I'd like to wire my '49 Hudson 262 flathead six with the old style woven cloth covered wire with a copper stranded core, but have heard it shouldn't be used with HEI ignition. I have installed Pertronix ignition in the stock distributor and was wondering if this would be a problem and why? Thanks
Airbrushguy, where are you getting your wires? I am looking to do the same thing in my 51 Hudson Hornet 308.
I've been running cloth covered solid core wires from Brillman.com for years on my 32. The stock 41 distributor is converted with a Pertronix module. Works great. On my 39, I use packard 440 solid core wire and a Pertronix equipped distributor. Both have been trouble free. Both are 12 volt systems. NOTE: both cars are using an alternator.
I have been running copper core plug wires and Petronix on a 6 volt system for over 8 years. I have not had any trouble.
Taken from Pertronix site - for Ignitor II & III. No disclaimer for the original Ignitor, which many have stated having no issues using cooper core wires, although I believe Pertronix doesn't recommend it. You cannot use solid core (typically copper) spark plug wires with this product. Solid core wires do not suppress electro magnetic interference (EMI) which will interfere with electronics in this product. A suppression style or spiral wound spark plug wires must be used.
I installed Brillman cloth covered non-solid wires and a Pertronix #2563LS lobe-sensing module. I cannot get it to run except at a little more than idle and it has a weak, muffled sound to it. I have checked everything Pert. tech has told me to do, including running wire from pos/battery to pos/coil and a wire from baseplate to outside dist body. No success. I even removed the Cloth covered suppression wires and replaced them with Pertronix wires and have tried another Pertronix coil. I'm about burned out of ideas, unless Pertronix tells me they'll replace the module. Tried to call them this evening at 8:15 EST and they were closed. Tomorrow I put points back in!!!!
You should use a resistance coil wire for radio suppression anyway, or a coil wire with a resistor built in.
Brillman has a cloth covered radio suppression wire - 7.8mm - no problems in my Merc flathead w/Mallory HEI.
Shamus. Great looking flathead. What is that pipe attached to the rear of the head? Thanks for the heads up on the wires.
Wires are changed to Pertronix' own wires, still has weak muffled idle and stalls when I give it gas....?
You use a spiral wound plug wire with an electronic ignition. Stranded wire is noisy and confuses the control mod.
PerTronix makes that same disclaimer for ALL the modules. Some guys get away with it, but solid core is not recommended for Any PerTronix product.
Module carries a 30 month warranty, call between 7:00am and 5:00 pm PST an tech will take care of a replacement it f the module is bad.