Late night upload here lol. . . but seriously now, Pertronix didn't earn the bad name that media has seemed to of given them lately. I never like seeing good companies be beat up undeservingly. I linked some of their products I currently have on my own cars above - Everything I have ever had from them has treated me very well. Edit: if you are hell bent on using ignitor 1 or 2: be sure to supply the module with 12v but you may need to maintain the original ballast to the coil (both again need to be on a keyed source). If In doubt, simply call pertronix - great group of folks to work with.

@MacroGamingStudios

3 жыл бұрын

This! My 65 IHC has been nothing but reliable but with the ignitor! It was set up right when I bought it and I followed that when I resealed the engine and she's been great!

@navycranes

3 жыл бұрын

I'm not "hell bent" but I bought the ignitor 2 because I heard the 3 doesn't like tachs. But still....the pertronix flame thrower 2 coil calls for 12v. So I would think both the module and the coil need to be on the full 12v. 🤷‍♂️

@cliffpalermo

2 жыл бұрын

Used one years ago on a BMW 2002. Followed the instructions put 50k on the car in a couple years before selling it and never had an issue. Didn't know they had a bad rep until I saw this video.

@lcdraper6773

2 жыл бұрын

Greetings, Luke! I've watched your channel for a while now. It's my go to for improving my Ford FE education. I've had my 55 f100 for 38 years. Was a kid when I bought it and it was junk. In 05 I put a fresh (1975) 360 and c6 in it along with a complete Painless wiring kit using the Duraspark setup and original distributor. To my surprise, it started right up. A new Holley carb last year was a vast improvement but revealed the failing distributor. It's done. After watching your videos, I recently sprung for a Pertronix unit with the Ignitor 1, a new pertronix coil, and eliminated all things Duraspark. Got 12 volt plus at the B+ coil terminal. Assuming the new unit is okay, It will NOT run. I think it reluctantly fires here and there enough to burn the starting fluid. I've studied my Painless paperwork and watched videos. I've got the balancer at TDC, both Number one Valves closed, and a screwdriver says the piston is up. I have a tdc whistle and a spark tester on order. As best I can tell, the various ohm readings are in range. I have never posted a message before anytime, anywhere. Talk to me, Luke!

@donreinke5863

2 жыл бұрын

Ford Duraspark+quality module>Pertronix. End of story

People just refuse to read instructions. I have been wrenching on cars for53 years now, as an ASE master Tech and a High School Auto Shop teacher ( I am now retired from both ). Getting my students to read instructions was an on going battle. Take a small block Chevy water pump for example. Go to the parts store get a replacement pump for your model and year and slap that sucker on, nothing could be simpler right. Wrong answer. The small block Chevy has at least 10 different variations at my last count ( there may be more ). A lot of pumps are designed to fit multiple applications so they don't have to stock so many part numbers. So you need to read the instruction sheet that tells you which, if any, of the small parts in that bag that came with the pump to use. I worked at O'Reilly Auto Parts for a few years after retiring from teaching. People would come in a lot saying we sold them the wrong part. I would look it up to make sure and when it was the right part ( most of the time ) I would ask if they read the instruction sheet in the box. I would get blank stair and a why would I need to do that. I would pull out the sheet and show them the instructions for their application and what they did wrong. Usually I would get something along the line of "well that's stupid". PEOPLE, READ THE DARN INSTRUCTIONS!!! OK, my soap box tirade is over. Luke you do good videos, keep it up.

@BareRoseGarage

3 жыл бұрын

.....and that's just a simple water pump...... don't even get me started on a carburetor kit, or aftermarket kit swaps..... torque sequences (oh yeah its from the center out) nonsense.

@jeromebreeding3302

3 жыл бұрын

Good primer on the petronix ignition .As always, read the instructions before installing anything. Will be installing one on my stock 292 Y-block. Can't afford to go with the Hi-Tech distributor, however.

@rustyjeep2469

3 жыл бұрын

@@jeromebreeding3302 Iron Trap Garage installed one on a Y block in a '39 Ford and retained the stock distributor, they have a video about it, might wanna check it out... kzread.info/dash/bejne/nY6W24-Cj9u9Yqw.html

@wannaseethevid

3 жыл бұрын

My 89' XF Ford falcon ute (the book says they sold until 88') The last of these rigs I have (Ozzie ute).......in 89' they just chucked on whatever they had left on the shelves so it is kinda hit and miss in my case, got the wrong clutch cable for instance. I guess my rig is a bit of a bitsa as we say. hehe.

@johndowe7003

3 жыл бұрын

The instructions are garbage and most of the time they aren't even correct to your application.

the screwdriver hanging from the dash, the beverage holder, the burrito and that engine running pretty, .. working class hero stuff Uncle Luke, go get em!

