Electronic Ignition Change Over

My opinion? Don't.

Changed my Hydro 70 over to electronic 'bout 5 years ago to the Pentronics solid state.

$80 buy in fee. First module went bad within a year and cost me another $80.

Two days ago, it fails again.

Let's see now, how many sets of points could I have purchased for that much cash?

I'm swappin 'er back to the points again.

Thank goodness my ol' Pard down in the sandhills had some missing distributor parts (that I had lost in the process). :>(

Allan

yep...never seen anybody file a transistor to get back home.

LOL!

I saved all the old parts just in case, right?...........

You think I can find 'em now? Not on yer life.

So now I'm involved in an old man’s type scavenger hunt. :>(

Allan

I've converted several tractors, chainsaws, and cars back to points. Nice thing about breaker-point ignition is - you can always find parts locally - and usually get something running just by scraping the points with a pocket-knife. Many points, condesnsors, and coils are generic -and rarely fail anyway.

Install something like Petronix Hall-Effect sensor system and have something fail -you are basically screwed for the short-term. I know that nobody in my area stocks any repair parts for them.

I've had very little problems with points in tractors. Once in a awhile, if something sat all winter, I have to spend a few minutes cleaning the points. I rarely replace them.

I had to drive a 1972 MGB a few hundred miles for somebody a few years back. Out in the middle of the highway, it suddenly died. Found out it had no spark due to a "breakerless" CD kit that had been installed. But, in the trunk was the old breaker plate, points, etc. Stuck all the old stuff back in, and away I went. I never would of found any photo-sensor pickup parts to fix the "breakerless" unit.

Same goes on my Chrysler 105 horse outboard motor. Died a few years back on a remote lake. Local marine dealer said it would take a week plus $200 for the new electronic control unit. We were on vacation. So, I paid the guy $25 for an old breaker-distributor, along with a Chevy/Delco coil and a new set of standard .035" gapped spark plugs. Put them in, boat ran great - and still does. I'd never put breakerless in again.

Obviously, breakerless used in mainstream production cars and trucks is different. It goes through rigorous testing and any auto parts store will have, or get replacement parts.

But, some limited production breakerless kit in a farm tractor? No gain and much potential loss. Not unless you are using your gas tractor all day, every day and keep spare kits on the shelf. Even then, you gain a bit of conveniance and little else.

I've occasionally thought about putting electronic on a couple of my old tractors but they start and run dependably on points. One bump of the starter sets them in motion so I just don't see why they should be fixed when they aint broke. Jim

Just got back from the parts house. $23.92 for a set of points and a condenser?

Boys, the american dollar now has the value of once-used toilet paper. :>(

Allan

I was a jack of all trades in Dad's auto parts wholesale store and machine shop in the fifties in High School. Worked the parts counter also.
Everyone drove something with a Ford/Merc 59AB Flathead engine. I could get the points, plugs, condensor, cap, and wires at jobbers net price.
I must have done 50 complete tuneups for my pals for a flat rate of $20 and made enough to keep my girl and I in movies,burgers and shakes all week.
Gordo

Yup. Went down to NAPA a few weeks ago and picked up points and condensor for my Deere 1010 (same as my Case DC and VAC uses).

$15 for the points and $8 for condensor. I'm sure I could of done better if I bought an entire kit somewhere, but I was in a hurry. They sell the points and condensor kit here on this Site for $10. So, I paid twice the price by buying local.

It usually shows up when you are looking for something else. Then you remember why you put them there. (So you could easely find them)

Allan,

As soon as you get the new parts you will find the old ones.

KEH

Problem is the quality and where it came from most likely china junk quality even though the dealer advertised it as new. Took off a water pump yesterday was less than month old no reason the bearing should have shelled but it did was made in china the land of nothing ever made right pure junk.

Ultra dog says solid state ignitions never FAIL.Ive been on the same points and condenser for 23 years.Had to clean the points twice with a pocket knife and check the gap when spring work starts.In general condensers last a long time if you get one made in USA.Never throw out old parts, they are better quality.

(quoted from post at 13:18:19 10/01/10) Ultra dog says solid state ignitions never FAIL.Ive been on the same points and condenser for 23 years.Had to clean the points twice with a pocket knife and check the gap when spring work starts.In general condensers last a long time if you get one made in USA.Never throw out old parts, they are better quality.

Click to expand...

