Ford 600 distributor issue

rseeger

Member
Hi, I installed pertronix ignition in my 640 tractor and it ran
great for a bit but then it died and will not start. It will only pop
back through the air cleaner. Also, it is a 12 volt system and
before it died the ammeter always showed discharge but it
was actually charging. After it died the ammeter now shows
charge when the key is turned on. There is an arcing noise in
the distributor when I turn the key to the off position now as
well. I also confirmed that timing is correct.
 
Have checked wiring but will check again. I?m going to try the
points distributor out of my brothers 800 and see what
happens.
 
The ammeter indication is a red herring. It read backwards before and it still reads backwards.

Does the arcing sound occur just the instant you turn off the switch or does continue afterwards? I'm going to assume it's just when you turn the switch off. That may not mean anything; if there's current through the coil and you turn off the switch, a spark will be generated and might well be audible.

As has been discussed in the past, the Pertronix ignition requires resistance plug wires; solid copper wires will fry them. Also, if you have insufficient resistance in the primary circuit (i.e. original coil used after 12V conversion with no ballast resistor), that will also blow the Pertronix. You should have checked the resistance per the instructions before installing the unit.

The fact that it ran OK for "a bit" leads me to suspect the Pertronix unit is blown.
 
Hi all. Yes, the pertronix burned out. I stuck points back in it and it fired right up. I may have crossed the wires on initial setup causing the inevitable burnout. Thanks for all the help.
 
> Yes, the pertronix burned out. I stuck points back in it and it fired right up.

Thanks for the follow-up. Be extra careful the second time around.
1. Verify you have the right Pertronix for your application (12 volt negative ground).
2. Use a multimeter to check polarity and coil primary resistance.
2. Confirm you have resistance-type plug wires.

Good luck. My Pertronix conversion is now a year old and has worked flawlessly.
 

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