I am planning to change my coil and distributor to a high voltage coil and an electronic distributor.
I had Pertronix, Powerspark and Accuspark in mind. Can someone advise which is the best and most reliable Electronic Ignition system to buy.
Electronic ignition
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Re: Electronic ignition
I have used both Pertronix and Compufire in the past and still have one Pertronix and one Compufire running in vehicles I presently own. both are very reliable and do good. I kind of prefer the Compufire because of the method they use to retain the magnets seems to be more secure although I have never lost any magnets, I have heard of others who have had problems with the Petronix magnet retention system. The Pertronix is in a VW 1600 running with a NipponDenso Coil and the Compufire is in a VW 1776 running with a Bosch Blue Coil. Both run very well.
Fred
Fred
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Re: Electronic ignition
Thanks Fred, I have'nt heard of Compufire will look up on the internet. In my VW Beetle 1500 I have recently installed a Pertronix Flame Thrower 45000 Volts Coil with a Pertronix Vac Advance Distributor, the performance has improved in fuel consumption and smoother running. I have heard a lot of bad comments on the Pertronix system and was inquiring about other makes.
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Re: Electronic ignition
I think a lot of the bad comments about the original Pertronix came from the part that if you left the ignition "on" while testing or listening to the radio or some other reason to have the ignition switch "on" for a period without the engine running would cause the unit to fail. This was with the Pertronix I unit, I hear they corrected this problem with the Pertronix II. The first unit I installed in an old Ford Pickup had the magnets held in place with tape, this was a Pertronix I. I never had a problem with it while I had it, but hear that some people did have a problem with the tape loosening and a magnet or two being displaced. The Pertronix installed in my 1600 bug was already in it when I bought it about 4 years ago and I have not had a reason to look at it to see if that is how the magnets are retained.
Fred
Fred
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Re: Electronic ignition
hmmm..... Thanks Fred
- kyle_pc_75
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Re: Electronic ignition
You should never leave any ignition on without the engine running, this is why most cars have an accessory position. I burned out the HEI in my Camaro by leaving the ignition on for a bit after working on the car.fmartin_gila wrote:I think a lot of the bad comments about the original Pertronix came from the part that if you left the ignition "on" while testing or listening to the radio or some other reason to have the ignition switch "on" for a period without the engine running would cause the unit to fail. This was with the Pertronix I unit, I hear they corrected this problem with the Pertronix II.
- mondshine
- Posts: 67
- Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2002 12:01 am
Re: Electronic ignition
If you chose to install an "electronic ignition", you should seriously consider a CD unit.
I have used Mallory Hyfire 6 (street price under $150) units on both of my ACVW's for years, and both have been perfectly reliable.
My daily driven '71 Super uses a Mallory Unilite distributor to trigger the CD, and my '74 Thing uses a SVDA with points.
When points are used to trigger a CD ignition, the switching current across the points is a very small fraction of what is required without CD.
Points look like new for years; the only maintenance is a tiny dab of distributor grease on the cam once a year.
The combination of CD ignition and points is the most reliable ignition possible, short of a crank trigger setup.
I just drove my Thing to KTE 2011 in Georgia (from Detroit), over 1300 miles round trip, without missing a beat.
When you are are working on the car, or for some other reason need to leave the ignition switched on with the engine not running, unplug the green trigger wire, or the ignition module from the coil.
It is a simple precaution which can spare you grief.
Good luck, Mondshine
I have used Mallory Hyfire 6 (street price under $150) units on both of my ACVW's for years, and both have been perfectly reliable.
My daily driven '71 Super uses a Mallory Unilite distributor to trigger the CD, and my '74 Thing uses a SVDA with points.
When points are used to trigger a CD ignition, the switching current across the points is a very small fraction of what is required without CD.
Points look like new for years; the only maintenance is a tiny dab of distributor grease on the cam once a year.
The combination of CD ignition and points is the most reliable ignition possible, short of a crank trigger setup.
I just drove my Thing to KTE 2011 in Georgia (from Detroit), over 1300 miles round trip, without missing a beat.
When you are are working on the car, or for some other reason need to leave the ignition switched on with the engine not running, unplug the green trigger wire, or the ignition module from the coil.
It is a simple precaution which can spare you grief.
Good luck, Mondshine
- Piledriver
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Re: Electronic ignition
Tip---
One should also instal a FUSE in the ignition circuit, VW forgot that little detail.
Best done up at the fusebox with an inline spade type with a LED indicator for "blown", just look for the black wire with the overheated insulation, that's probably it, most AVCWs have suffered a near meltdown many times.
The BEST thing to do with that wire is operate a relay with fused power right off the b+ or battery to run the ignition.
Someone recently suggested doing similar, using the ignition switch only to operate a "main relay" feeding the fusebox, so that ~all the power in the car doesn't have to go through the ignition switch contacts as it normally does.
One should also instal a FUSE in the ignition circuit, VW forgot that little detail.
Best done up at the fusebox with an inline spade type with a LED indicator for "blown", just look for the black wire with the overheated insulation, that's probably it, most AVCWs have suffered a near meltdown many times.
The BEST thing to do with that wire is operate a relay with fused power right off the b+ or battery to run the ignition.
Someone recently suggested doing similar, using the ignition switch only to operate a "main relay" feeding the fusebox, so that ~all the power in the car doesn't have to go through the ignition switch contacts as it normally does.
Addendum to Newtons first law:
zero vehicles on jackstands, square gets a fresh 090 and 1911, cabby gets a blower.
EZ3.6 Vanagon after that.(mounted, needs everything finished) then Creamsicle.
zero vehicles on jackstands, square gets a fresh 090 and 1911, cabby gets a blower.
EZ3.6 Vanagon after that.(mounted, needs everything finished) then Creamsicle.