Watching this at 11PM right before bed...now I am in the garage checking voltage on my pertronix coil on my 65 Mustang with a 289. 7.3 volts. Guess i need to do a rewire. Thanks for learning me uncle luke!

@spmax82

18 күн бұрын

2 years later im the same as you

I'm totally with you on making the right positive lead connection. I've had a Pertronix ignition with original coil on a 1970 Chevy for years with no issues. However, I would like to note that a ballast resistor wire for a coil may not always read less than 12 volts. I fought a 1972 Ford F250 for a whole day wondering why the famous pink ballast resistor wire kept reading 12 volts. Ohm reading was the correct 1.5 ohms but voltage always 12. Finally asked a friend that cut his mechanic teeth back in the day on these things and he explained the ballast resistor wire as something that slows current not reducing voltage. He told me if you turn on power and try to get a straight voltage reading you will always get 12 volts. The way the resistor works is as the contact points open and close very rapidly while engine runs, the battery current passing thru the resistor wire gets slowed such that only 6 to 8 volts reaches the coil ultimately. He told me the only way to test a ballast resistor wire is ohm test. I know this doesn't apply to the video but thought I'd throw that out there in case someone tries to voltage test their ballast resistor wire and why they might get a 12 volt reading and pull their hair out like I did. Thanks for the tips.

@Milner62

3 жыл бұрын

Its just like the ICVR Ford used in the 60s up through the 80s, it takes 12v in but pulses the 12v at such a rate you see 5V at the sensors. How ever if you are using a multimeter or a test light you should be able to see the pulsing up to 5V or 6V. It wouldnt be pulsing so fast it would be showing a steady 12V. It is how I test Fords sensor circuits, if a gauge isnt working I use a test light which I have one with a digital read out and it will pulse on and off going from off to 5V then off again. You should see the same thing in the resistor wire if it is a pulsing circuit. As far as using the OE coil, all of my Ignitor II`s are running OE coils that has to have an external ballast resistor and I run it with them. I just connect my Ignitor II to the 12V side of the ballast resistor and make my negative connection to the negative side of the coil. I honestly dont believe you are losing enough spark to notice a difference in performance between running a external ballast resistor OE coil vs a recommended petronix coil especially if you are dealing with a stock engine. If you are running a hotrod then the last thing you should be doing is running a points distributor with a petronix points elimination kit over a dedicated electronic ignition system. The Petronix I always felt was designed for the collector car hobby for people that were restoring cars and wanted them to look original but perform better than original as well as remove the whole adjustment of points. People that want to go fast or make power wont be concerned about keeping a OE distributor and stuffing modern guts inside.

I had igniter 1 for the last 19 years wired wrong off the coil. It worked fine. I bought the billet igniter 3 and wired it the same way. Car ran like shit at idle. I remember seeing this video before i bought the 3.I changed the wires as you showed and the idle smoothed right out. 1965 Mercury 390 4v. Another great video Thanks.

Luke, a great primer on the petronics. I have used them for over 30 yrs and have never had one fail.I read the manual before I ever did the first install. I have had a unit on over 12 vehicles and never a failure. I see that you use my favorite brand of multimeter, fluke, they are relatively expensive but worth every penny.

@godfreypoon5148

3 жыл бұрын

As an Electronics Engineer, I've learned very well that you do NOT cut it cheap on test equipment. They are your eyes! I've also watched co-workers learn and re-learn this lesson very painfully.

@garycook2355

3 жыл бұрын

@@godfreypoon5148 so right, you don't want to go cheap on your best friend.

@cuzz63

3 жыл бұрын

Been using fluke meters for over 35 years. Its the standard for Industrial Technicians.

@stuckinmygarage6220

3 жыл бұрын

Ditto

@perotekku

2 жыл бұрын

Journeyman Electrician, Fluke or bust.

When I bought my current early 70s daily driver, it came with a pertronix 1. It ran just fine through two years of college, even with the factory ballast still connected and dropping the voltage. After college, I decided to properly upgrade it with the flamethrower coil and ballast bypass. I prefer the original pertronix, due to EMP concerns. All it has inside it is a hall effect sensor, and I'm convinced it will survive a solar flare. If it doesn't I have a complete points setup in a baggy in my glove box.

My father was notorious for not reading instructions . . . until it was too late or he had spent a fair amount of time cursing. I always read the instructions first, then go about the operation w/ a firm picture in my head as to what I need to accomplish. Pertronix units are great pieces, when properly installed. I have one on my Corvair and love not worrying about points gaps.

Your “test light” is a press to test light from military equipment. A handy thing to have. Great video.

