I have been thinking about doing the Pertronixs conversion on my points distributor. I have read some other posts about the pro's and con's. My question for you all is I found out Accell makes a similar conversion kit for about $30.00 less. Has anybody used the Accell? Any thoughts on it compared to the Pertronix? Thanks for any input. Cary
I've never heard of it - do you have a link to it? My first thought is that all Hall Effect systems use the same technology. There can be minor differences but they all generate spark by pushing a reverse voltage through the coil. The two things that affect the output is the speed of the reverse pulse and the voltage capacity (ratio of turns) on the secondary side. There is a limit to the primary resistance in the coil that can be affected by the Hall Effect pulse. That is why these systems have a maximum output voltage of about 40,000 volts. They are fine for the street, even for performance engines on the street but they don't have the power to operate an engine at very high RPMs and high loads required for racing. That is not to say you can't run it at the drag strip up to about 6500 RPM but if you have a race only engine with high compression running over 6000 RPM you would be better off with a CD (capacitive Discharge) ignition. DSII and Others like it with an amplifier will serve you better.
if you had this...you wouldn't be looking at a $49.95 electronic ignition system... if you have never heard of it, how can you have a "first thought about it"? "I don't know" was your first thought... ......
PaulS: I found it in the catalog at my local Parts Plus store, I do not know if Accell has a website or not I haven't looked(but I will). I know there are limitations to the Pertronix style systems but on my bone stock 302 it has to be better than points. I do have a complete electronic ignition off of a 1977 Maverick but I dont know if it is any good or not. The car had been sitting for many years. Plus my points distributor is not very old that is why I was thinking the conversion might be the way to go. Thanks for your input. Cary
The only ones I am aware of are the Crane, Mallory and Pertronix kits. Maybe the Accel unit is fairly new. With a bone stock engine any of them will be fine. The Crane comes with a built in rev limiter.
My protronix has been on mine for @10 years and has been trouble free ,it is way better than points so I would recomend it, not sure about accell's, if it is as relieble as the pertronix it would be well worth it, mine has paid for itself on price of points alone not to mention the performance advandage
Huh? What on earth does that mean? The points eliminators operate electrically the same as the points do. A + VDC is applied to the coil positive terminal, the switch (points or solid state) connect the (-) side of the coil to ground to saturate the coil (build up magnetic flux field) then open the ground connection to discharge the coil (by collapsing the magnetic field through the coil). To the original question, I'm not familiar with the Accel points eliminator but I run a Pertronix in an Accel distributor, probably about five or six years now. The Pertronix just switches a Mallory HyFire box so it isn't handling the entire load of the coil. I do carry a spare Pertronix in my tool box just in case, but I also carry a spare coil, a couple spark plugs and plug wires.
I'm presently running an MSD system but before that was Pertronix. I will run Pertronix on all of my stock engines from now on. I love it!
BMCDaniel, On the ignition units that eliminate the points and don't use a box like you are using have power to the coil all the time. The hall effect switch in the distributor places a high voltage but low amperage pulse to the coil with the positive side of the pulse going to the negative side of the coil. That is how it shuts power off to the coil to make the spark. You have yours hooked to an amplifier and the amplifier controls coil power. If you weren't running that Hyfire box the system would work just as I describe. When you hook them up to an oscilliscope you can see the reverse pulse and then the spark. The reverse pulse is 90 + volts so the power going to the coil is temporarily interupted. That makes the coil fire the spark. Your system uses the hall effect switch in the distributor to provide a pulse to the Hyfire box and that triggers a pulse of approximately 250 volts to the coil from a capacitor. That quick burst of power saturates the coil and then is gone so the field collapses and fires a spark. The CD systems will operate at higher RPM and under higher loads than the hall effect systems alone.
