Help With Pertronix Ignitor Product

Hi Guys,

I decided to move to a pointless ignition on my 73"S" and I went with the Ignitor. Prior to installing the product, my car was running ok, but it needed to have a new set of points installed. At this point I went to install the Ignitor. After having installed it, following the directions supplied with the kit, the car would not start and there was no spark. I ran a line from the positive battery lead to the red wire of the Ignitor as they suggested and still nothing. I decided to bag it and put the points back in and now they don't work. No spark, no nothing, but everything is back in the correct way.

Has anyone else had any experience with this installation and any idea where to look next. This has been very exasperating... any suggestions would be appreciated.

Marc

Hang in Marc, I just e mailed Schmidt about your plight. He knows ignition systems well. If he's near his computer, I'm sure he'll post something useful to you.

Thanks, I appreciate that.

Marc...Schmidt is a pilot for a living. They often work on weekends. You've probably already checked everything, I'm sure...but, if you have new points, try 'em..(I carry a spare set with me) Check your rotor, check your distributor cap....and I hope the CD unit still emits that whine when you turn the key on. Coil? After this list, I've about run out of things to check...at least things I'd try in my garage on a weekend.

Marc where did you get the hot wire
for the ignitor. I put my Petronix in
my 72T two years ago. I spliced into
the red wire going into the CD unit. There
should be plug there (red) you can tap
into to. It is the center wire of the
three pronged CD plug.
I had trouble fitting a rev limiter type
rotor in afterwards and had to go to
a straight Bosch rotor. Good luck!

Bill

Hi Guys,

Thanks everyone. PWD72s, thanks for the input. Everything is brand new as far as the rotor(rev limited), cap, and wires. The coil and points, along with the above mentioned items worked well before I went to switch over to the Pertronix, but there was a lot of point float at higher RPM and upon inspection they were badly scored. The CD is making it's usual whine and the coil appears to be fine on an amp meter. I guess this is the good news!

Zotman72... thanks for the suggestion. I actually ran a wire from the positive battery lead (directly from the battery) to the positive pertronix lead, but this didn't do anything. I also tried a non rev limiting rotor with the same results. I have been told by a few people that they had received DOA units from pertronix and I suspect this could be the case with this unit.

Thanks for all of the help.

Marc

PWD72s, I am going to get another set of points and try them.. I suspect that this will make the difference.

Thanks again.

Marc

Marc you need to have the ignition
switch lead for the Petronix signal. That is
why a direct lead from your battery is not
the way to go. However, you could have
a bad unit as well. When you get it
all sorted out, make sure you anchor screw for the metal sensor plate is tight or
you might get a high rpm miss that
really vexing to sort out. Ask me
how I know.
I have installed two of these units on
911s (large sample size!) and it was
a short job without any problems.
If your points do not work now, perhaps
you have created another problem along
the way. Do you have a timing light?
is it getting spark with the points
in place? Look at your connections
at the coil and on the CD unit, an
inadverent ground wire knocked off
could create this situation. Check the red fuse under the cover. This is where I
get juice for my timing light.

HTH

Bill
72T

Just got the latest TWEEKS catalog. Noticed that they advertised the Unit you tried but none listed for the 2.4S. I wonder if the S, with it's higher revs may be somehow different here? I know these units are supposed to be good, but you might also be on the right track thinking of going back to the stock set-up. After all, it's worked since 1973, right?

I want to thank both of you for your help and guidance. I went back to square one and dropped in the old points and she started right up.

zotman72, I did what you said (splicing it into the red wire for the CD unit)with the pertronix unit and still nothing. I suspect, since after installing it there is no spark at all, that the unit might be bad. I will call them within the next few days and talk to their technical people about the problem. I suppose anything is possible, but the installation on those is so straight forward, I can't imagine going through this much angst.

Besides, PWD72s said it best when he wrote "After all, it's worked since 1973, right?" When you're right... you're right!

Thanks again for all of the help.

Marc

GLad to hear you're runnin' Marc...have fun in Hershey. Paul

Thanks Paul... do you need me to look for anything for you at the Hershey meet? I have a bit of a list, so adding to it is certainly not a problem.

Marc

They say it ain't braggin' if you can prove it...Marc, I'm not bragging here...just that I can't think of a thing my '72S needs...zip, nada. Just look for the old chevvy Nova wagon with 2 german national flags flying, & say hi to MIck for me, willya? He'll tell you about my old beater P car...BTW, my "gurhu" is the guy who's '73 is on the cover of Brett Johnson's book..a white '73. His constant advice to me is to not try to "improve" on stock. More than once he's said: "And who (referring to the modification or product I'm hot to try) knows more than the factory engineers about this?" It's good advice...but the temptations to ignore it are many.

Paul, consider it done with regard to Mick and I agree with you. I should have just left it stock in the first place. I never changed a thing on my car... this was a first for me. I guess I learned my lesson the hard way.

Talk to you soon.

Marc