i to agree 100% with bubba on the fix being a external coil. i had to modify the weights for 16 degrees of mechanical advance also. but still get a little break up when the pedal is stabbed(not every time?) think the external will be the fix. coil wire out of the back bottom would be a good spot.let me know bubba if you want to experiment ive had it open more then 25 times and im really over it at this point
I think your on to something. It sure would make me feel better about the $600 paperweight I have on my desk.
i bought mine new and have just had it stored until the project is ready for it. i don't feel i should have to fix it just to use it. they're the one's who put it on the market before it was ready. 600.00 to 700.00 is alot to spend for a design who's bugs were not worked out. they had better come up with a fix for this on their dime, or word will get out and i for one will not use any of their products. this is b.s.
Hi. I have been looking for a couple of these fake mag look alikes for Chevy to buy. If anyone wants to sell me one, cheep sent me a PM. Sounds like they don't work very well and will need some work to make them perform well. Thank you
Sounds like you are onto something Bubba. Also sounds like a hell of an offer for someone with one of these things laying around useless. Maybe the one in her Hemi should be the test unit.... Hint, Hint....
Ok guys I appreciate all the help. At this point I have sent an email to Joe Hunt to see if they have a remedy for these units. I will let you know what they say.
I have been running a Hunt HEI/mag in my coupe since day one. I have had two problems. One-The caps crack. I just fixed cap 2. $75 each. Two-I as well had the cutting out issue, then died completely. The problem is the ****ty wiring inside the damn thing. Looked like radio shack connectors, no solder, etc... So, I rewired mine properly with solder, heat shrink, etc, and no problems since. I do think that for the money, they should be wired better and have higher quality caps, but for the most part it has been very reliable. And it took all of 30 minutes to fix the wiring issue.
Good to know Mark. I'll give it a try. Those caps are way higher than they should be, I'm on my second one two.
No way! Did yours crack and start arcing out on the firewall? Mine have both cracked in the same spot, but its pretty close to the firewall. I have never seen any rub marks though. In a pinch you can jam rubber or cardboard between them and make it home.
Had nothin but problems with my Joe Hunt fake magneto too, send it back to the manufacturer for repair they charged me $110 bucks for shipping it it still wouldn't work. replaced it with a MSD Ready-to-Run distributor and problem was solved.
I ran one of these on a 392. For some years it was fine with a previous owner and then I started getting a rough running patch just as the engine warmed up. It would always start after about 4 miles, just stumble a little, and then be fine for the rest of the day.This gradually got worse until it became obvious that it was the distributor. One day it cut out and would not start. When it did it would idle but not rev, was firing through the exhaust etc. when I tried. After it cooled for half hour it became fine and I drove home. Being in the UK made getting parts a little harder but Hunts sent me what I needed. Unfortunately they sent the Pertronix parts and my distributor was an earlier unit in which they used Mallory internals. I had to send parts back and wait for replacements so in the meantime i dropped in a MSD distributor and the car was fine. My theory was that these things get no ventilation inside that mag body. The first time mine ran rough was on a run home after I had been stuck in traffic for plenty of time earlier in the day. I suspect that the heat build up in the body was the cause of my problems initially.
Makes me wonder how well they'd work if the pertronix module was replaced with points and a condensor? Seems I've read where people keep a set of those in the glove box just in case their pertronix goes out.
Any news on this, that's a lot of money for something that don't work,I would rather pay bubba to convert an old mag unit,speaking of that if I were to look for a old mag to convert to street use in a 54 331 what should I be looking for?
I think GMC Bubba is definitely on the right track. Years ago I ran a GM TI distributor (small cap dizzy w/HEI like internals minus the coil and module) and set it up with a remote coil and HEI module mounted on a aluminum heat sink. Basically the same type of idea GMC Bubba is talking about. Module is cool, away from "noise" - worked absolutely flawless so long as I used a GM module (aftermarket modules - not so much). Either that or some sort of shielding - mu metal perhaps.
On a similar note, I have a Joe Hunt Scintilla Vertex magneto which was converted for my Hemi (from an Olds Von Franco had in his '32 pickup back when) I had the conversion done in 2007, all new magnets, cap rotor, centrifugal advance, etc. I have had it out of the box for mockup twice, otherwise it has remained in its box, in my safe. Can I expect immediate service when I install it, or will it be problematic? Other Vertex mags I've had sat for 10 years+, worked fine...Someone told me that this one sitting could be trouble. Any experience?
Thanks, Bubba... If it were to develop any internal problems, you would be the one I'd send it to for setup.
By the way , i got two in today with some problems. I will take some photos and convert to external coil over the next week or two. Stay tuned !!
I don't think your winding this thing like a fuel dragster. I would put a stock hemi dist in with stock internals and a stock coil and go on down the road. Points are cheap. Don't over think this. Plus it will be traditional. LOL. JMO. Lippy
OK here the deal ( as i see it, often called "bubba-vision" ) Althought the unit looks prettty nice it has some problems. The first problem is eee is the actual design of the pertronixs module mounted on top the ignition coil. Two issues here , 1 - the coil is a low resitance coil ( .4 ohms) and requires some super high current draw. and 2- the control module doesnt like the huge magnetic field throwed at it every time the coil fires. Theres nothing really wrong with either , its they dont like each other ... So fix one is either : 1- Unwire the coil , leave it in the mag and wire the module to a external coil.. 2-Or remove the coil and place a piece of steel tube where the coil used to go. Takes some more work but i had to do that on this one as the old coil ( which provides lower support for the rotor shaft) was damaged etc...... Either method will fix the problem.... Problem two is the Vertex cap ( $91 bucks) is made for a internal coil. It is pretty easy to buy the terminal, drill and add a external coil wire to go to the remote coil etc. Use the same cap etc , extra wire really isnt that noticed and the coil may be hidden somewhere as well. The upper rotor is tightened to a tapered shaft and must be set up with a distributor machine for proper phasing , another little chore for the conversion.... This unit had many other issues but we just fixed them as we went. This should show the basic approach....
Mine just took a **** on me after about 40 miles of driving..also found it was leaking oil out of it and oil was inside where the rotor and module is.
God knows i hate these things ! However if there was oil where the module is the engine has a crankcase problem.... The coil is epoxy filled and the only way oil could get that high is to have excessive crankcase pressure blowing it up there ....... Hows the engine vented ????
Very good Information, I have one of this **** on my french flathead, tun like a champ for 40miles then died... this morning on the way to work... The Magneto was very hot, do you think it is the pertronix module or the Coil? How can I test it? thanks
Carefully take it apart and remove the ignition coil from the case. Install a remote ignition coil somewhere on the car and use the instructions found in this post . The only problem ( danger) is see is the setting of the rotor phase without a machine , could be pretty touchy...
Man, some of this aftermarket stuff is all marketing BS. Hard to beat OEM parts. Can you imagine the loss of loyalty the car companies would have with this failure rate? Ago
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