I'm sure this has been cussed and discussed many times . . . . . but here goes! I started to put a new pertronics and coil in the '73 with 351 Cleveland 2 bbl today and the instructions led me into the land of resistors. Is there or is there not, that is the question. Please help because I don't know if there is (or there isn't) and what in the dickens am I supposed to do about it? Also, the instructions say the black wire from the new module goes to the minus side of the coil but they are a bit vague regarding the original black (dist -) wire between the coil and the distributor. Is it left in place within the distributor and remain attached to the coil with the new pertronics wire? Shoot, all this time I thought I was somewhat of a mechanic. . . . . . . HELP. . . . . .
There is a resistor. You need to pick up a lead that's hot when the ignition switch is in the "run" position. Try wiring in a relay to feed a fused battery lead.
The coil + is your resistor lead. The thing I can't remember is if you unplug, permanently, the 'I' wire from the starter solenoid. Seems to me, the directions said yes, but it's so danged long ago, I just cannot remember.
The original wire from the negative side of the coil to the distributor is to be removed when you remove the points. Then before you connect the "hot" wire (originally from your ignition switch) to the coil you check the voltage with the key "on". If there's less than battery voltage, you have a resistor, and you can use that resistor wire to activate a relay that must be added to provide 12 volts to the Pertronix unit. Pertronix offers a kit (P/N 2001) if you can't find the parts needed elsewhere.
When I did my '67 F250, I just bypassed the ballast resistor wire. I didn't put in a relay for 12V (I was a noob at that time). I finally swapped in a DuraSpark last year, but that was by choice, not by necessity. The Pertronix ran flawlessly for 5+ years with my bypass. Joseph
Thanks for the replies, guys. It appears that the solution is to install the Pertronix relay kit. I sent them an inquiry on their web site but have not heard back. Later. . . . .
Boy, this has turned into a process! I back-and-forthed with Pertronix help on-line and they finally advised me that I needed to install a relay but they didn't offer any help about which relay or where to get one. Thanks to pmrphil (above) I was already aware of the Pertronix kit which I ordered and installed today. But, no go.... it won't start. Pertronix states that I must re-install the original negative (ground) from the coil to the distributor, but there clearly is no room in the distributor grommet for an additional wire with the red and black provided in the Pertronix ignition kit. Do I need the original ground or not and, if so, how can I get it properly in place?
Put the same system in my 73 years ago except with new pertronix coil.Had 12V to my coil,no resistor/relays crap.So your volt meter showed less than 12V KO?New black wire to neg. coil,red to pos.coil.12v wire from ignition to pos. coil,Should fire if you correctly set air gap...
The pertronix I have worked with have only 3 wires. One goes to ground, one to the negative terminal on the coil and one to power.
I'm a Pertronix distributor, and I've never seen a Pertronix unit with 3 wires. They have two, both connect to the coil, one to the positive side, and one to the negative side, and your 12 volt power goes (also) to the positive side of the coil. The ground wire they might be speaking of is the little one inside the distributor, which is required. Watch the video. Lanny, as it's been said, check the air gap. Ribald, you may be thinking about a Unilite conversion which has 3 wires.
More likely I am thinking like an electrician/electronics technician (what I am). It has 3 wires, one of them is shorter than the others. Look at a schematic or electrical drawing of the device.
When installed my Pertronix, it wouldn't start, either. There are only a few wires, I couldn't get anything wrong, blah blah blah. But the thing wouldn't start. After spending hours on Google, I found one reference that said to make sure the top of the ring is even with the top of the sensor. I had pushed the ring down the center shaft, and it was far enough from the sensor that the sensor couldn't "see" the magnets. I pulled the ring up the shaft, and she started right up. The link that I had found also suggested using a rubber gasket from a garden hose underneath the ring to keep it from moving down the shaft. I actually never had any trouble with the ring moving. It was a snug-ish fit, but far from tight. Anyway, long story short, make sure the ring is even with the sensor. Joseph
Here's another quick & detailed installation video of Pertronix on a Ford V8. The original black ground wire from the distributor to the coil (-) is discarded along with the points & condenser.
The first four words of your comment are pretty funny. What do you call the guy who distributes distributors to the distributor distributors? Also, after watching that video - and granted, it's getting up near the edge of my counting range (without using fingers and toes) - I only see two wires here.
Thanks again for all of the input. This is what I have done so far; Pertronix ignition (not Pertronix II or Pertronix III) with a red wire and a black wire thru the grommet to the corresponding terminals on the new Pertronix Flame-Thrower 40,000 volt coil. Air gap is correctly set using the supplied plastic feeler gauge. Previous coil voltage test revealed only 6.4 volts indicating there was a resistance wire in the ignition to coil circuit which resulted in the purchase and installation of the Pertronix ignition power relay kit, p/n 2001. The relay kit is installed according to the Pertronix instructions with the black wire to ground, the small purple wire attached to the original ignition/coil wire, the orange wire to the coil positive terminal, and the red wire to the battery positive post. The Pertronix Ignitor instructions step # 2 states "disconnect the points wire from the negative (-) side of the coil", step # 3 states "remove the points, condenser, and grommet", steps # 6 and 7 cover inserting the new red and black wires and the grommet into the distributor housing and installing the ignitor module. Step # 8 states "if the distributor ground wire was removed during the installation process be sure it is reattached securely." The instructions are not clear as to which negative (-)/ground wire is to be re-attached - the small braided ground strap inside the distributor (which was re-attached) or the black coil to distributor wire (which was not). However, it doesn't make sense to reinstall the black coil to dist. wire inasmuch as the ignitor module has a black ground wire to the coil. Whats the verdict on these two separate ground wires? The videos clearly shows no re-installation of the black ground. While composing my response, several more comments were made saying to ditch the original ground wire which I already had. I'll recheck my work this morning. Also, I forgot to mention that I have new cap, rotor, wires, and plugs. Lotsa distributor distributors give lotsa new light to lotsa wires! I will re-post if I get the darn thing running. . . . . .
I have a question for you. Did, at any time, you have the Pertronix and sensor installed and wired up, and leave the key on for any length of time? Wait...have you ever had it all wired up yet?
Well . . . . a quick look at the height of the ring and the sensor (which is correct) revealed a most astonishing thing! Some dumb-ass left the rotor on the bench rather than installing it on the dist. shaft. Hit the key and it roared to life! However, it kept running when I turned off the ignition so I pulled the relay as per instructions step # 8 (power relay #2001) and now I get to install a diode. Instruction step # 10 states "locate the terminal on the regulator that is connected to the charge indicator light." There does not seem to be a regulator anywhere under the hood - alternator wires go into a loom and disappears. This is making me nutz! What is the solution on this one? Sorry to be such a pain
This is unrelated, sorry man. But you reminded me of a story from my youth. We had a 71 Maverick POS with the faithful inline 6. Dad was selling it and a couple guys came to look at it. It would not start. They fiddled with it for a half hour but it never started, and they passed on it. Earlier, I was just playing around with it and I removed the rotor. I was too afraid to tell anyone so I didn't. I just put it back on when no one was around and of course, it started next time he tried. He cursed that car for an hour. I still feel bad about it to this day, and it's a story that makes me sad now that he's gone and I can't even tell him the truth. Thanks for letting me use the thread to absolve a little guilt.
