Electronic ignition

nonfarmer

Member
I am thinking about putting a petrnox ignition in my distributor.Has anyone had any luck with the electronic ignition on an 8n with a side mounted distributor?
 
(quoted from post at 12:47:41 02/16/19) I am thinking about putting a petrnox ignition in my distributor.Has anyone had any luck with the electronic ignition on an 8n with a side mounted distributor?

Simple answer - yes.

The issue has been debated ad nauseum and you will find haters, lovers, and a host in the middle. The general consensus is they work much more reliably on a 12V electrical supply.

Be aware the kits sold here use the basic Ignitor module which is susceptible to burnout if you accidentally reverse the polarity or leave the key on. The Ignitor II version (Pertronix part number 91244A, 12V, negative ground only) provides protection against those failures and some additional performance logic that is probably meaningless on the N-series tractor. That said IMO the added $50-$60 cost of the Ignitor II is probably justified on the basis of the burnout protection alone.

TOH
 
Love my PerTronix on my 49n haven't had the distributor off in years. Mine is a 12v conversion though just wish I done it a lot sooner than I did.
 
In addition to what TOH said about the Ignitor II, you will also need suppression plug wires. The module will not like the RFI emitted by copper core wires.

If you are just tired of fooling with points, EI is a perfect solution. But if you are expecting any other advantages w/ EI over a well tuned in-spec points
igintion system on your 8N, you will probably be disappointed.

Do a search on this site for more info.
75 Tips
 
"The module will not like the RFI emitted by copper core wires."

Not my experience. I've had the pertronix unit sold here at YT on my 6 volt 601 with solid core wires for 3 years with no issues. It does like a fully charged battery tho.
 
"Disappointed over whut... "

What Bruce said was "if you are expecting any other advantages w/
EI over a well tuned in-spec points igintion system on your 8N, you
will probably be disappointed."

I agree with him. I don't notice any difference in power or starting
with my IE as compared to my quality points ignition system.

Yes, the EI is, for the most part, maintenance free when it works.
I'm not an EI hater, I'm still running one, but when it fails, you are
stuck until you can get a new one unless you kept your points as
a backup. My local stores stock points, but they don't stock EI.

And just to throw them a well deserved plug, Pertronix tech support
is great and they sent me a new module at no cost when mine failed.
But it did take a week to get here. I was glad I kept my points for backup.
 
(quoted from post at 20:24:24 02/16/19) "The module will not like the RFI emitted by copper core wires."

Not my experience. I've had the pertronix unit sold here at YT on my 6 volt 601 with solid core wires for 3 years with no issues. It does like a fully charged battery tho.

Perhaps not your experience but Pertronix is quite clear in their instructions: "Do not use solid core plug wires". That note is applicable to all models they sell for the N-series. Would not be an issue for me - I ditched solid core wires decades ago.

TOH
 
I discovered it when the EI went out on my 1950 MG after 6 months. But I only found out about it when Pertronix told me about it. Interestingly enough, they sell a Pertronix kit for the early MG'S AND will tell you that the kit requires suppression plug wires, but they do not sell the wires. Nobody does. The plug wires screw into the cap and can't be made on the bench. At least you can get suppression wires for an N.
75 Tips
 
"Maintenance free is nuttin to be Disappointed over..."

No sir, it's not. I've got the EI unit in my 3000 and you know what
a pain the points can be in those distributors due to their location.

I will also add that quality points are getting harder to find. What
online retailers are selling as BlueStreak premium points, aren't.
I ordered a set and they came in with a plastic rubbing block.
If a guy wants the right ones, he should buy them locally and
inspect them before paying for them to get what he pays for.
 

Yep the last FM sets I got from TISCO were not what I expected... I won't sell'em but give them away my FM guys are gonna go EI and be done with it...
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top