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Ford 850 distributor problem converted to electronic

B

billsanfilippo

New User
OK Looking for some help to avoid a repeat of the same problem. Installed a Pertronics ignition in my 1957 Ford 850 172CI Per instructions removed dis cap and dust cover - replaced points with supplied trigger. Installed magnetic barrel over points cam pressing it down as far as it would go. Replaced dust cover & cap. Started engine ran it for a few minutes-maybe 6- shut it off. Went to restart it to no avail. No spark. Checking things I found that the magnetic barrel was rubbing on the dust cover to the point that when stopped they fused together. When I tried to restart the barrel was destroyed by the points cam.
Anybody have a similar experience?? Any advice?? I have ordered replacement parts but have not received them yet so I can't comment if there was some defect in the old parts.
Thanks for your help Bill
 
(quoted from post at 18:26:02 11/21/19) OK Looking for some help to avoid a repeat of the same problem. Installed a Pertronics ignition in my 1957 Ford 850 172CI Per instructions removed dis cap and dust cover - replaced points with supplied trigger. Installed magnetic barrel over points cam pressing it down as far as it would go. Replaced dust cover & cap. Started engine ran it for a few minutes-maybe 6- shut it off. Went to restart it to no avail. No spark. Checking things I found that the magnetic barrel was rubbing on the dust cover to the point that when stopped they fused together. When I tried to restart the barrel was destroyed by the points cam.
Anybody have a similar experience?? Any advice?? I have ordered replacement parts but have not received them yet so I can't comment if there was some defect in the old parts.
Thanks for your help Bill
Click to expand...
all Pertronix. Seems that I recall they tell you to ditch the dust cover.
 
That's not a new problem. I bought a 641, non running, because of that problem. I put a Pertronics in a NAA finding the same problem. Both times I ground away some of the back side of the dust cover and it made room. I'm not sure exactly what is the true answer to that problem or even what actually is the cause of the problem. I think leaving the dust cover off would put the rotor too close to the cap and one would have to reshape the cap clips if you did.
 
A quality set of breaker points can last 15 to 20 years.

What are you trying to accomplish?
 
(quoted from post at 17:45:11 11/21/19)
(quoted from post at 18:26:02 11/21/19) OK Looking for some help to avoid a repeat of the same problem. Installed a Pertronics ignition in my 1957 Ford 850 172CI Per instructions removed dis cap and dust cover - replaced points with supplied trigger. Installed magnetic barrel over points cam pressing it down as far as it would go. Replaced dust cover & cap. Started engine ran it for a few minutes-maybe 6- shut it off. Went to restart it to no avail. No spark. Checking things I found that the magnetic barrel was rubbing on the dust cover to the point that when stopped they fused together. When I tried to restart the barrel was destroyed by the points cam.
Anybody have a similar experience?? Any advice?? I have ordered replacement parts but have not received them yet so I can't comment if there was some defect in the old parts.
Thanks for your help Bill
Click to expand...
all Pertronix. Seems that I recall they tell you to ditch the dust cover.
Click to expand...
I don't think you can ditch the dust cover because the dust coner indexes on the distributor and the cap indexes on the dust cover Thanks for the reply Bill
 
For some reason this tractor wears down the rubbing block on the points in about 10 hours. The dist cam appears smooth to the eye but after a couple sets of points it was either new dist or new ignition. Thanks, Bill
 
That is what I thought about doing and was hoping that some one would confirm that such a solution would work. Thanks so much to everyone for their input. Bill
 
Check what your instructions say. This is an excerpt from the Pertronix 1244A instructions:

[i:654c4848f0]7. Reinstall dust shield, rotor spring tension clip, and rotor.

NOTE: SOME APPLICATIONS REQUIRE THE INSTALLATION OF THE DUST SHIELD TO INSTALL THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP. THE CENTER HOLE OF THE DUST SHIELD MUST BE ENLARGED TO CLEAR THE MAGNET SLEEVE.[/i:654c4848f0]

Interestingly, I did not need to drill out my dust cover; I'm not sure why. Apparently they're not all the same.
 

As per the instructions posted by MarkbMI this is common. I encountered this situation to a slight degree but I solved it without cutting a hole in the cover, I believe that I just removed a slight amount from the underside of the cover.
 
(quoted from post at 06:35:52 11/22/19)
As per the instructions posted by MarkbMI this is common. I encountered this situation to a slight degree but I solved it without cutting a hole in the cover, I believe that I just removed a slight amount from the underside of the cover.
Click to expand...
hanks for the additional advice. Doubled checked-no such warning on the instructions that came with my 1244A. Luck of the draw?? This will be like checking valve clearance on a modified engine. Ill have to get out my clay! Its just nice to know it's not some kind of one of situation. I do like the idea of just creating some extra clearance while keeping the dust cover intact Thanks again Aloha from Pahoa HI Bill
 
I had this problem on one of my tractors(1821). Turns out it was missing it gasket (Part#35) then it was fine.
cvphoto42715.gif
 
I agree. I have been running my Jubilee and 850 using standard points for a decade or more without any adjustments or problems. I can't recall ever seeing a post praising electronic ignition as a significant improvement over standard points in these farm tractor applications.
 
(quoted from post at 04:01:09 11/23/19) I agree. I have been running my Jubilee and 850 using standard points for a decade or more without any adjustments or problems. I can't recall ever seeing a post praising electronic ignition as a significant improvement over standard points in these farm tractor applications.
Click to expand...

Robilmichael, I have had Pertronics in a '69 forklift for probably 35 years. and in my Ford 960 for probably 118 years. I think that your statement hinges on what you think of as a "significant" improvement. Personally I have better things to do than to tend to points maintenance every other year and trouble shoot the ignition every 8 years. For me that is a significant improvement, and I have seen dozens of posts here from others who feel the same way. There is another thread on Pertronics on here right now where you can read a few more posts praising them.
 
(quoted from post at 21:41:50 11/22/19) I had this problem on one of my tractors(1821). Turns out it was missing it gasket (Part#35) then it was fine.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto42715.gif">
Click to expand...
Bingo!! I hope the new dust cover I ordered comes with said gasket. Thanks again for everyone's help. Should be able to solve the problem one way or the other.
 

Where I stand on EI...

Conventional ignition parts have became unreliable then add in the age of the support parts its can become a battle to keep them running be it the ignition are whatever...

Once it becomes a hassle either on in the field repairs are them tote'n the distributor in for an unscheduled ignition repair its time for EI...

EI is not for everyone I understand that BUT I don't like to work on my own tractor either so slowly converting them to EI...

On the EZ ones I probably would just deal with conventional ignition unless mother nature became an issue...
 
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