Distributer question
Fleet Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 20,800
Likes: 232
From: Newton America :-P
OK - I have put in 3 of the pertronix units, and have never bypassed the resistor (I didn't know about FTE until last month) but they all seem to run fine? No Problems... I am not sying I am correct, just that i haven't had problems. I will be picking up some 16ga wire for the new 429 I am installing over Christmas.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,218
Likes: 2
From: Parkville, MO (KC)
Flip -- the ignitor will usually run on the 8v or so that the resistor wire is giving it. But they are reputed to fail more often when running 8v. At least pertronix doesn't recomend it. And, especially if you have shelled out the extra money for a hotter FT coil, why starve the unit and not get the hottest spark possible? IF HOWEVER, you decide to keep the stock old coil, then you need to run a new 12v wire to the Ignitor and keep the old resistor wire lead for the old coil.
My instructions above suggest hooking up the red wire of the Ignitor to the "+" lead on the coil, but that ONLY applies if you are using an aftermarket coil that also likes 12v and have bypassed the resistor wire, as described.
My instructions above suggest hooking up the red wire of the Ignitor to the "+" lead on the coil, but that ONLY applies if you are using an aftermarket coil that also likes 12v and have bypassed the resistor wire, as described.
Freshman User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Since you would like to keep your old distributor, there is a way to transistorize your points type ignition. This requires a control module hooked up through the existing points. This leads to longer point life and supposedly a stronger spark. Here is a link detailing such a procedure http://www.gofastforless.com/ignition/electronic.htm
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 9
From: Sun River St. George
Flip4ford! Yep the will run on less than 12. But! Pertronix needs 12v to run properly. Trust me on this one. Run a 12v lead from the ignition straight to the positive side of the coil. Be sure you have an internally resisted coil that can handle 12v. If you have a coil that requires an external ballast (Mallory), you need to run 12v to the ballast and take 12v from the ballast to the Ignitor. On the low side of the ballast run a wire to the positive post on the coil. Black (negative lead) from the Ignitor to the negative post on the coil. And run a brown wire from the I side of the starter relay to the positive side of the coil. On start up the Ignitor gets 12v from the switch and the coil gets 12v from the starter relay (bypassing the ballast). In the run position the Ignitor gets 12v from the switch and the coil gets 5-6 volts from the switch through the ballast. If your coil gets hot on 12v you need a ballast. If the runns great then wont run alt all and runns great after cooling off your coil is overheating.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,218
Likes: 2
From: Parkville, MO (KC)
William -- my 65 has stock wiring that supplies 12v at startup. Instead of re-creating that, why not just keep the stock wire to the coil (if it needs ballast), and run the new 12v wire to the Ignitor? Just rig a splitter under the dash at the ignition switch. Your post above is correct, but I think over-complicates the matter.
Not meant to be critical, just trying to make this relatively simple upgrade as simple as possible........
Not meant to be critical, just trying to make this relatively simple upgrade as simple as possible........
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