I'm interested in anyone's experience with "Hot Spark" electronic ignitions.

Does anyone agree that working on the distributor on this car is no fun. I usually remove the lid and kneel in the trunk. That works fine but is a PIA. First tune-up required pulling the assembly to change the condenser. Yikes!

Adjusting points really stinks 'cause I never get the dwell by gapping alone -- gotta warm up the car, hook up the meter and test it. Then climb back into the trunk and re- gap. Overcorrect. Repeat. I'm not a great mechanic anyway.

It's my misfortune to own 13 internal combustion engines running various vehicles and devices. Only three use mechanical ignition. Even my mowers have EI. Two of the three hold-outs are 40 year old tractors and tuning them is so easy that my four year-old could adjust the points (maybe next year).

Don't get me wrong, I really like almost all of the "obsolete" technology on the 914. One might argue that some of it works better than new. At least you can work on it. It's also reasonable to argue that putting a bunch of semiconductors on top of a hot engine is asking for trouble, but I've never seen an ignition module go bad. Not that it doesn't happen....

Long winded post, so I'll wrap it up. On this board I've read one reference to the "Hot Spark" ignition retrofit and only in passing. It was not unfavorable, so I wonder if anyone else runs it? It has only been a short time that I knew they existed. Cheap too.

Not interested in Petronix -- no good reason, but their ads in the VW magazines seem gimmicky. People sometimes report failure, but you have to consider that they are probably a lot more of those being sold than the other brands. Never installed Petronix or any EI on a bug or a bus -- the dizzy is easier to get to on those cars and the dwell not so critical.

PS: Is it me, or have points become less durable in the last 20 years? Seem to pit faster. Maybe it's the Bosch "Blue Coil" burning them up? One thing I do know is that if I don't change something my points are going to burn even faster -- because I'm not pulling another distributor just to replace a condenser.

Do you buy the high performance tiger tail points or the regular ones?

If your points burn out quickly it could be the condensor.

Don't know those. I'll use google. Thanks.

From a different board I found a description of "tiger tail" points:



According to this author, "tiger tail" points are Bosch with a plastic cam-rider, shorter throw points armature and striped leads. This type is what I installed on the 914 per FLAPS. On VW's I've always used the Bosch points set that has a felt cam-rider and a longer swing-arm. Never thought about the difference between the two styles, but the shorter swing swing-arm may explain why getting the correct dwell seems more difficult on the 914.

"Hot Spark" experiences, anyone?

I've had a Hot Spark on my 914 for several years and it works fine.

Great. Much obliged.

I had a hot spark, it went up in a hot flame!

Compu Fire is the same price. Much better design IMO. I checked the pulse signal on both (setting up the megasquirt). The compu fire was much cleaner at low RPM. It has more separation on the magnets. Get the real one, not the EMPI knock off. I bought it from a dealer on the Samba, it was ~60 delivered.

Can't get much more objective than that. You're thinking it could be the different spacing of the magnet/sensors. Thanks a bunch.

+914 ....... I have a hot-spark SVDA ....... I have yet to put it into heavy use but so far it has been fine. However, if/when the trigger goes bad ..... it will be replaced with a computronix.

You pull the trunk lid and kneel in the trunk? Are you 7' tall? Its a lot easier to pull the engine lid, but I've never even done that. Not flameing you man, I just can't imagine it being that hard. The only time I use a feeler is when I change a condenser cause I pull the diz and do it on the bench. .016 is always spot on 47 degrees dwell. It may take three or four times in the car to get the dwell where I want it, but it only takes a few minutes. I'm a stickler! I want it dead on 47. I've had a pertronics and a compufire. They both left me stranded.

That's my hang-up Tune up is points, plugs and condensor. Maybe my dwell procedure is lame, and I can get to the points from the side of the car, but to do anything else to the distributor you gotta pull that sucka and it doesn't want to come out. After the first time doing that job, it became a "kneel in the trunk" operation for me.

I take your point (no pun) that compfire/petronix/HS won't do anything to improve access to the rest of the dizzy so I still need to figure out how to RR it without the drama. Maybe the o-ring is out of spec. Assuming that's the case, how the heck to you get to the retainer bolt, etc., without crawling into the engine bay?

Your right about the dwell on those cars. It needs to be spot on. There again, I either have to figure out an easier way to pull the distributor, or how to get a better initial gap without removing it. Right now its a 30 minute job for me.

While we're talking, what are you using for points?

Pertronix are fine units

- i have used em in 914-6, 914, MG, VW etc for years

- they are a tight fit in Bosch distributors

- lots of 911 guys use em

you can't use a stock Bosch blue coil with 'em

Pertronix is the only legal ign upgrade in CSRG racing - so EVERYBODY uses them

Lots of folks like the Crane XR-700 & 3000 since it fits better in small dizzies - but it has a spotty reputation on the racetrack

I couple Pertronix to an MSD in my sixer with an MSD coil

I have a REALLY HOT Jacobs Ultra-Team setup on the shelf that i pulled out of another 914-6 - it makes about a 2-inch pencil-thick spark - but it did not make the engine run any better

"Tight fit" in Bosch dizzy but you use Petronix in yours anyway --correct?

No blue coil. Shoot, I have a half-dozen of those things. What's a sensible alternative?

Thanks for sharing your experience -- I appreciate it very much.

Why no blue coil? They are fine with the compu fire, as they are internally ballast.

Maybe too much ballast. I checked the HI circuit on one today and got 8 ohms resistance. That seems like a lot. There's a spec. but I've forgotten what it is.

On some it was below 5 and they will burn up the electronic module, 8 ohm is fine. Pretty sure lots of guys run the Pertronix with the blue coil without issues as well. When you switch to blaster coils and such, then you have to run external ballast resistors.

Makes sense. Thanks.

I use nothing but bosch electrical parts. For access to the retainer bolt, loosen the 10mm lock bolt and turn the diz all the way clockwise. Being tight and hard to pull is a good thing. When the o ring is tight, it won't leak oil. For the tight ones, I use my carpenters wonder bar to gently pry it up past the o ring.

Spark plugs too?

Ok, ya got me! NGK.

I installed Hot Spark about 5 months and 3500 miles ago and haven't had to think about it since. No gaps to set, no special online tricks, just install, set timing and drive...