Getting ready to install a Pertronix electronic ignition system in the T Bird. The directions say to connect the red wire from the ignitor before the resistor or resistor wire from the ignition but not to remove the resistor. All my wiring is covered and I can't tell where the resistor wire is. Should I just run a wire from the red side of the ignitor to the ignition switch, leaving the resistor wire running to the coil? Seems like the results would be the same as splicing in before the resistor wire starts...
Had to correct the title (thanks spellcheck). So the positive wire from the ignitor goes to ignition on the switch, the ignition side of the coil goes to ignition on the switch. I am also adding a "Pertronix Blaster" coil that is internally resisted to 3ohms I think. Does this still need the resister wire to the coil? My mind is not "hard wired" for electrical work...
Resistor wire is not necessary but they do want you to buy their coil. You don't have to, but what flavor Ignitor? I? II? III? It makes a difference. You can't "think" or guess what the coil primary winding resistance it is, it is important.
Ignitor 1, and the coil is a Pertronix "Flame Thrower" with 1.5 ohms resistance. (Just went out to the shop and checked. )
1.5 ohm pertronix coil for ignitor on an 8 cylinder 3 ohm for a 4 or 6 cylinder .6 ohm for an ignitor II ^ all of the above for 12 volt systems and I can’t remember the coil ohm for the ignitor III
Don’t leave the ignition key on with the ignitor, it does not have the protection that an ignitor II has.
This is perfect. At least it's worked for 20+ years for me. Make sure all the grounds and cables and connectors are good. One test they kind of keep buried on their website, should be less than 0.2 ohms resistance between the negative battery post and the distributor breaker plate. This is the same spec when running points, too. One thing to keep in mind, when running straight 12 volts - the ignition output will be higher, but if there are defects in the ignition system, the cap, rotor, or wires, it will find them and start arcing to ground or crossfiring.
I also have a new cap, rotor and wires. So my question is; do I still need a resistor wire running to the resistor coil? The instructions are confusing as I think they assume you are using the original coil. I installed an electronic distributor in my 318 powered '50 Dodge, and they had you bypass the ballast resistor completely. Installed a Pertronix electronic ignition on the Mercruiser small block in my boat and they also had you bypass it...
My impression is if you can bypass the resistor, you should. If that would be difficult, you can leave it in place and it will work.
Ford normally was a pink colored wire with a bullet connector plugged in the the ign switch and a 90* terminal on the coil end . I have replaced a few of these throughout the years , it was a serviced part through a motor craft years ago . You can simply make a new non resistance wire to replace the pink wire with .
No. The coil itself has two windings, primary and secondary. The primary winding of the ignition coil, and the ignition switch and the wiring, all of it together has a certain amount of resistance, this makes up the primary circuit. To use the Ignitor I module, Pertronix says the primary circuit resistance must be at least 1.5 ohms. This limits the total voltage (and more importantly the current - heat) that flows through the Ignitor. This is correct, you have to pay attention to what parts are being used. Where people run into trouble is installing ultra low ohm ignition coils used with the Ignitor II or III with the Ignitor I. You're in good shape. The original circuit used (about) 3 ohms of resistance (for points) a 1.5 ohm coil and a 1.5 ohm ballast or resistance wire. The ballast was bypassed during engine start, for better or hotter spark. When ignition key was released to "run" the ballast wire was placed into circuit, to increase the ohms to 3, this keeps contact points from burning. The Ignitor I can handle more current, so a 1.5 ohm coil and no ballast wire (full time battery/alternator juice) works great. It will provide a hotter spark at the plugs than the points system could.
Just took the T Bird for a drive after installing a Pertronix Ignitor, new rotor, distributor cap, Pertronix Flame thrower coil, plus wires and plugs. The hard part was locating the resister wire up under the dash. I managed to do it with minimal room and visibility. Luckily it was plugged into the harness on both ends with male connectors so I fabricated a jumper wire, plugged it in, reassembled the ignition switch, and it fired right up. I did have to lower the idle when I got back, but all in all, she ran great... Thank you all for the advice.
Just trying to put closure to this thread, post the results of the project, and thank the guys who offered advice. (Doesn't happen very often...)
Thanks for the followup. One thing to look at, when running a "hot" ignition coil, or higher voltage, is under the hood at night or in a darkened garage. The points type ignition distributors are quite a bit smaller in diameter, the distance between terminals is less than later high voltage solid state units. Arcing to ground, or carbon tracking inside distributor or other misfire is a possibility if certain ignition parts aren't up to it.
My experience with Pertronix 1 and flamethrower coils are chronicled on Vintage Thunderbird Club International's VTCI Forum going back to 2007 (www.vintagethunderbirdclub.net). Have used with resistor wire no problem, but after burning up 2 coils by mounting horizontal on the AC compressor in factory locations. Went back to OEM Ford coil in 2012.
@Yutan Flash were those the Pertronix oil filled coils? It's my understanding there are no longer any domestic produced ignition coils, they are mostly made you know where, Pertronix included. I swapped out to their epoxy filled version after finding a leaker, supposed to be better. I stashed a Bosch blue coil as backup.
I was thinking the same thing. If they were oil filled, my understanding is that they should be mounted vertical.
Need to check, but believe they are oil-filled. Funny thing is the first coil was used for 2 years before failing, the second for 5 years before crapping out. At least the Pertronix 1 will work with the OEM coil if needed. Wouldn't mind trying an epoxy-filled one if it will work in a horizontal position with the OEM coil bracket.
Thing is when running straight "battery" voltage (really about 14 volts with charging system) the coil runs a fair bit hotter than it would otherwise. This is partly how they get much higher secondary output voltages. The Ignitor I is similar to points ignition in that it has a fixed dwell period, the number decided upon is a compromise, in that it has to sort of work both at idle and all the way up to high RPM. It looks like crappy ignition coils aren't quite up to the task. Especially slow speed and lots of idle time? The Pertronix oil filled coil hadn't failed on me but it was spooging a bit so I retired it. Then there's this perennial business of opening up the spark plug gap. Need to kind of sneak up on it a bit if you try this. Every engine is a bit different. Bubba always said the spark plug gap is a factor of combustion chamber design and other things. It will noticeably improve idle, but it may break up or misfire under load and compression at high RPM. He says leave it alone. A wider plug gap raises the firing voltage the coil will reach. But eventually if taken too far, it will arc or misfire. It will make the coil run hotter, too. One thing that took me a while to figure out, distributor cap rotors were altered in the tip length during the smog era. The air gap dimension inside the distributor cap has an almost identical affect on the coil or plug firing voltage as the spark plug gap does. The rotor part number didn't change, but the part did. Once I found a genuine NOS pre-smog "long" rotor, everything settled down nicely, and the underhood fireworks display went away. If you get a chance to look at your ignition system on an Oscilloscope (ignition analyzer) it can save a lot of time, high voltage is weird stuff, changing a single part or value can bugger the whole shootin' match. If you want a really good sharp tune though, a hot ignition at all times under all conditions is one place to start. If the ignition output (or timing) is defective, it will never run right, and trying to say, tune the carb will drive you to drink.
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