A short interesting article on points vs Pertronix.
Personally, I’ve got a Pertronix in Daphne because I’ve replaced points and condenser on the road before…granted it was 30-plus years ago in a 1973 MGB, but I really had no desire to do that again. As a teenager it was an almost fun part of owning a cool little British roadster. I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t feel the same way now.
Good article. Thanks, Kevin.
That convinced me to order a new 123 distributor for for my 65 FHC.
some like points, some like the new fangled stuff…this article written by one who likes the new. One could just as easily write a list of Pertronix or 123, or other brand issues…simply look thru the archives for the many perplexing issues…owners with no idea where to even start. The Points systems have run in millions of cars for zillions of miles, zillions of hours…easy to replace and repair… I have had flats, fuel pump fails, hoses fail, belts fail, U joints clunk, batteries die, never been parked on roadside yet due to points/condenser…maybe next summer. Maybe not… a check is part of my Spring start up routine. Nick
The problem today, even though I have petronix or same as in almost everything old is because the repr points and condenser and even the rotors are junk.
I had 10 sets of old STANDARD/BLUE points, but they don’t make them the same.
My condesors would blow out on a temp change?
In this case…IMHO………like my fuel pump, Switch to the upgrade, its once and done.
IMHO
GTJOEY1314
I still prefer points and haven’t had the difficulty with them some report.
That said - I decided to try an electronic alternative when one became available for less than 40 bucks:
My spares include a complete distributor so I installed the Hot Spark in that and put the unit on the engine for the last Oil Leak. Performed just fine, possibly made the idle steadier but mostly no difference.
Fine enough that I have never bothered to swap the points unit back on (sort of forgot about it) so I now have about 3,500 miles on Hot Spark.
Hi Geo
After you changed the points over did you need to redo the timing?Or anything else?
Thanks Benny
Since I swapped the entire distributor I had to set the timing afresh.
I cannot say if simply fitting the hall effect unit in place of the points would preserve the exact same timing… though I think it would be very close.
Agreed, new stuff is junk but with that said the Distribuitor Doctor supplies the high quality red rotors , fiber heeled tungsten points and high quality condensers.
No affiliation but… its good stuff.
Marco
I put a Mallory Unilite in at least 12 years ago and haven’t touched it since.
I’m good.
It replaced a Lucas/Pertronx.
Putting an electronic trigger in a 50 yr old distributor addresses only one possible issue. Worn shaft bushings, weakened springs, gummed up advance plates aren’t fixed by not having points. From 1968 on, the emission control measures: (timing curve/twin carbs/preheated intake charge) conspired to reduce power and torque as well. Gotta do it all to make your E an E
Likewise I put Mallory Unilites in several '60s points vehicles in the 1990s and have never had to touch them since.
Overall, electronic beats the pants off p&c: nothing wrong about those who want the old, but let’s not pretend the old is better than the new.
…pretend…becomes real…when one system, or the other…is not working, I prefer to “fix” points in about 10 minutes with the simplest of tools and no outside advice needed: … . but…we have been down this road before…and I know it where it goes…a road without end. Cheers…Nick
I just prefer to not have to fix them, which is, overwhelmingly so, the case with modern EDIS systems.
P/C and electronic both have advantages and disadvantages which have been discussed here and elsewhere at length before. To me, the electronic advantage of instant starts in cold and damp weather outweigh the P/C advantage of being able to fix roadside if needed. (You can always carry a spare P/C if you’re worried about a Pertronix failure.) I think that the telling fact is that all manufacturers of modern cars abandoned P/C decades ago by first going to electronic distributors and then EDIS.
When I go on the Oil Leaks I carry a spare module and spare original points dizzy. Also spare caps and rotors and wires. Never had to use any of the spares I carry. Sure if I left any of these at home I would have a failure.
Glenn
Precisely, and the fact remains, the modern electronics ignition is just a way better design.
Before the predictable howling begins, feel free to “experience the period feel” of a p&c ignition: as a mechanic, Id had quite enough of the ‘period feel,’ to last 6 lifetimes.
The EDIS was such a delightful improvement, even over the Mallory Unilite I had in Tweety, that Had I any old car that wasnt a Bugatti Royale, it would get an EDIS update.
One reason was consistency and more precise spark timing throughout the RPM range. Manufacturers had to start making cars with less tailpipe emissions. Better spark control was one of the keys, and since they had to warrant the system worked for XX,XXX miles they needed the consistency electronics brought to the party.
I had two points failures. First while driving the car stuttered and died. The Chevy dealer came out and cleaned the points with a bit of emery paper. Problem solved. Another time the rivet that holds the points together failed and left the E and myself stranded just before the busiest tool plaza on Houston’s Beltway 8.
I used to joke that I needed a car with points because I still owned a dwell meter. No I’ll happily forego that fun.
thats funny stuff. I was thinking the same thing… I have this nice pair of devices. what would I use them for?
Snap-On? Cornwell? Do tell…
