Dennis
[C2] Ignition "upgrade" options?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 6,569
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From: Redacted
Ignition "upgrade" options?
Disclaimer: I did try the search function but couldn't find a good, consolidated list of options, so I figured I'd ask the question, and perhaps help someone else out in the process...
To that end...what, if any, upgrades to the factory ignition system are worth doing? This absolutely falls under the category of "while I'm at it"... I just got my rebuilt carb back from Eric at Vintage Muscle Car Parts and the next step is to take the car over to Abacus racing for a full dyno tune. Since that will obviously include adjusting timing, are there any modifications that I should look into making? I found threads covering everything from replacing the points in the stock distributor, all the way to full blown MSD ignition systems. I'm just looking to do anything that makes sense from a long term reliability stand point on my stock L76 motor.
Thanks for the help!
To that end...what, if any, upgrades to the factory ignition system are worth doing? This absolutely falls under the category of "while I'm at it"... I just got my rebuilt carb back from Eric at Vintage Muscle Car Parts and the next step is to take the car over to Abacus racing for a full dyno tune. Since that will obviously include adjusting timing, are there any modifications that I should look into making? I found threads covering everything from replacing the points in the stock distributor, all the way to full blown MSD ignition systems. I'm just looking to do anything that makes sense from a long term reliability stand point on my stock L76 motor.
Thanks for the help!
Popular Reply
May 21, 2020, 08:20 PM
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,910
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Absolutely none. No 'upgrade' available will outperform or be as reliable as a correctly maintained and set up oem stock distributor in your engine. If you don't believe me, ask Lars. I've only been tuning cars for 40 years.....he's been at it a might longer and is more than a might brighter than I.
Correctly engineered electronic systems are reliable, and don't require periodic replacement or adjustments.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
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I think this topic has as many answers as there are members. On one side staying perfectly stock with heavy duty points and adjusting your mechanical advance to 36 total at 2,800 to 3,000 rpm is fine. In addition limit the shaft vertical play to .010 using shims. An aftermarket cap and rotor could also be added with spiral core plug wires.
On the other hand you can replace the points with a infrared or magnetic pickup module plus the other items mentioned above.
Just remember the more electronics the further you get away from your "reliability " criteria.
On the other hand you can replace the points with a infrared or magnetic pickup module plus the other items mentioned above.
Just remember the more electronics the further you get away from your "reliability " criteria.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 6,569
Likes: 2,405
From: Redacted
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,749
Likes: 776
From: Dadeville AL
I had two old Corvettes with points and I don't miss them. I had one hotrod with an MSD box and was disappointed in its short lifespan. For my current hotrod project, I'm going somewhere in between with a Pertronix distributor (with rev limiter) and a traditional style coil.
Last edited by kellsdad; May 21, 2020 at 03:56 PM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 6,569
Likes: 2,405
From: Redacted
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 6,569
Likes: 2,405
From: Redacted
I had two old Corvettes with points and I don't miss them. I had one hotrod with an MSD box and was disappointed in its short lifespan. For my current hotrod project, I'm going somewhere in between with a Pertronix distributor (with rev limiter) and a traditional style coil.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,910
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
I think this topic has as many answers as there are members. On one side staying perfectly stock with heavy duty points and adjusting your mechanical advance to 36 total at 2,800 to 3,000 rpm is fine. In addition limit the shaft vertical play to .010 using shims. An aftermarket cap and rotor could also be added with spiral core plug wires.
On the other hand you can replace the points with a infrared or magnetic pickup module plus the other items mentioned above.
Just remember the more electronics the further you get away from your "reliability " criteria.
On the other hand you can replace the points with a infrared or magnetic pickup module plus the other items mentioned above.
Just remember the more electronics the further you get away from your "reliability " criteria.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 54,121
Likes: 9,436
From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
points require maintenance every so often. either checking the dwell and re-setting and such, if you don't mind doing this every 6-10K miles then they are very reliable. if you don't like that 10 min job then I suggest you gamble on a widget of your choice. they will work great until they fail with no warning and leave you sit. just think no auto manufacture has used either ignition system including HEI in close to 30 years
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 6,569
Likes: 2,405
From: Redacted
did some more digging, both on the forum and the larger google machine, looks like the "Breakerless SE" is probably what I'm looking for....takes the points out of the equation without disrupting the rest of the perfectly functional system.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 17,571
Likes: 3,460
From: Fresno California
Disclaimer: I did try the search function but couldn't find a good, consolidated list of options, so I figured I'd ask the question, and perhaps help someone else out in the process...
To that end...what, if any, upgrades to the factory ignition system are worth doing? This absolutely falls under the category of "while I'm at it"... I just got my rebuilt carb back from Eric at Vintage Muscle Car Parts and the next step is to take the car over to Abacus racing for a full dyno tune. Since that will obviously include adjusting timing, are there any modifications that I should look into making? I found threads covering everything from replacing the points in the stock distributor, all the way to full blown MSD ignition systems. I'm just looking to do anything that makes sense from a long term reliability stand point on my stock L76 motor.