@stephenholland5930

3 жыл бұрын

Plenty of those lights on Fokker F27 aircraft too.

@watup110875

3 жыл бұрын

test lights don't tell the full story like analog or digital multi-meters

@tc5963

2 жыл бұрын

@@watup110875 that depends very much on the application

@watup110875

2 жыл бұрын

​@@tc5963 very true

I don't "want" you to brake any of your vehicles but I do love it when you stomp the accelerator like it's on fire.

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

Don’t worry, each one is dialed and can handle it just fine 🙂

@tombryant1104

3 жыл бұрын

Back when, my pop said, "boy you have two speeds, STOP & WIDE OPEN". 50+ years later, I'm happy to say, both are still fine.

The 12 volt "run" wire is also typically connected to the starter relay, as there is usually a passthrough to give you 12 volts at the coil for starting. That's probably the easiest place to tap off imo, at least in a Ford

I didn't know there was a resistive lead built in!! I've only run mine for a couple minutes total which is lucky. You saved me from a world of hurt. Thanks for not giving up on YT Luke! Godspeed

As always thanks for putting in the time so maybe others don’t have to. I always enjoy the vids please keep at it. And we know your busy so if there isn’t time for an auto training video, show us how it is and what your up to ”down on the farm” I’m sure there’s endless tasks to provide entertainment, knowledge or even better amusement for us.

When I see this car in a video, I am always stunned at just how nice it is. That was a real nice score.

Your ignition system should always be the absolutely best that it can possibly be. This improves torque, horsepower, gas mileage, and results in cleaner exhaust emissions.

I just discovered your channel, and this is an excellent video. I've had Pertronix drop-in modules in two British cars for over ten years each and never had them fail. But like you, I know how to install them properly.

In some cases you have to tie into the the fuse that only turns on when you are in ignition mode on the switch ,if it;s on the acc side of the switch it will go open circuit when the ignition switch is in the start mode this makes sure that all the power goes into starting the engine .Also when wired this way you can have ignition switch in the acc mode without powering up the coil and in some cases the heater for the choke Very good video Luke.

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

Those are very good points you make

@TheOnion87

3 жыл бұрын

Yes I know with Holley sniper you must wire the ecu power wire or I think a pink wire on the wiring diagram to ignition power but also power while cranking. Can be a little tricky to find.

@Milner62

3 жыл бұрын

If using the Ignitor II you wouldnt have to worry about having the key on without the engine running. Only the Ignitor had the issue burning up with the key being left on, with the Ignitor II they put a sensor in the module that shuts the module down before damage if its wired improperly or if the key is left on. So honestly there is no reason to buy a Ignitor, you should be buying the Ignitor II or III unless the Ignitor is the only one for your application. For my applications the Ignitor II was the only one I could use in both cases.

Good video. I put a Pertronix ignitor and flamethrower coil in my 70 mustang. I did a resistor wire bypass from the ignition switch pigtail to the engine harness, ensuring 12v to the coil and module ( connected to the +ve side of coil) during cranking.

I love your channel Luke. I really miss being able to work on cars and trucks. New cars are comfortable and have alot of safety equipment. Like seat belts. It seems like we were always wrenching on something when I was younger. Our cars. Neighbors cars. Over at my grandparents working on thier cars. Alot of the things you go over are things I havent thought about in years. Thanks for all you do. And thanks for helping me remember the great times I had under the hood with my dad and grandpa.

Thank you for coming back, Luke!

I like the Pertronix 2. I have the 2 and 3 and the 3 is very sensitive to junk on the distributor cam lobes. My timing was jumping all over the place until I pulled out the distributor cam and cleaned it. The 2 seems more stable since it’s sensing off the ring and not straight off the lobes.

I've done a couple HEI's and the instructions showed how on my old 72 Nova and 68 Chevelle it plugs into the fuse panel easily. Never had an issue but thanks for the run down I can see how less voltage could cause issues to a module

Always good content, I usually learn something. Have a good week Luke.

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Shawn, you as well

I have Pertronix on my 86 Mercruiser MCM 170 224 CID. Love it. Pertronix told me to use the Ignitor 1146A. Great video. Thanks.

Spot on. I bypassed the resistor wire on my 66 when I installed my Pertronix lobe sensor model. Never had an issue in 10 years. 👍

Good to know these are reliable units. I've heard complaints of these failing, now I know why. Thanks for showing the proper setup for these.

@catsbyondrepair

3 жыл бұрын

They fail cause they are crap

You might want to mention when looking for the 12v key on source that you make sure you pick one that also has 12 volts while cranking. Most cars kill the power to things like a radio while cranking.. good tutorial Luke!👍

@watup110875

3 жыл бұрын

that's where continuity buzzers is perfect with the battery disconnected

@donreinke5863

2 жыл бұрын

Ditch the worthless Pertronix and use a Ford Duraspark with a shortened resistance wire and a high quality module. Ive always gotten a nice bright blue spark from the coil that often is capable of arcing over one inch, the same can't be said for any Pertronix unit I've thrown into the scrap pile.

