Well, after several months of tuning and tweaking, I think I found the perfect combination for reliability, drivability, and performance from my stock, rebuilt L79. Here is the bottom line:

Crane Cams XR-i Points Conversion Kit ($64.99) Easier to install than Pertronix. This unit is a direct replacement for the points (pull the points, drop it in). Has built in adjustable rev limiter. No need to pull the distributor. Less than 1 hour to install. Benefits: no more point adjustments, consistent dwell and timing, no point bounce at high RPM. Got is from Jegs http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...15&prmenbr=361

Pertronix Flamethrower Coil ($26.99) 40,000-volt capacity at 1.5 ohms. According to Crane Cams Tech Line, the XR-i needs at least 1.0 to 1.5 ohms in conjunction with the OEM ballast resister to operate correctly. Crane also has a matching coil (same as the Pertronix unit, but it is chrome). The Flamethrower is black, just like the original. Benefit: hotter spark, quicker starting, better throttle response. Got it from Jegs http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...89&prmenbr=361

Plug Wires ($29.99) These are 7mm wires. Some claim that you need to move up to 8mm wires for the 40,000-volt coil (like the tech guys from Pertronix) but it is not true. Got mine from the local NAPA store since they could had the exact type for my car (the type that goes down behind the heads and up from underneath to the plugs). These were a pain to install but well worth it. Benefit: obviously better the 20-year-old wires that were on there.

New Battery ($39.95) This is an exact fit replacement battery that is maintenance free and has 850 cranking amps. The battery I had was an original style Delco Tar Top with maybe 450 cranking amps. It was not maintenance free and required re-charging if it sat more than one week. Also put on new cables sine the original style spring-ring cables did not fit tight causing poor re-charging from the alternator. Got it from Autozone. Benefit: fast cranking, quicker starts.

CAM2 Fuel ($4.99 per gallon) I found that if I want optimal engine timing (10 degrees BTDC) and optimal engine performance from the combination listed above I needed more octane than available at the local gas station. So, I use a mixture of approximately 25% CAM2 and 75% 93 octane. Benefit: max performance, no detonation concerns.

Do not waste your time with octane booster. One can of octane booster raises a tank full of 93 octane to approximately 93.5 octane http://members.shaw.ca/costall/1000Q...octaneboosters. Another good source for gasoline discussions http://www.cs.uu.nl/wais/html/na-dir...line-faq/.html.

Now, the car starts instantly even after sitting for more than a week. On the road, it ROCKS!


[Modified by JR's66coupe, 8:13 AM 5/4/2004]

 

cool that you got to that place where you can go out to the garage, twist the key and be assured it will start up and run great every time. Question - what did you do with all of that original equipment that you just took off? Might I suggest saving all of it since it seems you just took a serious "non-original, incorrect" path that the next owner might not agree with, having all the original parts can make up for these differences of opinion. Maximize resale opportunuty even if we never intend to sell, sooner or later the car WILL change hands, even if you are not alive to see it happen!

I finally got my 65 L76 running perfectly too (ok, except for a new electrical harness gremlin) that involved putting everything back to original recommended specs (SHP points and vac can, correct dwell and timing, etc, but admittedly with an Optima battery and current technology (but black!) plug wires. Funny how setting it up just as it was intended seemed to cure all performance glitches for me - I surely didn't do so out of any concern for NCRS judging (car is not judged). So for me, the perfect combination is how the owner's manual and shop manual said to do it (with some slight judgment calls) - go figure! :D

 

I did keep all the original parts. If I ever go to a NCRS type car event, I'll put the original stuff back on and see how it is judged. My purpose was to make the car more reliable and driveable without permanently depreciating the car, hense the reanson I did not go with a host of other bolt-on power adders (headers, pullies, cross-over, MSD, etc...). Visually, it still appears all orignial. :flag

 

A note on coils: 40,000 volts is meaningless! The actual operating voltage on the engine rarely exceeds 12,000. When the points open, voltage builds in the secondary winding until enough is available to breakdown the resistance of the plug gap, and a spark is initiated. At this point voltage drops to about 5000, and spark duration is the key. More energy and spark duration is available with higher primary current. This is why SHP/FI engines used a low resistance ballast, but it was tough on points, so the low resistance ballast was not used after 1964.

My experience is that a distributor that is operating properly - end play at two to seven thou, no-wobble breaker plate, and the high breaker arm tension points on SHP/FI engines - provides excellent performance and starting with an OE or OE equivalent coil and EMI plug wires.

The key is to "blueprint" the distributor. Many were indifferently assembled when new and have never had a thorough overhaul/blueprinting since new.

The $39.95 Autozone batteries are great! They are made by Johnson Controls, and the same batteries are sold by Costo and Pep Boys with their own house brand labels. I just peel off the labels to have a plain black generic battery. I use these in all my cars, and it you don't kill them their mean life should be about 7-8 years.

Duke





[Modified by SWCDuke, 11:51 AM 5/4/2004]

 

agree on the JC battery point, note that Optima is also a JC product.

And I should have mentioned that part of my effort that resulted in a great running car also included a distrib rebuild (not as hard as I had feared, had great support from folks here). And a new, repro "202" coil after being plagued with a mystery "die after running warm for an hour" condition, but that is really a basic no nonsense original spec coil.

 

Thanks for the input Duke. I realize that the voltage rating is more of a selling point and that the true measure of coil performance is the milliamp output (which is what the Pertronix tech told me). At any rate, it seems that the Pertronix coil is better than the stock OE unit. I think matching the coil with the Crane points conversion kit is also key. As for the battery, I did the same as you, pulled the labels off. :flag

 

I also use the Crane unit. Was using a pertroniz unit and had far too many problems.

My car starts and runs quite well with that and a new carberator, and rebuilt distributor.

Nice to hear you got her running good... :D