Thanks for the help!
To that end...what, if any, upgrades to the factory ignition system are worth doing? This absolutely falls under the category of "while I'm at it"... I just got my rebuilt carb back from Eric at Vintage Muscle Car Parts and the next step is to take the car over to Abacus racing for a full dyno tune. Since that will obviously include adjusting timing, are there any modifications that I should look into making? I found threads covering everything from replacing the points in the stock distributor, all the way to full blown MSD ignition systems. I'm just looking to do anything that makes sense from a long term reliability stand point on my stock L76 motor.
Thanks for the help!
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 54,121
Likes: 9,436
From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
depending on how many miles you drive your car you can but a lot of points for the cost of that. Just saying
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 8,935
Likes: 5,477
From: Richardson Texas
But, again, you'll hear from both sides of the fence. I have had zero issues with the Breakerless SE setup in the six years since I installed it. I, also, gutted my Delco voltage regulator and hid a VR715 solid state unit from Autozone inside...both simple, functional changes that eliminate point fluctuation in both units.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 17,571
Likes: 3,460
From: Fresno California
I have several friends that 'took the points out of the equation' and added tow trucks and crappy upper rpm performance to the equation. They seem to enjoy the drama of hunting down no spark and misfire issue. Not my cup of tea, thanks.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,673
Likes: 965
From: CENTCOM, Tampa, FL
USMC
Greg,
I switched to an HEI dizzy and never looked back; some folks romanticize about the old days with points and how GM had it right, etc. A lot has changed in over five decades, but the internet lore of everyone being stranded on the the side of the road apparently has not - LOL.
I put about 10k miles on my crate motor with the unit that fit perfectly under my ignition shielding and the car runs great. Though my car is in storage for a couple years while I’m away, I have no worries that my sister/father will be stranded...
Best of luck!
I switched to an HEI dizzy and never looked back; some folks romanticize about the old days with points and how GM had it right, etc. A lot has changed in over five decades, but the internet lore of everyone being stranded on the the side of the road apparently has not - LOL.
I put about 10k miles on my crate motor with the unit that fit perfectly under my ignition shielding and the car runs great. Though my car is in storage for a couple years while I’m away, I have no worries that my sister/father will be stranded...
Best of luck!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 6,569
Likes: 2,405
From: Redacted
Out of curiosity, were these cases of using the breakerless se type set up, where the only change was the removal of the points, or were these other ignition type systems with multiple different components/variable such as Pertronix, MSD, HEI, etc.?
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,951
Likes: 748
From: CT
Fact is there is two sides to every coin, up until 4 years ago I was happy replacing points, condenser rotor , setting dwell and timing, it got to the point that I was changing points quite often,
I chalked it up to inferior parts and decided to go with a Petronix 3 with the matching hi fire coil, and their wires, this unit had a built in fully adjustable rev limiter and you eliminate the ballast resister , you can leave It on the firewall for originality if that’s your thing, my L76 has run extremely well, and I’m no tuning guru. It rev’s freely to redline, never misses a beat. Very simple install.
I chalked it up to inferior parts and decided to go with a Petronix 3 with the matching hi fire coil, and their wires, this unit had a built in fully adjustable rev limiter and you eliminate the ballast resister , you can leave It on the firewall for originality if that’s your thing, my L76 has run extremely well, and I’m no tuning guru. It rev’s freely to redline, never misses a beat. Very simple install.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 6,501
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From: The Golden Triangle, Florida
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '20 thru '25
Greg - I swapped out points for a Mallory Unilite unit along with a Mallory plug and play circuit protector to handle electrical spikes and other misbehaviors 8 years ago when I bought my car.
https://www.holley.com/products/igni...MaAt8QEALw_wcB
I haven’t removed the distributor cap in 8 years and my engine runs like a Swiss watch.
Steve
https://www.holley.com/products/igni...MaAt8QEALw_wcB
I haven’t removed the distributor cap in 8 years and my engine runs like a Swiss watch.
Steve
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 54,121
Likes: 9,436
From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
Greg - I swapped out points for a Mallory Unilite unit along with a Mallory plug and play circuit protector to handle electrical spikes and other misbehaviors 8 years ago when I bought my car.
https://www.holley.com/products/igni...MaAt8QEALw_wcB
I haven’t removed the distributor cap in 8 years and my engine runs like a Swiss watch.
Steve
https://www.holley.com/products/igni...MaAt8QEALw_wcB
I haven’t removed the distributor cap in 8 years and my engine runs like a Swiss watch.
Steve
Last edited by Nowhere Man; May 21, 2020 at 06:06 PM.