Pertronix not coming to the rescue, need Advice please!!!!!

[Ronstang]

Pakrat,

You might be able to modify what you have and make it work but since I do not have any of the pieces in my hand I can't tell whether or not it is possible in your situation. I did modify my unilite conversion but it was no easy task. I had to re-engineer quite a bit and do a lot of measuring and testing to get it to work....I did not want to modify the distirbutor since they are so rare and this complicated things a bit. The problem you might have is that the Petronix kit was not designed for an aftrmarket distributor and it may never work correctly because you might not be able to modify it to your needs. My Unilite was designed for stock Ford distributors and although mine was different it was similar and that was the only thing that saved me.

 

[Pakrat]

In the words of Rosco P. Coltrain himself: GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS!

We are running again! Ok first off Worth, the fuel filter was certainly not helping things as when I removed it and reinspected it, not so clean this time. You should be able to blow through it right? It still wouldn't start after though. The biggest problem was 100% the timing. Today with the vice grips on it and a nice helping of spinach for lunch I finally got it to move. I believe clockwise is retarding it correct? In either case I had to rotate that son of B a 1/2 inch or so just to get it running. I'm probably close to the stock 6 BTDC again from the 14 or so I was at with the dual points. So I guess the other good news is that you CAN in fact adapt the pertronix succesfully. My biggest concern though now is that it is bolted down with only one bolt. The other 3 threaded holes from the points will not line up with the other side and there are two other holes in the bottom without threads that would not line up either. Anyone see a problem with drilling and tapping a small 1/8 size hole where needed to make sure it stays put and secure? I don't see how it could harm anything, but I don't know for sure.

OK well thanks alot all, I headed back out there now to put the timing light on it and see if I can fine tune it before a test run. I really came on just to let you guys know I am out of the woods and to try and catch Aero on the IM in case he changes his mind now and doesn't want to make the trip still. He got my number but i didn't get his. Worth feel free to pass the message and have him call me if he wants to talk first.

Woooooo freakin' whooooooooo I'm off baby!!!!!!!!

 

[WORTH]

In the words of Rosco P. Coltrain himself: GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS!

We are running again! Ok first off Worth, the fuel filter was certainly not helping things as when I removed it and reinspected it, not so clean this time. You should be able to blow through it right? It still wouldn't start after though. The biggest problem was 100% the timing. Today with the vice grips on it and a nice helping of spinach for lunch I finally got it to move. I believe clockwise is retarding it correct? In either case I had to rotate that son of B a 1/2 inch or so just to get it running. I'm probably close to the stock 6 BTDC again from the 14 or so I was at with the dual points. So I guess the other good news is that you CAN in fact adapt the pertronix succesfully. My biggest concern though now is that it is bolted down with only one bolt. The other 3 threaded holes from the points will not line up with the other side and there are two other holes in the bottom without threads that would not line up either. Anyone see a problem with drilling and tapping a small 1/8 size hole where needed to make sure it stays put and secure? I don't see how it could harm anything, but I don't know for sure.

OK well thanks alot all, I headed back out there now to put the timing light on it and see if I can fine tune it before a test run. I really came on just to let you guys know I am out of the woods and to try and catch Aero on the IM in case he changes his mind now and doesn't want to make the trip still. He got my number but i didn't get his. Worth feel free to pass the message and have him call me if he wants to talk first.

Woooooo freakin' whooooooooo I'm off baby!!!!!!!!

I told aero to call you. You can drill and bolt it no problem, just make sure you use a real short screw so it doesnt touch the bottom plate.

 

[Pakrat]

I told aero to call you. You can drill and bolt it no problem, just make sure you use a real short screw so it doesnt touch the bottom plate.

Yeah I just caught him on IM, looks like he's still in for a cruise now that the hard work is done.

OK, noted on the drilling, that's what I was hoping. I plan to reuse a bolt from the points like I did to secure the one side since the kit has nuts to fasten to the studs on the included plate I can't use. I'll just have to go and get a tap the correct size. It's that or a self tapping screw, but I think the bolt and lock washer will be better in the long run. Thanks again ole wise one for your patience and wisdom.

