Pertronix ignition

I'm trying to help a friend solve an electrical problem on a John Deere 520 with a Pertronix. He lives in a far away state so communicating is by email and photos. I have zero experience with Pertronix (and friend has no electronics experience) so I'm just guessing that module may be bad based on what has been determined so far. The tractor is positive ground.

My question is (How do you test to determine the status of the Pertronix?) The module is labeled IGNITOR carb E.O. D-57-22. How do you know whether this is version I, II, or III? I noted from Pertronix website that version I is very subject to voltage problems to cause failure.

I suppose a call to Pertronix help is the best way to go unless some of you gurus know precisely what to do.


Thanks for all your help.

Pertronix tech people have always been top notch to me

Do not know if you have a negative or positive ground system and pretty sure it is a 12 volt. I think if you just web search troubleshooting Petronix the positive or negative ground and voltage; usually the steps will show up.

Those modules are a rather fragile replacement for breaker points.

Sometimes they work well and last a long time. Other times, not so much.

Either it works or it doesn't. If it worked before and now it doesn't, it's probably bad.

It is important to use only resistance spark plug wires with a Pertronix unit. Copper plug wires can lead to premature failure.

The EI unit simply replaces the mechanical points job of opening and closing coil current. With points a test lamp on the coils output (points) as the engine is slowly cranked would flash ON (points open) and off (points closed). With an EI a test lamp would perform the same iffffffffff the EI module and all else is well. A call to Pertronix may provide better troubleshooting than we can provide. Regardless if the coil current switch is an EI or points, the rest must be okay including power to the coil input with ignition ON, gotta have that first plus a good ground and other wiring etc.

John T

I have had one in a Ford 960 and one in a Yale forklift both for many years, and they have been for the most part trouble free. The one in the Ford failed when it was left turned on but not running for two hours. As buzzin said the Pertronix tech service is first rate, and a phone call to them will put a trouble shooting diagram on your screen in minutes.

What do they put inside the distributor to excite the Pertronix ignition on and off to produce the spark?

(quoted from post at 05:37:05 04/25/23) What do they put inside the distributor to excite the Pertronix ignition on and off to produce the spark?

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Nothing.

Great question good neighbor, What do they put inside the distributor to excite the Pertronix ignition on and off to produce the spark?

The points inside the distributor are replaced with a cover that fits over/around the distributor shafts rotating cam that essentially locates small strip magnets right where the cams high lobes are located. On the plate right next to the rotating cam (where points were) a pickup coil is installed so each time a magnet (on high cam lobes that opened points) passes by the pickup coil a voltage spike is produced thats used to trigger the elec switch module to momentarily OPEN the circuit thats conducting coil current. Same thing whereby the points when closed conduct coil current but when open on high cam current is interrupted causing the coils magnetic field to collapse and induce high voltage over into the coils HV secondary causing the plugs to fire..

Hey George thats NOT perfect or 100% correct/accurate or in any way complete, as that would take too much typing, but I hope it answers your good question. Im more into electricity than electronics but believe this to be basically correct and maybe some more current electronic engineers can add more to this ...

Best wishes

John T

(quoted from post at 22:25:18 04/24/23) I'm trying to help a friend solve an electrical problem on a John Deere 520 with a Pertronix. He lives in a far away state so communicating is by email and photos. I have zero experience with Pertronix (and friend has no electronics experience) so I'm just guessing that module may be bad based on what has been determined so far. The tractor is positive ground.

My question is (How do you test to determine the status of the Pertronix?) The module is labeled IGNITOR carb E.O. D-57-22. How do you know whether this is version I, II, or III? I noted from Pertronix website that version I is very subject to voltage problems to cause failure.

I suppose a call to Pertronix help is the best way to go unless some of you gurus know precisely what to do.


Thanks for all your help.

Click to expand...

img]https://i.imgur.com/7JNAmm4.jpg[/img]