air fuel ratio. Attend my seminar this year at the Road Rocket Rumble car show its ***le is call HOT ROD NEEDs......should be a fun discussion!!
AND after reading all these posts i will as time allows run a contact distributor with current proper and ocilliscope and then install a pertronixs and do a post on the etire deal. Stay tuned.....
GMC Bubba says ; I am no ignition expert,... I built a 302 GMC,more compression ,cam ,carb etc.The engine was originally fit with a CD multi spark box triggered by a recurved stock points distributor.All the carb tuning was done around this ignition.Later on I decided to try points with no CD box.The engine had flat spot during part throttle that the high energy CD box covered up.Switching to solid core wires helped some but eventually I had to richen up the part throttle mixture.
Been running petronix in my lincoln for 10yrs now. Just converted to Alt but was running it with stock generator and coil the whole time. Never had a problem. Not sure why I put them in... but 10yrs later I have had no probs. FWIW
I voted points. I've never used petronics so can't comment on that. If I wanted electronic ignition in an older rig, I used the factory system, i.e. /6, 318,etc. Points are reliable, just have to know how to deal with them.
Pertronics...I've put a set in my dual point Vette dist. about 9 yrs. ago and a set in the coupe a couple yrs. back with zero problems !!!! Nuff said.
The only things I prefer over traditional in my 40s rides are my stereo and Pertronix ignition. I had points for many years on my daily. Found it very easy to set up and maintain correctly and never had a problem. When switching to the even easier installed and maintained Pertronix ignition, I noticed an improvement right away, compared to many years of daily driving with points and I never looked back. Have it on both my rides with flamethrower coils for 15 years now and 10s of thousands of miles without a problem, doing all day trips for hundreds of miles across the hot summer desert or errands in freezing temps. Pertronix has never let me down and should it ever fail, I order another one the same day. I would never consider it a bad product, if I have to replace it after all that time without ever having to think about it. I know well and deal with a highly regarded electrical genius engineer, hot rodder and owner of many cl***ic cars, who also designed and sells an ignition module and other electrical gizmos for high performance cars and daily drivers, as a smaller division of his famous audio transformer company in biz for over 80 years. He once told me, after asking about the type of ignition I was using: "If the engineers of the early days would've had magnetic sensor technology available for production, they would have certainly used it instead of points." Pertronix ignition is cheap enough to try, compared to the hundreds or thousands of $ in engine upgrades to just gain a few points more of compression or torque/HP. And don't forget - nothing and nobody is perfect or always right or wrong...Yawn. Do what works for you and makes you happy, regardless what anybody or any data or statistics or polls may look like.
I'm sure plenty of guys are fine with points. Everything back in the day had them. I take my car on multiple state road trips and drive in heavy traffic and finally got sick of changing/cleaning points every 5 minutes. It just gets old. Plus, the quality of points being made these days is just horrible. I like my old cars to be reliable and don't see the point in having something that runs ****ty just for the sake of being able to brag that it's "traditional" or "ol skool". Guess that makes me a goldchainer ***** crybaby. But I'll be cry-baby'in on down the road while you guys with point are on the side of the road with a piece of sand paper and a screw driver. Just sayin'.
Best MPG in my A with points was 24.5. Best MPG in my A, with the Pertronix Ignitor II is 28.5. No other changes.
Some cuss em and some swear by em...so far I swear by Pertronix. Had my Mallory dual point for the flathead converted and other than a bad coil brand new right out of the box upon install, zero problems.
Well I JUST came inside from changing my points to pertronix on my 57 Chevy longroof. It's an upgrade I know but it all comes down to preference and priority. I am handy with a feeler gauge so points were never an issue...as long as you didnt forget about em. I only changed to electronic ignition because I'm about to start working at MCRD San Diego as a Drill Instructor and they dont take "my car wont start" or "must be the points" for a reason of being late. So I'm just eliminating any variables. I'm still running a generator, single master cylinder, all drums, and 2 speed powerglide too.
I have never personally installed a pertronix; BUT about 95 percent of the prospective new customers who call with "carburetor problems" have! We always suggest trying a points distributor. Many call back that their "carburetor problem" was solved with the points distributor. Most of these callers have idle issues. Very rarely do any of these customers say they have any issue other than a miss at idle. I will continue to use points in my own vehicles; but I adjust them with a dwell meter, not a feeler gauge. And in the strictly "hearsay" category; an electronics engineer with whom I was discussing this issue suggesting that when converting to the pertronix, conversion to a high-output alternator would help the idle issue. Something about the electronics needing a more stable voltage than produced by a generator. His words, not mine; just p***ing them along. Jon.
On most cars i've gone with Petronix and always carried new points and condensor with the usual roadside repair kit i carry. Lots of very cold starts and never an issue.
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