@duffman6675

Жыл бұрын

Hey Thunderhead, just found your channel, may cool videos, I have an '83 G20 van myself, sitting right now, but ran when parked :). Maybe you should put this in the description, or pin it. From experience, I suspect there are only one or two circuits like this. IIRC you removed the resistor and swapped the coil.

@extremedrivr

Жыл бұрын

@@donreinke5863 Oh sure like Ford's gonna give you a performance ignition system?? NO NO AND NO!! Follow this mans advice and you'll wonder why you stuck with OEM junk ignitions.

@donreinke5863

Жыл бұрын

@@extremedrivr I follow no ones advice. Having had years of personal experience with both, I ABSOLUTELY know which system produces the most spark energy. The Ford Duraspark system in its stock form is superior to Pertronix, and when the primary resistance wire is shortened, FAR exceeds it. 1inch+ bright blue spark>weak half inch yellow spark. Only in the first 4 years of its use, before the module circuitry was redesigned was the Duraspark troublesome. The early modules (which had hot open circuit issues) are all long extinct. I converted from points and modified my first Duraspark system in 1980, likely before you were even whelped. I will put my 50 years of experience in automotive repair and modification against your obviously limited knowledge any and EVERY day.

I really dig your rides especially the Galaxie and the Maverick. Thanks for the videos.

Thanks for all the help. Installed it on my 74 fj40. Had to modify one of the holes on the igniter plate but after checking everything I turned the key and it never started they smooth in its life! Couldn’t get the tools put up fast enough to take it for a spin, wow! If you were better looking I’d kiss you! Take your time on the install and all will be good. Nothing wrong with this unit….nothing!!!!

Love Pertronix! I have been using them for many years too. I have never had any problems at all.

Luke what I like is when we have plug wires older than the hills and still have a great running engine. Lots of people throw money aimlessly at their running problems and still don't have it fixed. Glad to see your videos to help others keep this old stuff alive and well. Oh and glad to have received my (2nd) hat a couple weeks ago so I could represent at the Iola car show.

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

I’m thinking of doing something rather charitable with hat donations - this trailer park boy doesn’t need much in life. Thanks for snagging a couple

@softenerguy

3 жыл бұрын

BTW I've had a Pertronix conversion on an old tractor for almost 3 years without issues. Will get an Ignitor 3 for my 79 460 project and compare how I like it to my two Progression units on my small blocks.

Thank you for the bedtime story, uncle Luke 🌛

Thanks Luke, excellent video as always! I've now realised that the pertronix unit on a car I've had for 5 years is not wired correctly - not getting 12v. This could explain a few issues! Will be changing to a 12v switched source and getting the right coil this week!

@lacyfurmage8846

Жыл бұрын

updates :P

Thanks for the hints on what to avoid wiring the Pertronix. Keep up the videos!

Excellent video Luke :) I ran them Peltronics for years also my late dad used them to especially on gas motor farm tractor plus combine work perfectly for both us!

I have the original Pertronix in my 1964 F250 with a 292 engine and have never had problems. It was simple to install. I had to have a few adjustments on my 1955 Cadillac but again it worked.

WOW, what timing😊 Just what I was looking at for my Ford😎 THNX!

I don't have a petronix unit or likely will have one in a car, however, I still enjoyed watching and learning this.

Luke you helped me out alot. I have a 65 Galaxie 500 ltd. Rebuilt 352 with a pertronix ignitor ignition. It would misfire when i stepped on it. Rotisserie restoration 20 yrs ago. Bought a year ago. I've had and restored many cars. I didn’t know anything about the pertronix ignitor. After rebuilding the carburetor didn't solve the problem. Watched many videos about the pertronix and found yours to be very helpful. Replaced the pertronix ignitor and had a stock coil. Bought the flamethrower coil and my issues are solved. I love learning and you explain the steps very thoroughly. Thanks for your help

@ThunderHead289

4 ай бұрын

That right there is the reason I do this youtube thing, glad I could help out

Great video. I have pertronix in a couple of vehicles and never had any trouble. I had to get 12V to them as well.

Thank you. I’ve been kicking my own ass with my 73 f350. I will say some of us are visual learners and this helped me a lot and I read the directions too but it I just didn’t click. Thanks again!

Good video look. Just recently hooked one up in my 93 f150 so far very happy with it

Glad you decided to come back! Thanks.

