Hi all,
I’ve been off the board for quite some time and reaching out for some advice.
I have been running a breakerless single wire ignition system in place of my points on my 1970 LS5 for quite a few years.
The car is original and near 100% stock hence the factory look with single wire.
The breakerless system ( forget the manufacturer’s name) has been working fine for the few times a year I drive the car.
At times it may crank and and it catches and lights off at various time intervals.
Once running and warmed up it restarts normally.
Ive had a few occasions where it didn’t fire up when long sat cold. Sometimes even backing off of the ignition key whilst cranking would light it off.
I most always have to pour but of fuel into carb after long time sitting to instigate the light off to prime.
But today, it would not light off.
I was smelling the fuel and quite certain no ignition was there.
Ill let it sit and dry up and reattempt tomorrow for the New Years drive.
My question is if anyone can recommend a newer more advanced single wire breakerless system that may work better than my 20+ year old set up I currently have.
My idea is to keep it stock looking as it is now with my original distributor, cap, rotor and coil.
i do remember when I purchased my existing set up, I had to return it to get a pickup unit with correct resistance to work.
But I did so and I’ve used it past 20 years.

Thanks and happy 2024,
Jim

 

I’ve had no issues for five years with the Breakless SE ignition.

Breakerless-se Electronic Ignition Conversion | #38131

 

No issues with mine on the last 10 years.

 

Theres quite a few places to get the breakerless setup to convert a diz or buy a complete one....pertronix, lectric limited, summit,
https://www.summitracing.com/search/...tributor%3Ayes
Mine was the breakerless se that resembles the american auto wire i got from lectric limited years ago.
Just looked, they still sell it. https://www.lectriclimited.com/catalog/product/view/id/85042/s/breakerless-se-electronic-ignition-conversion/category/736/

You have lots of options. Did you take your distributor cap off and inspect and clean it. I had the retaining clip fail and the rotor was trying to eat its way through the cap
I also run MSD currently and it gets dirty and rusty easily..always have to inspect it

 

Sounds like you have a Breakerless SE system, or it's predecessor. Check the directions very carefully and see if you need to or already did replace the factory resistance wire. It probably needs a full 12V, not 8V when restricted. IIRC all the non-points systems do.

Get a cheap spark tool and check for spark or use a screwdriver stuck in a plug wire and the shaft held close to a metal bracket.

Oh I stand corrected! I just read the Breakerless SE write up and you must retain your original coil and resistor! Learn something new everyday.

Magnetic hall effect is typically extremely reliable and does not wear out unless heat affects the seals and moisture gets inside causing corrosion problems.

 

I’ll let it sit and dry up any excess fuel and give it a go once back from flying.
I’ve experienced this before but it’s never totally let me down and it eventually it lights off…and the garage walls shake!
Thanks and happy new year.
Jim

 

When you crank it next time, use a timing light to see if you are getting spark

 

Found the instructions for the Breakerless SE unit.
It also gives you trouble-shooting procedures to determine if the module is firing, on page 4.

 

This discussion just talked me into ordering one.
My LS6 replica project should have transistorized / breakerless ignition anyway.

My other options were a full OEM TI setup, but I had concerns as to both cost and reliabililty since I plan to drive this a lot and over long distances.

Another option was to install an MSD pickup module and a real HEI module onto the stock small distrib, but this would require some light machining to install a MSD reluctor wheel on the pole piece. That option would entail a remote mounted HEI module somewhere under the hood. Which I really liked for over-the-road long-haul reliability since I could easily keep a spare small HEI module in the glove box. And I believe they are still readily available everywhere anyway. My main concern with these non-oem electronics is their sudden complete failure mode, and lack of readily available replacement parts. I could get really stranded on a coast to coast tour. Who knows I may wind up with the HEI version at a later date during testing. I like the fact that this B-SE unit uses a stock coil, stock wiring, and has electronic dwell modification at low & high rpms to keep the coil running cooler. AFAIK an HEI does the same thing with dwell.

If anyone has any comments on the RELIABILITY of this Breakerless SE vs a real HEI please speak up. The only downsides I can think of is the module is contained inside a hot running distributor cap with less cooling, and the replacement module is a proprietary unit, and more expensive, vs HEI. I suppose for backup I could keep a set of points in the glove box, as it seems to be a relatively simple on-the-side-of-the-road switch out. A remote HEI module could be mounted on a heat sink, and installed outside of the ignition shielding, where it should run cooler. And swapping out a HEI module would be like a 1 minute repair. I will not run a Petronix or a real TI system because of the above reasons and their potentially troublesome repair-on-the-road issues.

 

Such a simple idea. Sometimes the simplest ideas elude us and this is one that I never thought about!.

 

per Breakerless SE instructions:
it is designed to RUN; typically in concert with OE GM resistance wire.

If yours was installed otherwise ? Perhaps that may have exacerbated a failure ? Breakerless SE has a good, long rep for reliability.
OE points-condenser ignitions require occasional, but minimal, service. Otherwise, can't think of another system that's more reliable.
For most folks' sbc/BBC, IMO: GM 4-pin HEI is tough to beat.

** thankfully I finally quit smoking some two decades ago. But, when I did smoke, I could static time & gap most any points-condenser ignition with just a cig pak cellophane wrapper and a matchbook and a pocketknife or screwdriver.

 

I'm curious, how are you certain? I ask because to me it sounds like plugs are flooded or carb is not retaining fuel or something other than ignition. I'd review Lars paper on carb troubleshooting and probably confirm no-spark w/ a light or disconnected plug wire or something before blaming the ignition and replacing it.

Since you are certain the ignition is intermittently failing - The only single-wire I'm aware of is Breakerless-SE by lectric limited and maybe others - which it sounds like you have. Pertronix is equally good but it's a 2-wire setup. I don't know that there have been any real advancements in these systems since the 70s thought I'm sure the marketing folks may say otherwise. In my experience, electronic ignition works or doesn't work. I've not experienced one not working consistently only under certain cold start scenarios but otherwise functioning fine. But anything is possible.