Pertronix ignition swap from points

[Todd L.]

Re: Pertronix ignition swap from points

Thanks guys, this is a 300 HP car with a Borg T-10, not an automatic. Just an update, I finally got my old school mechanic contact out here to check everything out and he has narrowed it down to a distributor issue at this point. It appears to be getting plenty of fuel and the carb is functioning perfectly. The voltage is varying from 12,000 volts to 26,000 volts, so he took the distributor to his shop to evaluate everything. Hopefully he can come back mid next week and we can go from there.

[Todd L.]

Re: Pertronix ignition swap from points

Well, finally some answers!!! My mechanic evaluated the distributor and found it had resistance issues internally and made adjustments to the weights and springs as well. We dropped it down in the block, and it worked perfectly. We made some final tuning adjustments to the carb and moved the timing up to 15 degrees advance, and it runs like a dream!!!! Thanks so much to everyone that shared their thoughts here, it's been a challenging but learning experience. We are heading to Bloomington Gold at Indianapolis this weekend to learn more and hopefully find some needle in the haystack parts we need for our 63 fuelie we are restoring for NCRS. Have a great weekend to all, and thanks again for your wisdom.

Todd

[Mark E.]

Re: Pertronix ignition swap from points

Thanks for sharing the fix. It's good the problem was fixed rather than throwing in mods.

[Todd L.]

Re: Pertronix ignition swap from points

Yes, I agree. I was at my wits end and was ready to just make it work. Fortunately I found THE MAN to help get it solved. Thanks for talking me down off the ledge and keeping this car original, like it should be

[William F.]

Re: Pertronix ignition swap from points

15 degrees initial advance with vac advance disconnected?? Way more than factory specs for a 300 hp

[Frank D.]

Re: Pertronix ignition swap from points

Factory timing specs are "lazy" and conservative; a "one size fits all". When Lars rebuilt my 63 stock 250hp distributor he "dialed it in" at 16* BTDC initial timing and included this advance map. Tweaking these factors can provide a real "seat of the pants" boost in performance.

[William F.]

Re: Pertronix ignition swap from points

How much vac advance at what amount of vacuum?

[Frank D.]

Re: Pertronix ignition swap from points

Never tried to measure the advance with the added vacuum. I trusted Lars to set things up right and the car never exhibited any pinging or "trailer hitching" at light cruise.

[Todd L.]

Re: Pertronix ignition swap from points

Factory spec also calls for a AC Delco 44 spark plug, which we all know is too cold. 15 degrees is where my engine is happy and performs best.