Is This Where I Connect the Pertronix Ignitor?
 

I' m thinking I should connect the red lead from the Pertronix Ignitor 2 to the thick red wire going to the left side of the rear fuse block in this photo (yellow arrow). The black lead, of course, goes to the black lead (some apparently are purple/black) that used to connect to the points on the side of the distributor.

Is this correct? Is there anything else I need to connect?

The MSD box you see is operational and has been for years.

Thanks.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1593008814.jpg

Pertronix have confirmed that the location I have shown is correct for connecting the red lead wire.

The black will go to the lead to the side of the distributor.

I think the black pertronix Does Not go to the coil in a capacitive discharge ignition system.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will pipe up, but with a capacitive discharge system the points are just a trigger, and aren’t really controlling the output from the coil.

When I tried putting a Pertronix on my car with Porsche CDI I fried the tach and a coil before finally getting it right.


Here’s a diagram I found in another post.






http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1593052249.jpg

The picture that quickstep shared is correct. And he is correct that pertronix black wire does not go to coil. (black purple tach doesn't go to coil either)

The best place to put the pertronix Red is the same place where the original CDI red and where the MSD smaller red should be/could be going and that is ... the fuse that is 12V only when the ignition switch is in Run/Start.

The three fuses in back have the following signals (I don't know if it is bottom to top or top to bottom)
12V all the time
12V all the time
12V when the ignition switch is in Run/Start. --- Find this one and put the pertronix there or connect it to the MSD smaller red wire if that has been working all along.

Note, The original CDI was only powered by 12V from run/start and actually was wired to the upstream side of fuse 22. Yep, no fuse between the battery and the CDI, just an ignition switch.

The drawing does not show the tach.
Tach (black purple) would be connected to pertronix black AKA MSD trigger white.
However, if your tach is connected to MSD grey (tach output) and it works, you can leave it that way.
The tach can work from the points or pertronix or the tach output signal from the MSD (grey). It doesn't really matter if the tach gets it's signal from the MSD or the pertronix.

MSD wants a heavy red wire and heavy black wire connected to a good ground and high capacity 12V. Often the best place to connect those two is back of alternator (B+) and engine case.

So I just assumed that the car was a 2.7 because you are replacing points but eventually I noticed your signature says '80 SC engine.
I thought that the SC would have had a different trigger altogether (magnetic) and a distributor that spins the other way. No way I know of to put pertronix in that distributor

What am I missing ?

Quickstep and TwoBlu,

The black Pertronix wire is going to the side of the distributor where the points wire used to go, not to the coil, as you have said.
I will check to see which of my 3 fuses in the block is only on for start/run and use that one.
Or I will find the red wire coming from the MSD and use it.

The info I got from Pertronix may be wrong. The thick red wire on the left of the top fuse may be unswitched from the battery. I'll check this out before I make any connections.

TwoBlu,

I have an 80 engine enlarged to 3.2L but it still runs a 74-77 distributor with points. The distributor runs clockwise as viewed from above. I am replacing the points with the Ignitor 2.

All you have to remember is that the Pertronix needs switched 12vdc to run.

The black wire is the same as the points wire and the red wire is for switched 12vdc to run the Pertronix module.

Simple:
New red wire to energize the Pertronix = switched 12 VDC.

there is a small circuit in there and it needs 12 V to run it.....simple.

I have seen so many head scratching posts here on this subject over the years.......it is not complicated.

Thanks Dick. Just trying to be careful and not burn out any expensive components.

The Pertronix/MSD illustration also makes it easy. The heavy red wire from the CDI (1) is not used for the Ignitor. The thinner red wire from the CDI (2) is used for the red Pertronix wire. The white wire from the MSD that goes to black (3) went to the hookup for the points on the side of the distributor and now connects to the black Pertronix wire.

Wayne's 101 Projects writeup on MSD CDI installation also confirms that the thin red wire is the switched one.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1593188575.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1593188895.jpg

The installation went quickly and easily per the diagram!

The timing was quite a bit different from the points setting but was easily dialed in.

I also did an adjustment to the mixture to lean it slightly and everything is good.

Hi I’m running MSD 6, with Pertronix. I have silver dot 69 Tech. When I hook it tech wire to the MSD tech output, nothing happens? Tried hooking it to the black wire from Pertronix as noted above, also no luck with the tech working. Any ideas ?

Sorry, I don't know what silver dot 69 tech is.

It’s the standard 69 tech with the silver circle.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1593572558.jpg

The early tach was triggered from same signal that fires the coil.
the CDI signal to the coil has voltage nearly 150V

this compares to the later tach that looks at a signal that is 12V then goes to zero.
(that is the points side of the CDI)

The early tach had a buffer of some sort, but still expects to see a really big signal.
(coming from the coil side of the CDI)

If you try to use the multi spark signal going from MSD to coil, the tach won't read right.
the original CDI was one spark to the plug.

I believe there is an adapter of sorts that will convert the low voltage tach signal (points or points equivalent) up to a much bigger signal.

Probably have to search some threads.

Search for "MSD Street Fire, MSD 8910, tach connection"

Look for posting with Johnny H or Bob Ashlock - they are both experts in the field of CDI and rebuild originals

Okay thank you!! Will MSD 8920 adapter work as well?

I have no experience with the MSD tach adapter or your year of car/type of tach.

I would hesitate to say that MSD adapter is going to work, it might, but it would be an experiment because the MSD guys are generally looking to solve problems on 'merican V8 motors.

Threads I have read indicate that people have gotten some MSD adapter to work but you're probably better off with the Ashlock tach adapt.