Does anyone have any experience with the Pertronix Igniter III (how well does it operate?, installation?, etc.). I would like to install it or something similar in my '63 SB and would like to understand the pro's and con's. Also, I know there are some other mfg's that provide similar systems...is Pertronix the best or are there better alternatives?

 

OK - you are going to hear from the die-hard 'points/condenser' guys and MSD/Black Box guys now about how fallible the Pertronix is. Tom Parsons and I will attest that our experience has been superb.

The advantage of the Pertronx III over the II in my estimation is the addition of the rev limiter. There is an LED on the unit and a screwdriver adjustment. You turn the adjustment until the LED flashes a certain number of times. E.g for 5,500 RPM limit..the LED will flash 5 times slow and 5 times fast (or maybe vice versa). It all still installs under the original distrib cap. Yes there are other points replacement products around and for less money. I'll never use anything else but Pertronix... I think Unilite and Mallroy make something..not sure.

You won't find anybody with any experience with the Igniter III yet. It came out in March and was so back ordered there are still many models not available. Anybody running one can't have been doing it for more than a few weeks...

Frank

 

I have put the pertronix system on 3 corvettes. They ran ok, but i could never get them tuned just right and the advance curve was screwy.

I pulled the pertronix system back off of all three cars, purchased a dwell meter, and went back to points. The cars perform and run much better with the points.

 

Here we go (SIGH)!

 

If you would like a pertronix II system i will send it to you for free. I was going to throw it in the trash, but if you want to give it a test run i will be glad to send it your way.

Im sorry to those of you that sent me pms, but jack requested the free Pertronix system that i have. I only have the one.

 

I've had the pertronix system in my 66 for over 4 years and it has never missed a beat. I've had the car dyno tuned. The tuner thought it was great and my car has never run smoother. I am completely satisified with the product.

 

I am wary of mechanical points. So, when I bought my '65 L76 coupe last November, I wanted to immediately convert it to electronic ignition. The deductions for Flight judging are minimal and I accept them.

I took my Sting Ray to a former NCRS judge who owns a Corvette restoration shop. I had bought an ignition system from a well-known Corvette parts supplier advertised as having only one wire, as original. The owner instead recommended that I have him install a Pertronix unit and Pertronix coil. This was six months ago and the car has never missed a beat. I am satisfied with my Pertronix ignition system. -Clark

 

The guy who initially tuned my engine after I rebuilt it fits them to many engines like ours and tells me he has had no failures. That was good enough for me. It starts and runs perfect hot or cold.

 

Nevermind

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdreano

I think Unilite and Mallroy make something..not sure.
Frank

Mallory does make an electronic ignition system, or at least did a few years ago--there was one in my '64 when I purchased it in '05, and it's performed flawlessly since.

 

Guys...

unless you also upgrade the Coil, and plug wires, plugs etc, you are not going to see any gain over correctly functioning points/condenser system. And if you notice a marked improvement, then you had faulty parts in there to begin with.

the points/condensor only act as the trigger mechanism for the energy stored in the coil... there is no way that the trigger mech can improve the engine performance as much as the advertisements state

points are good to 7200 rpm, and they float above that... so you get your own built in limiter... LOL

The only advantage that I could even remotely see is that i've read that these units can change dwell as RPM increases... if this is true, then it could be an advantage... but its probably marginal at best.

i as well as others have had dyno work done and no one who has seen HP gains can honestly attribute it to swapping the points out for an electronic trigger system.

the downside is that if the unit does fail... which there have been far too many that have for my money, you are screwed.. a spare set of points/condensor, flathead screwdriver and allen wrench cost about 20 bucks, and can be replaced in 10 minutes on the side of the road in the rain...

with a pertronix, Mallory, MSD etc... you need to buy a 2nd system as a backup... so that is a hundred bucks minimum, and good luck finding a workbench with a vise at the breakdown site. not to mention a distributor wrench, punch, hammer, and all the other tools you need to remove that SOB when it fails.

I've used both, like them both, but at the end of the day, 2 of my cars have points in them and one has a Crane XR1...
as far as which is better....


Smokey said it this way....

imagine walking into a room room full of open 55 gallon drums that are filled with a highly combustable substance.... you have your choice of dropping a match down one of the drums, or pulling the trigger on a blowtorch with the nozzle down one of the drums...

do you think it matters????

A

 

Not really...you can easily swap back to points/condenser right alongside the road if you need to...

 

Petronix III came just in the nick of time for some folks. Previously, the Crane XR1 was the only system on the market that had in integral rev limiter and Crane went bankrupt in April. A sad goodbye to yet another fabled hotrod company after 50 some years

 

Opinions are like..ah..noses everybody has one! I've had the "pertronix" system, on my car, for 15 years with no problems. I do carry a spare module ($80-$90) just for piece of mind. Since my distibutor is already set-up for the pertronix, replacement is 2 screws and 2 wires.

 

Unless you guys cut and splice the wires, good luck fishing the wires around and under the advance plate, through the rubber eyelet and to the coil in the dark with a hot engine.

Sure it can be done.

But why?

A

 

Another two minutes over and above a regular points install...not a problem...but since I've never had a Pertronix failure I'll have to just wait and see.

 

I used the Petronix on my daily driver '65 coupe for three years, in Florida heat. That is when two of the magnets let go and the mylar film did not hold them in place. I replaced it with a newer one, but the magnets fell out in less than a year.
I finally went to a Mallory Unilite, as I had used them 20 years ago and their design did not have magnets to trigger, in an upside down position.
I believe the Petronix would be a good unit, but something needs to be done with the design in extreme heat when the vehicle is driven daily.

 

Not sure what you mean by magnets...nor what mylar film you speak of. If you are talking about the reluctor that sits on the distrib shaft with the old Pertronix units; the new ones don't use it so that is no longer a problem..

 

Running a Pertronix I for 9 years, no problems. I do carry a second Dist. and coil in my kit. The second dist is a non tach cable reman
($35.00). It would be easier I think along the road to pull the dist then change the ignition trigger out. Bump the starter and get the rotor to number one and shove the new dist in. Time it by ear and RPM and get to the next town or home.

Mark

 

I have carried an extra distributor around in my trunk for 8 years without a Pertronix failure! I also carry a set of points for point people that are forever screwing with them.