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Jack,

Thanks. I found your thread about it. My car has the resistive ignition wire bypassed and uses a ballast resister that I will be able to bypass easily. I’m not sure if I can mechanically install it in my Accel dual point distributor that is designed for racing applications, so we will see. The Ignitor III is the first unit Pertronix has made that is thin enough to possibly fit, so I thought it was worth a try. My Accel points are the same shape and design as 60s vintage GM points so I’m using a GM kit. I have a couple of spare Accel distributors so I’ll be able to work out the mechanics on the bench. If I can make it work then I’ll need to buy a spare Ignitor III for backup parts.

In a way, I hate to give up my dual points, we’ve been very good friends for twelve years.

Mike
I’m going to do a web page on Pantera Place on how I did this but for now here are a couple of before and after pictures. Note that this Accel distributor is a very special animal and no one makes a conversion for it. I would have just bought a new distributor but I didn’t build this engine and I didn’t what to take a chance and have the oil pump drive fall in the oil pan.

Mike

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It is all working now and can be seen at http://www.panteraplace.com/page223.htm The first unit I received had a temperature related problem that caused a miss after the engine heated up to full operating temperature and driven awhile. It was either the Ignitor III or some problem it was causing with my original Mallory coil. The tach would also intermittently jump around at idle like it was missing pulses. I replaced the first Ignitor III with a new unit and installed the matching Pertronix low resistance Blaster III coil that is made for the application and it works great. Pertronix tells me that their units seldom if ever have heat problems so I’m a bit lost on what was going on.

I have decades of experience using points so I know how to get the best from them and I was somewhat surprised with how much better the engine runs. It even sounds different!! Sounds like a Slick50 ad but it was very surprising!!

Mike
Last edited by pantera1887
After running the Pertronix Ignitor III for a few weeks, I decided to add an Ignition relay to bypass the ignition load on the ignition switch and through the relay provide the Ignitor III fused power directly from the battery lead on the starter solenoid. I wasn't having any problems feeding the power to the Ignitor III through the ignition switch but it seemed like a good idea. The details are at the bottom of the page http://www.panteraplace.com/page223.htm The direct load to the battery is so small it doesn’t seem to cause the AMP gauge to show incorrect charge.

Other than it being hotter than heck in the garage today, it was a pretty easy project.

A few weeks ago, I also changed out my Holley 600 for a new 650 and installed new Autolite 25 plugs gaped at .040. Found it interesting that I had to go to a taller air filter to clear the 650 but was able to get it under the screen with a little adjustment on the back of the screen. Could have got a 750 for a bit less money but the 650 seemed like the best match for my modified engine.

FWIW the new Holley 600s do not have externally adjustable float level anymore.

Mike
I used the Ignitor III because it was thin and I needed that for it to fit in the Accel distributor and it also does multi spark at all RPMs (BTW, the MSD only does that in the lower RPMs). The Ignitor II, depending on the car uses a plastic part that fits over the distributer cam that has eight magnets in it that has been a failure point for some people. The Ignitor III reluctance head fits very close to the distributer cam and triggers directly on the cam high points.

I have fairly long arms so installing the Ignitor III without removing the distributor was pretty easy. Much less effort than changing points. Of course I did all of my mod work on the bench so it was just a bolt in process when I put it in the car. For a stock Pantera distributor it would be an easy plug and play process. You will need to magnetize two of your screw drivers to install the four screws though. It is also a good idea to cover the carb when you are working with small parts so I use a plastic cover that came with the carb.

See you at the Donut Shop tommrrow.



Mike
Some follow-up my Pertronix Ignitor III project. As I posted earlier the first unit worked fine for awhile and then started acting like it was temperature sensitive. I sent that one back and installed a new one. That one worked fine for a few weeks and then started misfiring at low RPM. Sent that one back and they said it had a bad power transistor. Been using my backup unit for a few weeks and it seems to be fine. All of them were replaced under warranty and Pertronix has been very helpful. They insist that heat is not a problem for the Ignitor III.

Mike
Mike,
So let me see if I understand ……………..

You had a perfectly working dual point that had never given you one problem in over 15 years.
You replaced it with a new electronic unit that has now failed twice.

And this is an improvement? No wonder you will not drive your car more than 5 miles from home!

Thanks for being the guinea pig on this Mike.
I think I will just stick with the OEM dual point.


Jeff
quote:
Originally posted by Pantera 4134:
Mike,
So let me see if I understand ……………..

You had a perfectly working dual point that had never given you one problem in over 15 years.
You replaced it with a new electronic unit that has now failed twice.

And this is an improvement? No wonder you will not drive your car more than 5 miles from home!

Thanks for being the guinea pig on this Mike.
I think I will just stick with the OEM dual point.


Jeff


I’ve spent enough time on this that I could have changed my points 100 times! I guess I’m exaggerating that a bit! When it did fail it didn’t fail completely. But when it is running it runs better than ever though. Points for my car aren’t cheap at $50 a set so that is a plus.

Mike
quote:
Originally posted by Pantera 1887:
Want to make it clear that I’m not complaining and in the end the Pertronix Ignitor III and the Blaster III Coil will be a much better ignition than the points.

Mike


Sorry Mike. But I can not agree with you here.

How is a system that is already proven to be faulty better than points ? Can you give one example where points failure has stranded you?

Maybe when the Pertronix works it gives a modest improvement in performance. But peace of mind is worth a lot more than a few extra HP.

I do not think there is any Pantera owner who wants to be switching out their distributor’s guts on the side of the road.

Jeff
quote:
Originally posted by Pantera 4134:
quote:
Originally posted by Pantera 1887:
Want to make it clear that I’m not complaining and in the end the Pertronix Ignitor III and the Blaster III Coil will be a much better ignition than the points.

Mike


Sorry Mike. But I can not agree with you here.

How is a system that is already proven to be faulty better than points ? Can you give one example where points failure has stranded you?

Maybe when the Pertronix works it gives a modest improvement in performance. But peace of mind is worth a lot more than a few extra HP.

I do not think there is any Pantera owner who wants to be switching out their distributor’s guts on the side of the road.

Jeff


I love those old points and I have them sealed away in a ziplock bag. I get them out from time to time to clean them and look them over for old times!! Still have one brand new set in a sealed box too.

As part of the Pertronix trouble shooting process I actually got to re-install one set of points and my old coil to verify that the problem was really caused by the Pertronix.

Mike
quote:
You think the Chinese that work for $.25 per piece and are taking all the American jobs


First, that is more like $.25 per day.

Second, they are not taking them,

"our" corporations are giving them to the Chinese.

And in the process, our corporations are managing to cook their books and avoid paying any taxes here at home.

Loss of jobs + loss of corporate taxes = BIG problems for the American working class.

Larry
quote:
It is too bad that Americans cannot see the forest for the trees. I try my very best not to buy Chinese made junk. But from the look of Wal-Mart’s parking lot, I’m in the minority.

Indeed, Mike.

Long ago, I wrote off Walmart and Sam's Club. Saving a few bucks at the expense of my Nation's financial health is not on my list of patriotic actions.

Larry
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