Problems with my pertronix???
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Gaffney, SC
Problems with my pertronix???
My truck has been sitting for a couple of weeks, and now it won't start at all. I am really perplexed at this. I have no spark at the plugs at all. If I put a grounded spark plug directly on the coil wire it will spark (though admittedly it looks kind of weak) , but when I do the same with one of the plug wires, I get no spark. I replaced the cap and rotor today with new and no difference. The rotor is definately turning. I have good voltage and a full 12 volts at the coil. It is acting just like it would if there were no rotor in there at all. I am using a pertronix ignition. I don't have a set of points to swap back in but I may go get a set and try that if someone recommends it. This truck ran just a few weeks ago...the pertronix & flamethrower coil are only a few months old...I can't figure out what happened. Any Ideas? 
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Senior User
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From: Gaffney, SC
The wires are probably about a year old or so, not sure exactly. I find it hard to believe that they would all be bad all of a sudden... I'm more leaning to the idea that my coil is a dud. I bought it new with the pertronix only a few months ago, though, so that seems hard to believe too. This thing really has me aggravated. I just can't believe that the pertronix unit is bad. I really hope that's not the case. I don't think I could have messed it up, because I know I wired it exactly according to the diagram, and I even spent the extra bucks and got the ignitor II, which is supposed to be a foolproof & bulletproof setup. I'm getting aggravated trying to get a spark out of this thing. If someone could give me a step by step on how to narrow down my problem from the coil to the distributor to the ignitor to whatever that would help alot, cause I'm kind of going around in circles checking everything.
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Gaffney, SC
Well, here's what I found this evening. I increased the gap between the pickup and the sending unit of the pertronix and voila! I had spark. Unfortunately, I still couldn't get the darn thing started, but at least I made some progress. I needed a new cap & rotor anyway...
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Senior User
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From: Gaffney, SC
Well, I am back to no spark... I didn't change anything. Just tried to start it a few more times, checked the timing, wouldn't start, pulled a plug out to check and no spark at all. Tried changing the gap in the pertronix but this time it made no difference. I'm really at a loss here and ready to throw that pertronix junk in the garbage. What a waste of money!
Elder User
Joined: Nov 1999
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From: Anderson Northern Ca
No Fire
Orange'63,I ran the petronix on my 72 for ten years then a few months ago I switched over to the big cap and wires plus a high output coil.I could'nt get it to fire at all.Come to find out in the install instructions that the coil needed a resistor installed to work.Still no fire,then I read the rest of the instructions for the coil where it says to mount the coil upright.So I redid the coil mount to the upright position and it fired right up.Now I read all the instructions on anything I install before I start.Best of luck.
"bowties in the rearview mirror"
"bowties in the rearview mirror"
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Senior User
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From: Gaffney, SC
That's an interesting suggestion. My coil is mounted horizontally. Could be the problem.... at least that's something to try... Thanks!!!
By the way, I'm not using a resistor per the instructions on the ignitor II. It says specifically (of course I'm paraphrasing from memory) that a resistor is not recomended and that if one is present it would be best to get rid of it.
By the way, I'm not using a resistor per the instructions on the ignitor II. It says specifically (of course I'm paraphrasing from memory) that a resistor is not recomended and that if one is present it would be best to get rid of it.
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Gaffney, SC
Well, my coil has been sitting upright for a while now and it made no difference. Thanks for the good info anyway, I'm going to go ahead and mount it vertically since that is what is recommended.
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Valley Center, CA
My 240 was DOA on Sunday. No spark. I checked for voltage to the coil when the key was on. 12 volts to the + side, but none on the negative side. So I sprang for the new $15 coil and it worked!! Do you have any voltage to the neg side (distributer side) of the coil with the key in the run position? Good luck, John
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Gaffney, SC
I plan to try a new coil & new wires, though neither seems to be bad. I do have voltage at the negative side, but obviously something is amiss somewhere. I have taken a break from working on the truck due to the rain, and a side project building a toybox for my daughters first birthday on wednesday. Hope to get back to it this weekend.