Finely, a good explanation of the Petronix system! Thanks Luke!!!!

Don't be fooled by the burrito, I saw the custom screwdriver holder. That's the ticket!

It took me 4 years to convince my co-worker to wire his Pertronix to a proper 12v source on his 67 Galaxie, 390. His reasoning was, " It runs fine." I'm surprised it ran for 4 years without burning the module out, daily summer driving and drag racing. He finally listened though.

@lacyfurmage8846

Жыл бұрын

you would think if it wasn't getting 12 volts from the start, that it would of never ran good enough to thinks everything was ok.

I had Pertronix upgrade my 543cc 3 cylinder truck engines distributor to electronic. Love it. Still have a points distributor as backup.

Thank you for the learning experience keyed 12 volt source got it, makes sense. God Bless my friend!

I feel like vehicles today should still have the high beam button on the floor. That always felt more natural to me than the steering column. Nice ending with the gas station burrito too. Thanks for sharing Uncle Luke.

Your video made me think of how I wired my unit. I had it wired correctly when I used the Pertronix oil filled 1.5 ohm coil with the distributor + to the coil + because there was no resistance wire in the circuit. However, the Pertronix oil filled coil lasted about an hour before it quit. I then bought a MSD Blaster coil that I had to use a ballast resistor in the circuit to get to 1.5 ohms but I wired the Pertronix on the side of the resistance. Even though the vehicle seems to run fine, I'll change that tomorrow! Thanks for making me think about how I wired it.

thank you for an exceptional instructional video, i think you are explaining exactly why my ignitor 3 wont work. I am going to check and correct the isssue.... thank you again

The points on my Oliver 1650 kept working loose. Switched it over to a pertronics, love it love it love it.

Hey there Luke, I know I'm late to the party here, I just pulled an original Pertronix Ignitor, that was used on my dad's 47 Ford, for 10 years before I used it, for about 10 years. The kicker is, for it's time in my 65 mustang, it was wired to my factory resistance wire. I measured that wire, under load, delivering about 9 to 10 volts. It still works great. I'm upgrading to a Pertronix CD Ignition box. My family Pertronix experience has been bullet proof. God bless brother...

Thanks for posting this! Lots of people complain about the Pertronix stuff being junk. I ran one on my ‘67 mustang… which I daily’d for over 5 years and it never gave me any trouble at all! I just went out and checked the Pertronix igniter that the previous owner Installed on the ‘68F100 I recently purchased… and wouldn’t you know it… it was hooked up incorrectly as well!

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

The will last a little while at low voltage, but amps increase when voltage drops, which amps are where the heat comes from and the wiring isn’t designed to handle that amp load - fries the module eventually. Pertronix 1 and 2 still need the ballast to the coil, while the module red lead itself needs a keyed 12 volts. A lot of folks just dork up the 12v to the module part - eventually causing a failure

@whiskeycreekcustoms6296

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThunderHead289 absolutely! The Pertronix instructions aren’t worded super clearly, so a novice could easily screw that up!

That's neat that old 76 ford 390 f-250 is still running a duraspark ignition control module box and is still reliable, awesome!!

Thanks, I just looked at mine. I totally rewired the whole harness and I put the resister back in not thinking about it. I have the same retrofit module in mine. Hopefully bringing the voltage up fixes my miss.

More great info! Thanks for the clear and concise video 👊🏼👊🏼

Great video Luke! Literally just went through this with the Comet, ended up using one of their relay kits! Also, great pointer tip on which side of the fuse to use👍 All the best, hope to reconnect soon! Cheers Mike

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

Man, I am super looking forward to seeing you on power tour 👌

@79beans347

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThunderHead289 when is the power tour ? Ive been thinking about going, ive got my 79 pinto that I'm almost done with as far as the 347 5 speed swap and stuff like this is what I built it for so that I can take it on power tour, car shows and what knot, even though its far from being a show car. Plus I know that u will be super excited to see me as well on power tour 🤣😂( probably not )

@BareRoseGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Lol...... can't count how any times I've seen smoked out wiring connected to the hot side of those old stick fuses.

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

@@79beans347 dude I bet that car is a rocket ship. It’s late August! I’d love to see the car!

@79beans347

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThunderHead289 sweet, yeah man id like to show it to you and ill probably go so ill get in touch with you as it gets closer and possibly meet up with you out there and show it to you and maybe be a shadow so that you can show me the ins and outs of the power tour and to have someone to chat with here and there because it will probably be just me so it would be cool to follow someone who i at least know of around for the trip

Thanks Luke, hope all is well with you and your family:)

Thanks for making this video I know a couple of buddies that keeps on badmouthing pertronix or any other ignition systems

Yes, I'm older than dirt and have been using Pertronix units since the late 70's on everything from Ford tractors to cycles to VW's to MG's to air cooled water pumps with Wisconsin engines to boats, well you get it. Never had a problem but your right about having a full 12v power source and the right ohm coil otherwise it's a great product.

