Wider Spark Plug Gap with Pertronix Ignition?
09-22-2008, 09:56 AM
#21
Le Mans Master
glad to hear you are happy with your decision. You have many reliable years of service with that unit ahead of you.
09-22-2008, 10:22 AM
#22
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Jun 2004
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The stock coils used for point-style ignition is much weaker than the Petronix Flamethrower. Is that conclusion a fact or a guess? Have you compared the electrical specs of both units? Pre 1974 coils ran off 5-8 volts Wrong. The vehicle electrical system is 12 volts. There is no 5-8 volt regulator in there anywhere. with the use of a resistor wire or a ballast resistor. A resistor limits current. It does not regulate voltage. Too much juice would fry the contacts in the points assy. The Flamethrower coil needs the full 12v which means more juice to plugs. No. "Juice", and I assume you mean energy, is determined by the inductance of the coil and the amount of current passing through the coil just prior to the end of dwell. Unless you measure both the inductance and primary current during the dwell period, you have no idea what the energy levels are. It is only a guess, muddied by marketing hype.
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FWIW.
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FWIW.
09-22-2008, 11:06 AM
#23
Race Director
i do carry a set of points, new, since 1990, just in case. that is a good idea
in case of nuclear war, the pulse could knock out the module.
09-22-2008, 12:01 PM
#24
Le Mans Master
MY point is that over the 70 years or so that points were used in cars they were a very reliable part.
Take the millions upon millions of sets of points used during that time and look at the percentage of failure rate leaving someone stranded on the side of the road, than compare that to the number of electronic conversion kit sold and the percentage of those that failed causing a "dead" vehicle and you would find that the percentage of unit failures is much higher on the electronic conversion kits.
i'm NOT saying that many, many people haven't used the electronic conversion kits successfully and without problems or issues, but the percentage of failures IS higher on them, period, and probably just as many people on this forum alone have experienced those failures as there are that have not. On the otrher hand, just how posts have you remembered seeing that said "Help, my points failed today and I had to be towed home"?. not many.................
09-22-2008, 12:40 PM
#25
Points have a 100% failure rate if u put them in and forget about them for 100,000 mi. Often will fail emissions after 10k miles.
i do carry a set of points, new, since 1990, just in case. that is a good idea
in case of nuclear war, the pulse could knock out the module.
i do carry a set of points, new, since 1990, just in case. that is a good idea
in case of nuclear war, the pulse could knock out the module.
Here's the definition we use at work:
The inability of a system, subsystem component or part to perform its required function under specified conditions for a specified duration.
But you knew this- and just wanted to be contrary.
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