Tried to install a Pertronix and "Oo-WWWOOuCH** my leg... it BURNS!"

Trying to prepare my car for the dog-days of summer - running hot and chronic misfires while sitting in traffic.... tried 3 sets of points but the wiggle on the breaker plate doesn't seem to keep the dwell within spec and it runs like crap.

Bought a 180 degree thermostat and a clear $5.00 bicycle water bottle as a coolant recovery setup so I can top the rad all the way up and see the water level.

And my "Pertonix I" arrived at the parts store today so I raced home to hook 'er up.

Sat in my cozy chair in the carport and read the instructions for about 5 minutes. Didn't notice the wasp between my legs crawl into my shorts.

Stood up to pull apart the disti and my thigh started to burn. Figured it was a cigarette ash (really gotta quit smoking on of these days). Gave my crotch a friendly little rub and the burning got worse.

Looked between my legs and there's the little !!snofa-b#tch@@***!! peeking out of the leg cuff.

Instinctively yanked my shorts off right there in the carport and started jumping around. Too bad the girls had just left, they could have had a free show.

A little intermission to find a soothing bottle of ammonia to ease the stinging. THOROUGHLY INSPECTED my shorts inside and out and gently eased them back on.

Back to the Pertronix - took a few minutes to install it, turned the key and

VRO-O-OM

(wow... that was easy...)

dropped the timing back about 20 degrees and watched the 6 degree mark for a little while with the timing gun on it... not one misfire and no "wiggling" around the timing mark - dead on.

Awfully simple little system, for $75.00 compared to $35.00 for points and condenser, 10 minutes to install (like someone said... it takes as long to read the instructions as it does to install them. I had to read the instructions a 2nd time to make sure it really WAS THAT SIMPLE and I hadn't missed something).

Long boot up the coast highway on a hot summer day - stuck in ferry traffic coming home but the car ran smooth and strong and no lag or misfires. Temp. reaches 200 in traffic but quickly drops when I start moving again. Recovery bottle seems to be doing it's job.

Question is... do WE have resistors somewhere in the wire between the battery and ignition switch and coil? What's it look like? Mine's a 72 6 cyl. 200. I won't remove it but eventually will put in a higher powered coil.

Hope this Pertronix keeps on ticking because - so far - the car is dead smooth and I assume my power and/or mileage will improve over the chronic misfires I've been dealing with.

 

Yep! Pertronix works great. That's what I had on my Comet, until I installed the MSD system...

 

The wire that feeds the coil from the fuse block has built in resistance.

 

was there a noticeable difference in hp between the petronix and the msd / is the msd that much better for the money

 

I have the Pertronix conversion and their coil and have been very happy with it. I run a cam that is a bit rowdy and a carb with the choke milled off. The Pertronix made it a lot easier to live with on a daily basis.

 

does the resistor wire supply what pertronix needs? i just did the plug and play with one of their coils and the conversion kit.i have run it since about 97 and drove it a lot in the bay area. i love it vs changing points every other month...

 

tell ur doctor to put you on medication so you can quit smoking (wellbutrin or chantix). . . that way u won't blow something up by mistake and you won't get any more bee sting!

 

Good news on the igntion.
As for the sting I had a similar deal last summer. Building our deck with the neighbor and my wife, I felt something on my neck. Brushed it off but it was a hornet. Little bugger nailed me in the neck then fell down my damn shirt. Hit me 5 more times as he fell down my back. I ripped my shirt off and he flew out of the shirt and took a run at me. I jumped on the deck and starting dancing around like an idiot trying to fend him off with my hat. You can imagine the look on my neighbors face. Forgot how much it burns to get stung. Neighbor had me hold a penny on the neck sting and it didnt swell up at all compared to the rest of them. Hurt like hell but its a good story.

 

I do not have any specific information to back me up so don't flame me please. What I do know is that I have heard of several people that used the Pertronics 1 and had trouble with burning up coils. I helped install one on a friends 66 F100 and it ran great for about a year of light driving and finally burnt the coil. There seems to be some confusion between the Pertronics 1 and the pertronics II about rather or not a resistor is needed in the hot leg.
Like I said I don't have a lot of specifics but I have read online where a lot of people have had trouble with burning up the coils and not knowing rather or not to run a resistor in the circuit. Glad it is working out for you. Once it is set up right either system is 100 times better than points. Just be sure rather a resistor is needed with the system you have or not.
Clint

 

I have a 1 in my car, their instructions stated they will work anywhere from +8VDC and up, I'm also using their coil. I love it. But a MSD is in my future......

 

I have had the Pertronix system in my '73 Mustang conv with a 351Cleveland CJ since '98, no problems. Same thing for 3 other of my 351 Windsors. Still have points in 2 other 351's, but they will be changed over at some point in the future, too. I will be putting it in the Sprint Maverick 's 302 at some point. Great system, no problems.

Behind my home in Southern Ind years ago, I had an encounter with a nest of small yellow jackets in the ground that sent me down the hill and into the bathroom. I stripped and left about 20 mean ones in the bathroom. Later, I went back in with wasp spray and killed them. They were all over me. Luckily, I had few stings. Another time, another nest of them swarmed up from the ground and stung the 2 horses and my wife numerous times out in the woods. I had to call a vet and doctor because of all the stings to both horses and her. Bad stuff.

Jim

 

Three years ago today I installed my P1. I did get it to run twice since then, for less than a minute each time .

Worst sting for me was on the bottom lip by a bumble bee when I was like 6.

 

Funny how this thread has turned into a bee sting thread.
Oh yeah the ignition thing as well.