Excellent instruction on the Pertronix ignition system!!!👍

Never rush things! … I learned the hard way to read any literature that comes with parts (even if they are in Chinese 😉), and even if I had done that task before, because I thought I knew what goes where, … and … snap-bang-boom it’s done … right? wrong! All just because I was in a hurry to get the job done. Be patient, and do it the way it’s supposed to be done. Great Video Luke! God Bless 😎

i used pertronix on my 70 Galaxie it runs beautifully. took me 10 minutes to set up using the old dist and a new pertronix coil. fires right up and runs smoothly from Spokane to Seattle and back about 550 miles each way. engine and trans were great body was rusted to hell.

I asked my local distributor shop about this issue when I got a pertronix installed in a rebuilt dissy. They didn't think using the ballast resistor was a problem with igniter 1, only igniter 2 and 3 have the low voltage problem. My igniter 1 hasn't failed yet but I may have to check this out.

ya not sure if I can agree with you on this one. I put in a pertronix flame thrower 3 distributor and coil. Made sure I had 12 volts. Fresh rebuilt 289. No matter what I do, I can't get the engine to start nicely (hot or cold), idles rough, and when I'm driving its feels like the car has the hickups. Was told by the last shop I had it at (3rd generation hot rod shop with a great reputation) that this is a notorious problem with Pertronix. They swapped it out for a MSD ready to run distributor and blaster 2. It now runs like a brand new car. Perhaps I got a lemon, but if thats the case then Pertrtonix should step up. Instead they told me I only had 30 days from the original sale date, so it was just a waste of money. I won't buy that brand ever again.

Thanks man! That was important info. I read negative chats about it too and think, didn't you read the instructions?

In folks defense, the Pertronix you tube instructional video for the 1281 or whatever the Ford part number is, simply says black to coil negative, red to coil positive.

The timing of your video is interesting. Roughly 30 years ago I put an ignitor in my VW, and it failed after some months of use. Now, wiring it backward would have immediately fried it, and a VW coil gets a solid 12V, so the only other concern I can come up with would have been to not use their coil. However they only suggest using their coil. Either that was my problem, or the unit failed for some other reason. I’m now considering going back and trying them again. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to test for dwell, but if it is reliable, it does seem like it would be a more efficient choice.

Awsome content! Great tips again brother.

Your daily driver looks like it is set up for going to the drive in theater. Great video, thanks.

This was the video I was looking for, Thank You.

Thank you so much! You saved my 390fe build

I dig the closing song Luke. Good choice 👍

Our pertronix module went bad in last week's video and we had to get a tow. Got a new one and we installed it in today's video. We watched your video first and saw how you suggested running the power wire to a keyed and fused line so we took your advise and made the change. Gave you a shout out in the video and linked your video in the description. It will be up at noon tomorrow. Thanks for your help

@ThunderHead289

Жыл бұрын

No problem - they don't pay me to say anything about them. Just genuinely good products that when wired correctly, last forever. I've had one of mine for over 10 years.

@adventureswithedna

Жыл бұрын

@ThunderHead289 that's awesome. I had one in my 69 F100 and loved it. Install it and forget about it. I put one in Edna 3 years ago when I converted her from 6 to 12 volts. Never had a problem till last week but was happy to swap it with another.

@adventureswithedna

Жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/oqCfm7ltn7vOYso.html

@bryandallolio3260

3 ай бұрын

I wired mine correctly and went thru 3 of them! That's too many tow truck rides home! In my experience, Pertronix stuff lasts till just past the warranty! I think they went to Taiwan, and now, it's crap!!!

Like you, I've used Pertronix a lot (even on those N series tractors when I convert them to 12v) and have never had issues with them. Everyone says they are garbage, they will leave you on the side of the road, blah blah blah. But JUST LIKE YOU SHOW, everyone I've gone to fix, is half-done. When you do these RIGHT, they will last & are ultra dependable, but you can't cut corners in it. LoL..... From doing a lot of these conversions, I have a box on my shelf full of coils & ballast resisters.

@johndowe7003

3 жыл бұрын

I having a little trouble with mine, it keeps overheating the round coil. I gotta get a multimeter and check it out. I did try a ballast resistor but it didn't do any good I didn't install it on the red power wire that goes to the dizzy, maybe that's where I should have put it

@BareRoseGarage

3 жыл бұрын

@@johndowe7003 what are you installing it on? gonna sound weird, but this problem can be in weird places (bad ignition switch, bad dimmer switch, bad headlight switch, bad Amp gauge, etc etc etc). Also, you might wanna look into a new coil. If it's been "cooked" a few times, it's probably done now. Esp if there is any oil around it. Easy check is to turn the key off, and check it at the coil. If you still have juice going to it, find where it's coming from before you sacrifice another coil. Hope that helps.