 

[D.Hearne]

Rotating the dstributor clockwise advances it, not retards it. The rotor spins counterclockwise, so rotating the dist body CW will advance the timing by moving the plug wire terminals into the direction the rotor's turning. And just for kicks, the Pertronix unit for a stock Ford single point dist. only uses one hold down screw. There's also a small "tit" ( sorry guys can't think of a better word here ) protruding from the bottom of the pertronix unit that helps to locate it and prevent movement.

 

[Pakrat]

Rotating the dstributor clockwise advances it, not retards it. The rotor spins counterclockwise, so rotating the dist body CW will advance the timing by moving the plug wire terminals into the direction the rotor's turning. And just for kicks, the Pertronix unit for a stock Ford single point dist. only uses one hold down screw. There's also a small "tit" ( sorry guys can't think of a better word here ) protruding from the bottom of the pertronix unit that helps to locate it and prevent movement.

Hunh, well then perhaps it is I who is retarded? I did not verify it's current setting before starting since it really wasn't running but I could swear I ended up at 14 BTDC last summer when I fine tuned it and when I first moved it clockwise about a 1/2 an inch and then started it and put the light on it I was at 9 BTDC and then I moved it back counterclockwise about an 1/8 of an inch and was at 11 BTDC where I currently have left it. Is something screwy going on, or do I have the whole process backwards in my mind and lower numbers are actually advanced since we are working before 0??????

In either case it's running pretty good now, but I still want to fine tune it further. I plan on using the Ozsum67 method of simply advancing it until she pings and then backing off a little. I would have done this right away, but because the only way I could turn the frozen distributor back and forth was with the vice grips and some force, I was to afraid of getting clipped by my shroudless fan moving that way while running. I'll just work it back and forth until it's really loose and then adjust while running.

Thanks again everyone. Just another reason why despite any frustrations, faux pas's, differences of opinion or even flaming and bashing that Stangnet is a great tool to have in your arsenal and we all need to turn the other cheek once in a while to keep the member quantity at a high level for the good of the hobby and all.

 

[WORTH]

in my mind and lower numbers are actually advanced since we are working before 0

That's back asswards. It is the # of degrees before TDC which means the higher the number the more advance you have. 15 degrees is 5 degrees more advanced than 10 degrees.

 

[D.Hearne]

Hunh, well then perhaps it is I who is retarded? I did not verify it's current setting before starting since it really wasn't running but I could swear I ended up at 14 BTDC last summer when I fine tuned it and when I first moved it clockwise about a 1/2 an inch and then started it and put the light on it I was at 9 BTDC and then I moved it back counterclockwise about an 1/8 of an inch and was at 11 BTDC where I currently have left it. Is something screwy going on, or do I have the whole process backwards in my mind and lower numbers are actually advanced since we are working before 0??????
:

All that moving around the country will do that to you

 

[Pakrat]

OK then I did understand it correctly, (you guys need to read more carefully)but it does not explain then why moving clockwise which is advanced actually decreased my number????? Hmmmm, how about that smarty pants?

 

[D.Hearne]

OK then I did understand it correctly, (you guys need to read more carefully)but it does not explain then why moving clockwise which is advanced actually decreased my number????? Hmmmm, how about that smarty pants?

Only thing I can think of , is you have it timed ATDC and this would decrease the number. Not physically being there, it's really hard to say why it's so.

 

[Pakrat]

Only thing I can think of , is you have it timed ATDC and this would decrease the number. Not physically being there, it's really hard to say why it's so.

Being there don't make it any easier either big guy, trust me. I'm just learning not to question some things anymore so long as they work.

 

[LMan]

Something to remember is that when you remove the points, you remove the dwell permanently WHICH ALWAYS CHANGES YOUR TIMING regardless whether you moved the distr. during the install or not. Therefore timing always should be rechecked after putting in a PErtronix or other Hall-effect 'conversion' kit.....

 

[Pakrat]

Aha! So my 14 BTDC could have changed without my doing a thing thus leaving me to believe (or more accuratley ASSume) that I was still where I thought I was but I wasn't.

Unfortunately since it wouldn't start where it was I had no way to check where it went. They do suggest you start it forst, run for 10 minutes then reset timing but obviously my entire install was anything but test book from the momment I opened the box. Oh well, it is running well now so I will just pray to the Stang Gods and offer thanks.

 

[WORTH]

I still think you had a clogged filter

 

[Max Power]

Remember, in Australia, the timing goes the other way, like the toilets.