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Post by neil55 on Apr 13, 2023 20:12:01 GMT
hi all, i am thinking of putting an electronic ignition on my coupe, what are the pros and cons , and will it give greater confidence when taking the car out ! thanks neil
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Post by barryr on Apr 13, 2023 23:00:19 GMT
Hi Neil,
Although I never really had issues with the old contact breakers apart from regular adjustment I found that condensers were getting more varied in quality.
I fitted a low cost accuspark electronic kit and sport coil along with an electric fuel pump to replace the old manual one, the car will crank very few times now starting almost instantly and idles more smoothly. I think it's a worthy upgrade.
That said, while the car wasn't really driving anywhere during recommissioning it started to misfire and I realised the module was failing. I ordered another and made sure more heat paste was added to a cleaned distributor baseplate. Time will tell if the new module will last a long time but it seems fine now - heat is an enemy for sure as well as making sure the baseplate earths correctly.
Hope this helps
Barry
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Post by MK IA Norway Viking on Apr 14, 2023 7:36:56 GMT
hi all, i am thinking of putting an electronic ignition on my coupe, what are the pros and cons , and will it give greater confidence when taking the car out ! thanks neil It is important to retain originality, so if you upgrade make sure you can return to the mechanical setup. Make sure to purchase high quality components that are suitable for your particular engine model, so you are not left stranded in case an electronic component fails.
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Post by enigmas on Apr 14, 2023 8:24:58 GMT
Barry with electronic ignition modules the maximum voltage the module is receiving across its operational range is paramount if you want them to last. Check the voltage output of your alternator or generator at both idle and at cruise rpm or whatever RPM level you would cruise the car for extended periods along a highway.
Confirm the maximum voltage tolerance range of your module by checking the technical literature that came with the kit. If you don't have this info then you ideally want about 12.7 volts consistent. More is not better. You may find your car's alternator or generator (if a 3 litre car) puts out way more....14 - 15.9 volts on some generators and alternators I've checked.
This added voltage slowly destroys the module causing it to overheat, then shut down, recover after a half hour or so and then repeat the cycle until it dies completely. If the voltage at the module at cruise rpm is more than specified then fit a ballast resistor between the power feed and the module. These are available in different ohm or resistance ratings. (.4 .8 1.2, 1.4 1.8) Simply wire one in series and check the voltage output with a multimeter until you get the voltage where you want it. Or fit a variable resistor, make the adjustments as required and then replace it with a sturdy ballast resistor of the same rating.
I've run and do run electronic ignition systems on my classics for literally decades. If setup properly with regard to input voltage they are utterly reliable. Unfortunately, it seems nowhere on any electronic ignition kit literature does it emphasize checking a car's voltage output at differing engine speeds. On older systems it's definitely worth checking.
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Post by lagain on Apr 14, 2023 13:14:56 GMT
Electronic ignition is a good upgrade. I had Luminition fitted in 1977 and, touch wood, it has never missed a beat. I think that SC Parts at Crawley do upgrades.
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Post by neil55 on Apr 14, 2023 16:55:52 GMT
hi george, did you replace coil and pump or just ignition bit neil
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Post by neil55 on Apr 14, 2023 17:02:42 GMT
thankyou ,seems like a bit more investigating and finding out more about it !
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Post by neil55 on Apr 14, 2023 17:05:39 GMT
hi george, did you replace coil and pump or just ignition thanks neil
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Post by lagain on Apr 15, 2023 15:59:50 GMT
It may be different now on what you can get and current electronics will probably be fussier but the coil was not changed and is still the same one, an armoured one that, I think, does not have a ballast resistor. The points and condenser were taken out and replaced with the Luminition unit, with the electronic box fitted to the inner wing and off I went. Probably done over 100,000 miles since. I keep the points in the boot, just incase.
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Post by neil55 on Apr 15, 2023 17:08:09 GMT
ok george, this looks to be the way i will be going, end of summer project i reckon so i have time to source and find out a bit more about ! thankyou for the info.
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Post by enigmas on Apr 16, 2023 10:11:10 GMT
(Neil55) Check the specific primary ohm rating of the coil against the tech literature for the electronic ignition kit that you want to purchase (most are about 3.4 ohms or equivalent to an old style points ignition coil.) Don't guess at the coil rating or use a sports type coil unless clarified in the tech literature accompanying the kit or you're likely to cook the module in no time flat.
My little screed on voltage (above) is worth perusing.
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Post by Sam Bee on Apr 16, 2023 11:38:07 GMT
I did a lot of research about the various products available. Many are produced in the Far East. The one that stood out is Pertronix, manufactured in the USA. I fitted their distributor unit and 40.000 volt coil to my P6B three years ago. Result - starts on the button and runs perfectly. The dwell is adjusted automatically as rpm varies, too. I have now fitted the same to my P5B with the same result. Expensive, but the results are impressive.
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Post by enigmas on Apr 16, 2023 13:52:48 GMT
Here's a link to Pertronix Australia's Webpage. Lots of useful info that generally covers most issues with Pertronix and similar cloned kits of this type of electronic ignition system. www.pertronix.com.au/troubleshooting.htmlBelow is a complete excerpt from the Pertronix page with regard to both Coils and Voltage requirements for these kits. WHAT TYPE OF COIL CAN I USE WITH THE IGNITOR? HOW DO I CHECK MY COIL'S RESISTANCE? (12V NEGATIVE GROUND ONLY)To determine if your systems coil is compatible with the Ignitor, some measurements should be taken prior to installation of the Ignitor. Caution… While performing this test, never leave the ignition switch on for more than 30 seconds at a time. Set your voltmeter to a 15 or 20-volt scale. Attach an 18 or 20 AWG jumper wire from the negative coil terminal to an engine ground. Attach positive (red) lead of your voltmeter to the positive side of the coil, and the negative (black) lead to an engine ground. Turn the ignition switch to the run position. Now read the voltage at the positive coil terminal. Turn the ignition switch off. If the voltage measured is approximately 12 volts, no resistance wire is present. A typical resistance wire will provide 9 - 6 volts. The next step is to determine the resistance in the primary ignition. Label the wires attached to the coil terminals and note their appropriate location. Make sure that the ignition switch is off and disconnect all wires from the coil. Adjust your meter to the lowest ohm scale. If you are using an analog style meter make sure to zero the needle. Measure from the negative terminal to the positive terminal. Write your measurement down. Now the maximum system amperage can be determined. Divide your voltage measurement by your coil resistance measurement. This will give you the system current or amperage. Four and Six cylinder engines should not exceed 4 amps. Eight cylinder engines should not exceed 8 amps. If the total amperage in your system is higher than the amount recommended for your application, you should install a ballast resistor.Example: Voltage 12 Resistance 1.5 12 / 1.5 = 8 Total amperage is 8
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