Pertronix Ignitor in an Early Car - Opinions Please

[t6dpilot]

i would love to hear from anyone who has an opinion on changing your ignition from points to Pertronix Electronic Ignition. I am considering doing that, but want to hear from anyone who has experience first. Thanks.

[moneymanager]

Don't fall for any silliness that you'll have more power. Nothing remarkable happened to the car when I installed a Pertronix, though the tach on my car used to begin to misbehave when the points aged and the Pertronix fixed that.

[tab tanner]

It's easy to install, and you will toss it in the trash when it goes bad. Stick with the points

[Long Nose]

Does it make it easier to adjust timing? Setting dwell looks difficult, although I have never done it, I hesitate because of that.

[barney911rs]

As a data point, I've had one on my race car for years, no problems. YMMV

[Steve@Rennsport]

We've installed hundreds of them and their MTBF is less than 2%. I love 'em,...

No more HP, but much steadier timing and smoother running.

[Type911]

Hi Scott,

Made the Petronix switch 2 years ago after realizing the art of adjusting points was not something I wanted to mess with. No problems to date.

Did my car feel any different than your T w/ points when you drove it in July ?

[frogger]

Early car running a pertronix ignitor for nearly 5 years with no complaints.

[katigbr]

Same here, 2.7 S-spec motor running with pertronix - 5 years no issues also.

[RWebb]

they are the std. thing to use when you get tired of cleaning the points with a business card every month...

yes, they make setting the dwell something you do every 5 years not every 5 months -- in that sense it is easier -- or have a shop set it & ferget it

[Long Nose]

So, how do you change it? What parts to you need?

[Deschodt]

I bought a pertronix unit and it never worked. Might have been DOA but I sure paid attention to the installation instructions and did not fry it myself. So that is my data point. I was so annyed I did not return it but it's somewhere in my garage, where I threw it...

I don't understand what the big deal is with replacing points now and then. Some posts make it sounds like it's a weekly thing ;-) I've had a bunch of old cars using points and never knew the points were there. I adjust them when I remeber they exist, which is rarely, and the car(s) run fine ! It's not that hard, takes 5 minutes... And you do know when it's the points that give you trouble, good luck figuring it out with the pertronix since you cannot see anything obvious.

[futuresoptions]

Just purchased and installed a Petronix ignitor on my 77' 911S w/2.7 engine.
Had one on my 73 914 1.8 for 7 years without a glitch... friend of mine has the car now and it still starts on the first crank.... I say buy it install it correctly and forget about it for good..... do purchase a spare to keep in the glove box just as you would a set of points.... but chances are you will never use it.......

[JohnKo]

Originally Posted by Steve@Rennsport

We've installed hundreds of them and their MTBF is less than 2%. I love 'em,...

I assume you mean you've experienced a failure rate of less than 2%, yes?

[47silver]

one in our 2.7l for over 3 years and no problems, seems to start easier in the wet,,,but maybe not....

[John Watson]

I've had a pertronix in my 74S for about three years now with zero problems. I used to have to keep after the points, no more. there isn't anymore power, just alot less hassle.