In my 59 years, I've seen only 2 condensors fail. The first was in a '67 Yamaha motorcycle, and I replaced that condensor with a used one from a John Deere. The Yamaha never knew the difference. The second condensor failure was on my original 6 volt 1950 H. The battery went dead, and I tried to start it using the 12 volt "boost" function on the battery charger. Definitely NOT one of my more brilliant moments.

[i:654c4848f0]Ultra dog says solid state ignitions never FAIL.[/i:654c4848f0]
Well Coupe, I see that in addition to your other character flaws you are either a liar or have a poor memory.
I've never said that.

Just curious, what coil do you have on it? I converted both of my gas tractors, one more than 10 years ago with no problems. When I bought the modules, I also bought their Flamethrower coils to go with them. If the coil's resistance is too low, it does fry the module. Seems like the minimum resistance is 3 ohms.

Did you know the Pertronics have an 18 month warantee. I too changed over about five years ago and had one crap out and bought a new module that lasted about 6 months. That too crapped out in three months and they replaced it. In the interim I went back to points and have not used the new module. I think they are having some QC problems because these things should not be failing that quickly. Wonder if they shipped production to the "land of almost right".

Dang, those points and condensers are getting high priced. Maybe I am out of the loop and thinking of the old prices. I guess that I will scout out the swap meets for older replacement points for my engines and have some on hand. Of course a small file seems to make the points perk up for quite awhile.

My '66 GTO has 400 cubes , three two bbl carbs , 11:1 compression , Ram-air cam , re-curved "stock" single point dist ignition. Dynoed at 415 hp @ 5800. Starts before hardly turning over even when hot. And people think they need EI on a farm tractor?? Marketing is a powerfull thing isn't it? Nice to see posts from honest people telling it like it is. There's usually one or two from the guy that added one more bottom to his plow and turns 500 more rpm and starts up before he even gets the key turned after adding electronic ign. It's just an on / off switch that hides how it works. (and usually won't)

You sure have said that, once you have E ignition you will never have to touch them again.By the way all ignitions use electrons to fire the gas.Otto Benz did use a hot wire on his first engine.I notice Dufus is always quick tempered.

Factory electronic ignition is a wonderful thing. Aftermarket anything is always a gamble. From the experiences others have had with Pertronix, I think I'll stick with the original ignition on my Ford. Yes, I do have to file or replace the points every now and then, but I can get replacement parts at any auto parts store.

The real question is how much power would that 400 make with a GOOD EI and port fuel injection... or how much less gas would it consume with said system.

Some of these aftermarket setup's may be crap in terms of reliability... but the OEM systems used on most vehicles today have increased performance and fuel efficiency by wide margins, extended tune-up intervals to over 100K miles for plugs and almost never for the EI systems itself... and the fuel systems have generally helped increase engine life from what was 100K miles up to a point where the engine almost never fails. The body falls apart around the engine. Taking the counterpoint on OEM EI systems is a fools game.

Rod

(quoted from post at 04:47:03 10/02/10) You sure have said that, once you have E ignition you will never have to touch them again.By the way all ignitions use electrons to fire the gas.Otto Benz did use a hot wire on his first engine.I notice Dufus is always quick tempered.

Click to expand...

But not ALL internal combustion engines used electricity to fire the fuel mix. At least one very early motorcycle used an external, acetylene fired pilot light as an ignition source. I don't remember the brand of motorcycle, but it would have been in the early 1900s or before.

It wouldn't make any more with an electronic trigger of voltage as apposed to points. It is the other items that go along with the EI that might make for hp or reliability (coil,wires etc) Don't throw in the efi , that's another issue all together. The points / EI is just a trigger to provide current to the coil and break the current. It's an on / off switch. It will not make hp and reliability is a product of maintenance. The "switch" is not what gives the newer cars their long term 100K tune ups. It is all the other components of the EI system.

That reply shows you know nuttin about the on/off difference tween a mechanical and a electronic switch...

MSD does not sell a zillion EI set ups cuzz they look cool....

The Owls Head transportation Museum is 50 miles from here.I have looked at the Benz engine,the Corliss steam engine,Colt Firearms small shop steam engine and a cutaway engine from the B36 Bomber.There are several Ericcson hot air engines that burned coal.Many early motorcycles there but all use spark ignition.Hauled out 2 cords of sawed wood and got some sawlogs ready for the log hauler yesterday.Done with a Ford 640 tractor still on 6 volts.Tractor starts easy and has for 24 years now.I dont have the time or money to waste on needless 12 volt conversions.