I previously was running the original Ignitor which I had installed and it worked fine. I opted to upgrage to the Ignitor II since it can handle the full 12 volts feed for better spark energy. I installed the new Ignitor II and replaced the resistor wire with standard copper wire. The air gap for the Ignitor II is well within tolerances. The dist advance plate ground wire is still intact. I have checked with a voltmeter to verify that I do have a full 12v to the + side of coil during both cranking and key on posistion. My problem with the this new Ignitor II is that I am getting no spark whatsoever. Yes the distributor was removed and reinstalled during the process. However, I am confident that the failure to start is not due to a timing issue. The fact is I am getting absolutly no spark at all. I am also waiting the required 5 seconds with key in on posistion before attempting to start. What could I be missing? Has anyone ever recieved a defective Ignitor II out of the box? Im gonna put the original one back in and see what happens. Meanwhile, does anyone have any input on the matter? Thanks 73 smallblock coupe.

 

What kind of coil did you use? It has to be a coil for pertronix in particular, or you have to use a ballast resistor. Regular coils are designed around the resistor wire and some hi-per coil have only 0.5 ohms. You hook this up to a pertronix with no resistor wire and it burns out the pertronix. Ask me how I know. :)

The coil needs to have atleast 1.5 ohms.

 

probably..... There have been defective units of the earlier models. Pretty frustrating when you get a bad one, because of all the diagnosis you have to do to eliminate everything else first. When first installed my lobe sensor version I thought maybe I had a bad one.... but it worked fine after I reinstalled my ROTOR ! (whoops!). I also installed their "flamethrower" coil, but I thought these things were supposed to be compatible with a stock coil. MJ

 

zwede, the coil I am using is an Accel 50k volt. It has .7ohms resistance. I am aware of the problem you mention with respect to the need for resistors in the hot line, especially when using low resistance hi po coils. As far as Im told, this concern only applyies to the original Pertronix Ignitor, which is the one I have been using with sucess so far. I was previously using this original ignitor with this Accel coil, with the factory resistor wire in place. It worked fine. The later design Ignitor II, is a different unit that allows one to to run full voltage to low resistance hi po coils(.7), without the need for any resistors of any type. The advantage of this later Ignitor II, or so im told, is a hotter spark due to the increased voltage being fed to the coil. My problem is, I have just switched from the original Ignitor to the later Ignitor II, and I now have nothing. No spark from the coil at all.

MNJack, These things are compatible with most coils. Just like zwede said, you need to be carefull with your voltage when using the earlier Ignitor. The Ignitor II should handle just about anything. I will say this, if there is more bad parts out there waiting to be delivered, and im sure there are, im sure they got my name all over them. Man...I could give you a list of defective crap I've recieved in the not to distant past. Across the board from a # of different manufacturers. Thats life huh? Im out the door now to muck with it some more. I hope I find out that it was some stupid mistake I made. But that would be too easy. I was a bit sauced when I was working on it. But heck...I do some of my best work when sauced. :lol: :smash: :) :cheers:

 

you seem to really know what you are doing, proabably more than i, and mine started up instantly (not even 5 sec wait req'd). it may be rare, but i'd say defective unit.

 

Put the old one back in. Fired right up . Timed it. Now I hear a valve tap. $#@&$** it. I wasnt the last one to drive the car but I never heard that tappin before. I might as well not even ask her, she's oblivious to the stuff. poopie , guess I gotta pull the valve covers now. By the way Turbo-Jet, I dont know poopie...at least it seams that way to me lately. :crazy:

 

1/4 turn down on the #1 intake rocker...all quiet now. Now... the original Ignitor works and the Ignitor II does not. Hmmm go figure...another bad part with my name on it. Not yet anyway. I got one more thing to try.

 

I have an Ignitor II in the box right next to me. I had a failure of a Lobe Sensor and I am not too sure about installing the Ignitor II with the shims and air gap requirements. You did not mention something that I found on a small piece of paper in the box. It says "WARNING!! DO NOT USE WITH SOLID CORE SPARK PLUG WIRES."

Thats one reason I haven't yet installed it. How do you tell if you have solid core spark plug wires?

Did you check out the Common Questions and answers on the instructions? The first one deals with a no start sutuation.

The sheet also says that the Ignitor II is compatable with coils having a resistance of 0.6 ohms or greater.

Let me know what you find out.

Jim

 

Jim, solid core plug wires are not very common at all. Someone would have had to specificly obtained them and put them on. The are usually only used on all out race vehicles and not on the street. I have heard that in some locals, they are even illeagal to run on the street due to the fact that they can cause drastic radio interference. If you pull one of your plugwires you can look into the boot at where the core of the wire is wrapped under the metal crimp. A solid core wire would have a solid type metal inner wire as opposed to the typical carbon wound braided type core found on typical ignition wires.

I solved my problem by reinstalling my original Ignitor. I even did it all again. The new Ignitor II will not produce any spark at all. The old one still works. I am convinced I have a defective part.