OK guys, sorry if this gets a little lengthy but to get the best advice I figure it’s best to go through all the steps and give as much info up front as possible rather than answer a million questions. I am hoping someone has been in my shoes before. First, here is the link that led to the Pertronix installation for anyone joining the party late: http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=473858
The first 3 steps are just disconnecting power and inspection, blah blah, so we’ll go right to step 4. It says remove wire from negative coil, remove screws holding breaker plate and remove entire plate with points. (This was the first problem, there was no separate plate, the bottom of the distributor is seamless and fused as one piece so I had to just undo all 4 screws and remove the dual points separately.)
Step 5: Install the ignitor adapter plate using the original breaker plate screws. (Problem #2, there was no previous one to replace and the adapter plate is approximately 2mm in diameter larger than the area inside the distributor so there is no way it will ever fit inside even if there was a removable plate to begin with.) BTW, my distributor model is an Accel 34201S if that is any help whatsoever.
Step 6: Pull wires and grommet through hole in housing. (Had to massage the hell out of the eye connectors but accomplished).
Step 7: Place the ignitor on the plate studs. Fasten with nuts but don’t tighten. (Problem #3, the plate didn’t fit in step 5 so there are no studs. I did not have two sets of holes that lined up with the ignitor bracket holes, so I just bolted it down on one side with one of the existing holes from the points for now to move along).
Step 8: Push the magnet sleeve onto point cam. (No problem there.)
Step 9: Adjust the air gap between sleeve and module with supplied feeler gauge then tighten. (Again no problem. Yes it is only held down with one bolt still, but it is very tight and does not move or wiggle, the gap did not change once in all the start attempts.)
Step 10: Replace rotor and cap with all wires secured. Done.
Step 11: Black wire to negative coil, Red to positive unless there is a primary ballast resistor. (As I found later in my troubleshoot attempts, I do not seem have this resistor, but I could be wrong.)
Step 12: Start engine, let run for a few minutes then set timing in normal manor. (The car would not completely start. I could tell the starter motor was stronger than ever and very crisp, it would chug and plug and run a little rough, but it would not stay when you let up on the cranking, it would just die until eventually it would not even catch at all. By the smell, it is getting plenty of gas.)
OK, so onto the troubleshooting section.
First check all connections if not starting. (Done, no visible issues.)
If still no start or runs rough remove red wire from coil and connect directly to positive battery side, if you get a start it is a common low voltage problem. (Ooookay, well I did that with no change or progress and they do not say what to do next if still no start!!)
Next was how to fix the low voltage problem by either connecting before the ballast resistor or to a 12 volt ignition source instead of the coil. (I would guess the solenoid, but this does not seem to be my problem so we’ll move on.)
Type of coil needed 1.5 ohms of resistance. (Not a problem either as I installed the Pertronix Flamethrower coil also)
I also connected a jumper wire from negative coil terminal to an engine ground as well as negative lead from my voltmeter and the positive lead to positive coil terminal. With the ignition on I read a full 12 volts, thus my assumption that I have no ballast resistor causing my problem.
Possible solutions running thru my head last night.
Maybe I need a new rotor even though mine appears fine? Cheap enough and I will get one today.
Maybe that plate is extremely crucial to the module location being exact? As long as my gap between the module and the sleeve is accurate, I fail to see what negative affect that could have, especially since the sleeve does not have any directional importance pointed out I have to believe that location is irrelevant.
Maybe the timing is way off for this application? It would be a lot easier to check if it started at least. I figured I’d just try and adjust it a little counter clockwise or clockwise and restart until I made some progress, but after loosening the hold down bolt I find my distributor is frozen in place and won’t budge. I have hit it up all day and night with WD40 and hope to have better luck with that tonight, but after this I am fresh out of ideas and could really use some bright ideas. Hoping you guys can help. If not, I’ll try emailing this novel to Pertronix directly and see what they have to say.
I have the unit for the dual point without vaccum advance BTW as that is what my distributor is. The lack of vaccum is obvious, but is it possible that my distributor was originally single point or something and the PO just upgraded it so I have the wrong unit? I know I am grasping at straws, but I remember having issues with parts when I first got the car years ago because I would be asking for things on a 69’ 302 4V and they would come up N/A because the car was originally a 2V and they didn’t make 4V.