@johndowe7003

3 жыл бұрын

@@BareRoseGarage it's on a tractor 8n

@Milner62

3 жыл бұрын

@@johndowe7003, Are you using the OE coil? If so do you have the ballast resistor still cause OE coils on something like that have external resistors. When I did the install on my '58 Ford 641 Workmaster it has an external ballast resistor in line between the ignition wire and the coil to drop the voltage down. The new coil I bought since I didnt know how old the one I had was and plus it was spraypainted red by who ever doctored the tractor up before I got it, but the replacement coil states on it "Use External Ballast Resistor". So I kept my ballast resistor and used one of those brass add a terminal spades and connected it on the 12V battery side of the ballast resistor then connected the ignition wire to one male spade and connected the Ignitor II red power lead to the other spade to get 12V. I then made my negative connection to the negative on the coil and kept the wire from the ballast resistor to the positive on the coil the same. Hooked up this way I never had a coil over heat on this tractor so I suspect you may have a coil that requires a external ballast resistor or you are trying to use a 6V coil on a 12V system without a ballast resistor and over driving the coil at 12V.

@johndowe7003

3 жыл бұрын

@@Milner62 im using a 12volt flamethrower coil 12v, ei ignition on a front mount 8n. the coil i have has 3.5ohm internal resistance. i tried hooking up a 3ohm ceramic resistor to the system and it still does the same thing, im kinda stumped at this point. tractor runs amazing until it hits 200f then it shuts down no spark. cools down then then turns back on

I had a 2N with the Sherman two speed. Sure made a difference if you had to go any distance with it compared to the one I had before that didn't have it!

good video - I always like to see the beauty of a car; the '64 Galaxie! :)

Great info and tech tips. Thanks buddy

I like the jump seats in your cruiser truck. Very Subaru Bratish!

My dad's got an e-type we converted to Pertronix, with the resistors still in. We never drive it cuz the carbs are extremely over jetted, but I'm gonna have to fix this. Thanks for the tech tip, probably gonna save us replacing a dead module, probably saved us from dying on the side of the road somewhere if we ever drove it. Update 6 months later; I opened the can of worms. It seems the pertronix did in fact die due to the low voltage. I got the car to run for a while after getting carbs and timing set, but randomly would stall and lose spark. What's crazy is that I could buy a new points distributor for less than the price of a replacement pertronix module. Who knows how long that will last.

@boss351gt6

3 жыл бұрын

Keep a set of points in your glove box to get you home just incase.

@BasedBidoof

3 жыл бұрын

@@boss351gt6 yeah that's a good idea

Hi Luke! I have now got to recheck my fuse (keyed) tap and see what side of the fuse I tapped into. I need 10Amp for my new Holley carb electric choke wire. I did put an inline fuse 10 A in between the fuse tap and the choke. Good info and good advice.

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

Oh you are completely fine then my friend🙂

Best videos on you-tube, well along with Mook and Kevin.

I love your new place!

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

Me too. Half killed me making it happen over the last 5 years, but worth it.

I have two Ignitor II`s with no problems both of them are Ignitor II as the Ignitor 3 is not offered for those applications. Never had a problem and I am using the OE coil with OE ballast resistors. The red lead is to power you dont have to hook it to the coil directly you can hook it to the battery side of the ballast resistor which is what I did on my '56, the red wire runs from the Ignitor II to the 12v battery side of the ballast resistor mounted on the intake manifold and the other side of the ballast resistor goes to the positive on the coil. Then the black wire is attached from the Ignitor II to the negative of the coil. Sure it is not as hot as using the coil they recommend to use but not everyone is doing the upgrade for performance. I did my upgrade for reliability in what is essentially a restoration project back to OE stock or stock appearing. The other ignitor II was used on my '58 Ford 641 Workmaster which is also using the OE coil and external ballast resistor. Wired up in the same way but do not need max performance, the upgrade was done as points corrode due to the distributor being exposed to the elements as well as sweating from hot/cold cycles from being in the sun. Also the Ignitor II doesnt burn up if you have the key on for example listening to the radio. The Ignitor II has a sensor that detects if the key was left on or incorrectly wired and shuts the Ignitor II down.

