Technical Pertronix=sluggish runner

I have a 1956 Chevy with a 235 6 3 speed. I decided to upgrade and install a pertronix ignition system along with the coil that's recommended.new plugs .35 With the installation completed the car idles okay but upon acceleration the engine sounds forced unresponsive..sort of sluggish... like when your catalytic converter is totally plugged up. I have checked timing plugs wires vacuum leaks. I give up. any suggestions would be appreciated

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no problems before? did you remove distributor to do install? where is distrib vacuum hooked up at? post pics of engine

 

By coincidence, I watched this video this past week. Maybe there will be something in it that is useful to your troubleshooting effort...

(I have a Pertronix that likely went bad, so this interested me... I won't know for sure until I get my motor back in the car).

 

All original setup..didn't pull dist... was running good...just decided to "upgrade"and freshen up with new gaskets,etc

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Pics...

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Which Pertronix ignitor and coil do you have? You still going through the ballast resistor?

 

Pertronix Dist...not rocket science?

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Pic

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I did a 65 GTO with a 389/4 speed a couple yrs ago. tuned it up, rebuilt carb, etc, ran nice. Week later did the pertronix conversion and it never ran quite as strong.

Built enough pontiacs and distributors to know how it all works, talked to the owner and he said he was more interested in maintenance than performance so I left it.

Yr later did a 73 vw, wouldn't go 30 minutes without dying. Called company they warrantied the distributor along with a different resistor, didn't change anything. Funny thing is the car would have to set for about an hr before starting again, But I could change out the distributor back to the original in 10 minutes and fire it back up and drive anywhere. Never figured it out, in fact the pertronix distributor is still in its box.

So I can say I've never been impressed with their stuff....

 

Must be if your asking? I'm not a fan of the brand, and have never owned one........ Enough garbage here=info, to make me save $ and time......... Good luck! I'de go back to points. OR- find a HEI big cap dist.

 

My preference for old cars was the Mr. Gasket dual points plate conversion. Loved the crap out of them and in fact if the 65 GTO were mine it would have had it. For some reason Pontiac motors really responded well to them.

 

Does adding in more initial ignition perk it up any? Twist in another 10 degrees and "just see" IF that helps it. If not ...sounds like you got a crummy protonix.
Go back to your old set up and tell us what happens.
6sally6

 

Good idea invisible...

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The original Ignitor system really does not like to be left ON with the engine not running, it will fry the pickup.
Verify you are using battery voltage, Ignitor instructions state it will run with or without the ballast, but I have found it runs better without, but is more susceptible to the first problem of ignition ON engine OFF cooking problems.
The Ignitor II pickup doesn't care about being left on(turns itself off not to cook itself) and will take battery voltage no problem.
Verify the gap on the pickup is correct.
Ignitor seems to like a bit more initial on certain vehicles.
Verify that the base plate is not affecting the timing plate or vacuum advance.
Had one where the plate for the Ignitor was just ever so slightly tweaked and not flat, when it was screwed down to teh timing plate it just put enough of a twist into it that it jammed it.
Before putting the cap back on, verify that the vacuum advance is free to move, pull on it and make sure it goes back to base. Verify also that the rotor(mechanical timing) will snap back when you rotate it manually.
I usually only change out the points to Ignitior initially, get the timing and engine running right with the components, then replace/upgrade any worn ignition components(plugs/wires/cap/rotor). Too many times when you change everything out at once does something in the combo not work right or fails.

[EDIT] Make sure the ignition is getting correct voltage as well. Ignitiors run crappy with low voltage, where points will still run OK.

 

Answer this! With the right coil you should not be running a ballast resistor.

 

To be fair, you don't want to leave the ignition switch in RUN without the engine running on a point system either. If the points just happen to be closed, it will soon roast the coil and it might even spew innards all over.

Check for excessive distributor wobble or sideplay? The gap is supposed to be .030" with an Ignitor module. This is just an electronic "switch" to replace contact points, nothing too complicated about it. Ditch the ballast resistor. Make sure the primary circuit does not exceed 8 amps.

 

Didja find anything?


@banditomerc

 

Hell...the problem is obvious...the .35 plug gap..!
NO...automotive ignition will jump a .35" plug gap under pressure..!
Well...MAYBE a 44amp Nitro engine ignition might.

Mike

 

I ditched the pertronix....reinstalled new points,etc....car runs out of site....

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Huh. I wonder how I just drove my Falcon on the freeway then. My plugs are gapped at 0.060"!

 

@gimpyshotrods Note the decimal point location......

 

Yeah, that IS a big gap. I think I could design a coil that could do it!

 

Strange, @squirrel must be storing up nuts or sleepin. He done missed out on pert-a-near an entire page of pertronix jawin. Usually I kin set my clock by that there feller. Yep, strange days indeed.

 

heh...I been out in the shop putting my Hudson back together.

 

Banditomerc, when you reinstalled the points did you swap back to the original coil. I am just curious as it may have been the coil causing the issue.

Steve

 

.35" is about the size of a .38 caliber bullet.

Decimal points matter. Thus endeth today's Arithmetic lesson boys and girls.

 

It's not so much the decimal point, as the zero. Zeros matter.

 

If I was getting my ass kicked by such a simple system and I couldn't figure it out, you know I may come here and ask for some ideas on what may be wrong. No shame in that. But to not put in the effort to figure out what I did wrong and to instead just give up on it, I sure wouldn't post about it in a public forum. No shame in needing some help to get something right, but getting your ass kicked by such a simple thing, and than posting about it in public, that's embarrassing.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^!
6sally6

 

Has the original poster even contacted the company yet?
https://pertronix.com/
All the way to the right is a tab labeled "SUPPORT"
http://support.pertronix.com/