was up quite late dealing with this. i installed the pertronix ignitor system as the last little bit of tune up i did today. figured itd be nice to not have to deal with points. i put it all together correctly. after removing the point and the condensor, i mounted the baseplate with the threaded studs, put the spacer over that to get the module flush with the magnet ring, and mounted the module with the .030 gap set by the plastigage between it and the magnet ring, ran the wires through the grommet, cut the module wires to length and crimped on connectors. i hooked back up the two wires from the harness to their respective poles and did the same with the positive and negative leads of the new module.put the rotor back on and put the cap back on. damn thing wont start now. i tried switching the two sets of wires thinking maybe i hooked it up reversed. the coil doesnt have the poles marked. still no start. i checked the resistance of the coil and it was better than 3 ohms (3.6-3.8). i also tried the test pertronix reccomended to check for low voltage, where i disconnect the ignitor module + from the coil and run a jumper from it to the battery, still no start. what the hell is going on. this should be pretty simple right?

Well, if you switched the wires even once then you fried the Pertronix. Its gone without a doubt. Kind of an expensive lesson. I have tried them before but found them to be more trouble than they are worth. The gap on them is not 030 either. The ones I have installed came with a feeler guage with them and I think it was 007 but I could be mistaken there. For now I would just go back to the Points and Condensor and when you get another one, make sure of your connections before you even turn the key on.

i chased this same problem for 3 days. pulled the new compufire, turned it over and there was a big gob of solder on the bottom i couldn't see. threw it in the garbage. put the points and condenser in and go for a drive.

kevin

Yes it should have been that simple..
just install the pertronix and connect the red wire to + 12v coil connector and the black wire to the - 12 return connector and it should run.
verify the connection with a volt meter if you have any question about the polarity before you install.

GODDAMMIT

Monkei....

I'm from Pleasanton myself....where are you locate? Perhaps we could get together and BS about the Pertronix....I have done it before and can help...hope this can calm u down a bit....PM me

j

FYI -

12+ is also term 15
12- is also term 1

On the coils that is.

Yeah, touch the Pertronix once reversed and it is done. Also, leave the ignition on too long without running the car, also gonzo. But, I have run tens of thousands of miles on them without any troubles. Just have to be a little mindful of them is all.

Time to give it the "float test"....if it floats tie an anchor to it....

As with any piece of electronics, never use trial and error to try and figure out the power polarity.

Don't feel too bad. Hooking it up backward seems to be a very common mistake. You are in good company.

The + and - are marked on the coil, but it is just in a place that is hard to see (it is usually on the side of the terminals that faces the engine).

All of the electronic ignition solutions seem to have advantages and disadvantages. But once you get them hooked up and running, they are definitely a worthwhile upgrade - whichever one you choose.

Good Luck
Demick

yep, add me to the list

Me no like Pertronix I blew through 3 and upgraded my AAA membership to Plus status before switching to MSD. Never had a problem since...

Uhhhhmmmm, did you time it?

When you replace points with pertronix the timing does not stay the same.
Take you engine to TDC #1 and using a multi-meter rotate the dizzy until you get a change in signal. Start the engine. time with timing light. Problem solved.

Note:
Many pertronix failures are the result of the installer. One thing to look at, make darned sure you put some glue on ther wires where they exit the dizzy. Iffn you don't, they will inevitably get pulled on sometime in the future causing the wires to rub on something inside they shouldn't aught to be rubbing agin.

Some of the best money I've spent on my car.
Put it in.
Fire it up.
Set timing.
Havn't tuched it since.

my stupidass coil was not marked with + or -, looked all over, cleaned it, looked again, nope. maybe it has something to do with being made in the USA. obviously im going to be very sure of the wire placement before i send any power through,. and Skline, the gap is supposed to be .030 according to the instructions and plastic gage included.

anybody running the ignitor II for bosch coils?, its under some new products listing somewhere on the pertronix site and says it fits 009s and 050s for like the 50s to the 80's but when i called lady said it wasnt available for my application. anybody know what the deal is? maybe it just not on the market yet...

i wanted to ask what seems to be a stupid question but i need confirmation of my assumed answer. the wires that come from the motor winig harness that plug in to the coil are hooked up like so(?): blk/red to + on coil and blk to - on coil. right?

one 80$ screwup is enough as far as im concerned.

hopefully with caution and the right tests done BEFORE attempting anything, itll work this time.

OOOPS!

I'm embarassed.

It's Permatune I detest, not Pertronix.

I don't have any experience with Pertronix. My MSD rocks though!

well i got the pertronix unit in.... works fine. still need to screw with timing i think. illl definitely invest in some sort of multi spark/capacitive discharge ignition setup when i have better fuel rails and injectors. for now i have body damage to tend to (ugh).