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

I noticed after some comments that I didn’t clarify that only the module itself needs 12 volts. (Except for ignitor 3, it can handle 12 everywhere)

@Milner62

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThunderHead289, Correct. But when you review the paperwork at least the paperwork when I installed mine it stressed to use the flamethrower II coil with the Ignitor II and to toss the ballast resistor. When I called Petronix up years ago there were many guys working there with collector cars running the ignitor II the same way I have mine hooked up with the ignitor II acting like the points triggering the OE coil with the required ballast resistor for the OE coil. I just hope people realize that you dont need to run their coil like their paper work said. Ive seen so many people hound me for not throwing on their coil as well not realizing that the hotter spark their coil would provide me would not make a difference for a stock engine. Just having the Ignitor driving the OE coil is making the OE coil fire hotter than the ignition system did when it was new due to the adaptive dwell the Ignitor II has. I feel the use of their coil is just wasting money.

Have been using a retro fit Ignitor in my standard Lucas distributor for years now with no problems. I also use the Pertronix coil. Your distributor does however have to be in top condition. One other point is that they do not like being sat with the power on but the engine not running. I have known people blow the units this way. People blame the equipment for their own mistakes.

I wish I read this a couple years ago. I changed to pertronix II elect ignition in my boat, mercruiser, but did not connect red wire before the resistor wire that runs to the coil...It ran great for a year, then sudden backfiring dies with load. I rebuilt my carburetor twice thinking that was the problem..jeez, thanks for the info. I'll rewire, but may have to repurchase pertronix since I screwed up

Always helpful thanks man.

They make good stuff, I have a video on swapping my 64 impala over to Pertronix.

I've been restoring and building street rods for 40+years. I have seen the earlier Pertronix modules fail, even when properly wired. In my classic cars, electronic or points I carry a spare in the minimal tool kit. Late model efi cars, call the tow service to come get you.

@ThunderHead289

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely

@Milner62

3 жыл бұрын

You are talking about the original Ignitor they burned up leaving the key on without the engine running and in some instances burned up with the engine running. Thankfully Petronix fixed that burning up issue in the Ignitor II.

@OldMotorcycleAdventures

2 жыл бұрын

I put a Pertronix kit on the old 2N I bought a month and a half ago. Everything electrical in the tractor, I stripped out myself, and redid with new components, and per the Ford manual. Modified the wiring per the Pertronix instructions. Met their minimums for wire gauge, resistance, spark plug wires, the whole nine. The module lasted an hour. The longest the key was left on was 30 seconds for engine start. I have a Dyna electronic ignition on my Kawasaki motorcycle that I wired up a few years back, absolutely no issues with that one. Currently waiting on Pertronix to get to my ticket to see what can be done

@lacyfurmage8846

Жыл бұрын

@@OldMotorcycleAdventures I feel ya, I got 3 Ford Pintos. 2 1972s and 1 73 all on points, easy peesy

I installed a pertronix lol in my 73 Galaxy 351w by using the relay kit and the original resistor wire with an appropriatetly spread bullet connector so I can use my original boot connector, pertronix makes a new low ohm epoxy coil that can be used with the II or III units.

The Ignitor and Ignitor II are all you can get as retrofit for ag and industrial applications. That's why they still make them.

Very informative video, thanks

Best aftermarket system out there! Have been using one in my Willis coupe for 15 yrs never missed a beat! Compared to the Accel distributor I had for 5 yrs and broke down 150 mile from home. Thanks Unkie Luke!

@jeromebreeding3302

3 жыл бұрын

Accel equipment us junk. Bought an Accel distributor for a Ford Cleveland. It failed while still under warrantee, so I shipped back to be fixed. When I got it back, it was deader than a doorknob.When I sent it back again, I requested a dual pont, which worked OK.

So I don't know if this is all cases but the Pertronix 3 isn't compatible with 6V systems. Only the 1 & 2 can be ordered in 6V configurations. I use the 1 in my 1947 Dodge Custom 6V positive ground car. Works great and the RPM generally are so low that I don't think the auto-adjusting dwell features of the 3 would really help me anyway. Now if I ever convert to 12v system I will change out to the Pertronix 3. Thanks for another great video.

On an old Ford I usually take my keyed 12V supply from the starter solenoid (the ones used with the rat trap style starter) It has a 12V ignition terminal. Just slide off the push on terminal and undo the nut on the solenoid terminal and put a eyelet type crimp terminal under the nut. Slide the original wire back on and your done. Easier than crawling around under dashes testing fuses.

@jeromebreeding3302

3 жыл бұрын

Folks, don't forget that Ford made a good electronic ignition. Pared with their big cap, and 8mil. ignition wires, it's easy to swap in, using factory parts.

Gonna see if this fixes my issues. thanks!

Great information.Thank you

Or you could say: You will all have to learn it all on your own, or Follow. Right on Luke!!