The first 3 steps are just disconnecting power and inspection, blah blah, so we’ll go right to step 4. It says remove wire from negative coil, remove screws holding breaker plate and remove entire plate with points. (This was the first problem, there was no separate plate, the bottom of the distributor is seamless and fused as one piece so I had to just undo all 4 screws and remove the dual points separately.)
Step 5: Install the ignitor adapter plate using the original breaker plate screws. (Problem #2, there was no previous one to replace and the adapter plate is approximately 2mm in diameter larger than the area inside the distributor so there is no way it will ever fit inside even if there was a removable plate to begin with.) BTW, my distributor model is an Accel 34201S if that is any help whatsoever.
Step 6: Pull wires and grommet through hole in housing. (Had to massage the hell out of the eye connectors but accomplished).
Step 7: Place the ignitor on the plate studs. Fasten with nuts but don’t tighten. (Problem #3, the plate didn’t fit in step 5 so there are no studs. I did not have two sets of holes that lined up with the ignitor bracket holes, so I just bolted it down on one side with one of the existing holes from the points for now to move along).
Step 8: Push the magnet sleeve onto point cam. (No problem there.)
Step 9: Adjust the air gap between sleeve and module with supplied feeler gauge then tighten. (Again no problem. Yes it is only held down with one bolt still, but it is very tight and does not move or wiggle, the gap did not change once in all the start attempts.)
Step 10: Replace rotor and cap with all wires secured. Done.
Step 11: Black wire to negative coil, Red to positive unless there is a primary ballast resistor. (As I found later in my troubleshoot attempts, I do not seem have this resistor, but I could be wrong.)
Step 12: Start engine, let run for a few minutes then set timing in normal manor. (The car would not completely start. I could tell the starter motor was stronger than ever and very crisp, it would chug and plug and run a little rough, but it would not stay when you let up on the cranking, it would just die until eventually it would not even catch at all. By the smell, it is getting plenty of gas.)
OK, so onto the troubleshooting section.
First check all connections if not starting. (Done, no visible issues.)
If still no start or runs rough remove red wire from coil and connect directly to positive battery side, if you get a start it is a common low voltage problem. (Ooookay, well I did that with no change or progress and they do not say what to do next if still no start!!)
Next was how to fix the low voltage problem by either connecting before the ballast resistor or to a 12 volt ignition source instead of the coil. (I would guess the solenoid, but this does not seem to be my problem so we’ll move on.)
Type of coil needed 1.5 ohms of resistance. (Not a problem either as I installed the Pertronix Flamethrower coil also)
I also connected a jumper wire from negative coil terminal to an engine ground as well as negative lead from my voltmeter and the positive lead to positive coil terminal. With the ignition on I read a full 12 volts, thus my assumption that I have no ballast resistor causing my problem.
Possible solutions running thru my head last night.
Maybe I need a new rotor even though mine appears fine? Cheap enough and I will get one today.
Maybe that plate is extremely crucial to the module location being exact? As long as my gap between the module and the sleeve is accurate, I fail to see what negative affect that could have, especially since the sleeve does not have any directional importance pointed out I have to believe that location is irrelevant.
Maybe the timing is way off for this application? It would be a lot easier to check if it started at least. I figured I’d just try and adjust it a little counter clockwise or clockwise and restart until I made some progress, but after loosening the hold down bolt I find my distributor is frozen in place and won’t budge. I have hit it up all day and night with WD40 and hope to have better luck with that tonight, but after this I am fresh out of ideas and could really use some bright ideas. Hoping you guys can help. If not, I’ll try emailing this novel to Pertronix directly and see what they have to say.
I have the unit for the dual point without vaccum advance BTW as that is what my distributor is. The lack of vaccum is obvious, but is it possible that my distributor was originally single point or something and the PO just upgraded it so I have the wrong unit? I know I am grasping at straws, but I remember having issues with parts when I first got the car years ago because I would be asking for things on a 69’ 302 4V and they would come up N/A because the car was originally a 2V and they didn’t make 4V.