| Petronix to Points back conversion [message #347199] |
Mon, 02 September 2019 09:05  |
Larry
Messages: 2875
Registered: January 2004
Location: Menomonie, WI
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Senior Member |
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No...I'm not converting back to points type ignition, just setting up a points type distributor for backup in case the Petronix fails in the middle of nowhere.
I have been running a Pertronix conversion for about 10 yrs. Went to start the thing a couple of days ago, and no start...no spark. There are two kits available for my GM distributor conversion. The 1181 and the 1181LS. The 1181 has a sensor and a ring of 8 magnets that attaches to the fly weights plate under the rotor. The 1181LS (the LS is for Lobe Sensing) is lobe sensing and has only one part to it...the sensor. My distributor had an old version of the 1181 and one of the magnets came loose, dropped out and scored the sensor. In the process, it also cooked the coil. Following a discussion with Dick Paterson, I took his recommendation of having no moving parts and sensing off of the points cam lobes, and purchased the 1181LS. This Pertronix experience has left me wondering what would I have done if the petronix went bad in a place other than my driveway. So I've decided to put together a points type distributor to carry as a back-up. Something I can just drop in that will get me home reliably from anywhere.
Now, to the point of this thread. I am using the LS version with a Pertronix 1.5 ohm coil. My coach is a 78, so the coil ignition wire has 12v with no ballast of any kind when the switch is on "run". Do I need to carry a ballast resistor to place in the circuit so that my points do not burn out on full 12v "run"? Also, I have 5...yes count them five spare coils that I could potentially use, varying in resistance from 1.5 ohms to 2.4 ohms. The two ballast resistors that I have are 1.5 Ohm and 2.2 ohm. What combination of coil and ballast should I carry that will get me home reliably?
I'm doing this because the Pertronix is not something that I can just pull off of the shelf at any auto parts store and is an expensive part to just carry for something that is (according to Dick) highly unlikely to fail.
TIA
Larry 
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
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