A Discussion On Street Ignition Systems For Classics, Cruisers And Daily Driver Performance Cars

We take a look at all of the popular and common ignition options for stock to mildly modified street oriented engines and discuss their best applications as well as pros and cons.
Points and Point eliminator conversions, HEI systems including Duraspark, the differences between OEM parts and current aftermarket options and some of the oddball things that happen that can leave you stranded or at worst, destroy your engine.
#automobile #diy #classiccar
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[@Ratsterio_o]

There’s no gap in his knowledge, but he dwells on about his points.

[@billymanilli]

I see watt you did there! lol

[@douglashewitt5064]

Booyah! 😅

[@douglashewitt5064]

Ohman, you are on a comp now.

[@kg6itc]

I see what you did there : ) lol

[@martinw9425]

Imagine, listening a guy talking about electronic ignition for 45 minutes,and cant listen to my wife for 5 minutes without falling asleep. You must be doing something ok UT.

[@markdrake2715]

Hey, the stuff is interesting for a logical mind...

[@termonostruman]

@@markdrake2715 he talks too much

[@MH-53E]

Oh no I never talk with her. I just screw her, wipe my shite off on the sheets, and leave. What a relationship!!!

[@terryzeissler4199]

Hi Tony, this is a great conversation that should have been brought up a very long time ago. When I started in the trade as a tune up technician everthing was points. One thing that also wears out is the distributor cam lobes giving different point opening gaps from cylinder to cylinder. One of the reasons for electronic ignitions was to increase the spark firing times across the plug gap. The longer spark time was needed in order to keep the lean mixtures burning as they swirled around the combustion chamber. Spark times went from 1 1/4 milliseconds with .035 gaps to 2 1/2 milliseconds with .045 and greater gaps. Capacitive discharge ignitions have extremely short spark duration, only 1/8 of a millisecond and have a very difficult time keeping the flame going. This led to the multi spark idea, however I have never seen an explanation how three 1/8 ms sparks is supposed to be better than a single 2 1/2 ms one which, by the way is almost as long as the average 3 ms it takes for all of the mixture in the cylinder to completely burn. It's interesting that the OEM's that tried CDI (like Pontiac in the 60's) dropped it almost as fast as they could. Also the multi spark guys should put a switch on their boxes so it can be changed to a single spark so that a scope can synchronize and allow for diagnostics and cylinder balance tests. The GM HEI was almost to strong as it often would burn through the rotor and short out staight through to the shaft. The distributors also had a thin steel spacer washer between the gear and the bottom bushing that would stick if the car did not get regular oil maintenance and cut right through the shaft leaving you stranded. We pulled all distributors with every tune up, but the HEI also had the gear removed and the shaft pulled to check if was ok. The Ford Dura Spark was a good system as well. It's one biggest problem was the circuit board cracking in the module. The module was an aluminum box with sand and epoxy poured into it to seal and protect the electronics. Over time expansion and contraction with temperature changes would create cracks in the circuit board traces causing intermitant stalling. This was intermittant problem that was actually very easy to duplicate in the shop. Just unbolt the unit from the fender and with the engine running give the module a tap on the bottom with a small hammer and instant stall. Wish all intermittent problems were so easy. The Dura Spark was also unique in that 10 degrees of the advance curve was built into the module. Aftermarket modules did not have this so installing one led to loss of power and fuel economy. The Mopar system may not have had as big a punch to it but was very reliable. There was occasional failures of components but not often as the others. Probably about the same as a coil failure in point systems. The best aftermarket ignition system I ever came across was the Allison. This used an infrared light emitting diode and shutter in the distributor with an external module and coil. It had 3ms firing time during cranking and 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 ms firing time across the plug gap. Good for any number of cylinders and up to 12,000 rpm. It was developed by a professor Allison at a university in California. It later became the Crane Fireball Ignition and was awsome with an E-Core type coil. I saw a while back that someone else had it under a different name but I can't recall who it was at the moment. Keep up the good work Tony. Terry

[@rolandtamaccio3285]

Terry , it's amazing how rare that ms knowledge is ,,, !

[@terryzeissler4199]

@@rolandtamaccio3285 Roland, it is sad how much basic knowledge has been lost since cars jumped on the computer wagon. Diagnostics with hand held scanners mostly looks at the electronics but forgets that the internal combustion engine is still the same animal as it was 100 years ago. I learned to use a scope and gas analyzer in the 1970's and still own one today. Being able to see and measure what is happening in the combustion chamber, the ignition, fuel and exhaust in real time, as it is happening with analog equipment is lost to todays technicians. Relying on fault codes can often send you on a wild goose chase that ends up thowing parts at a problem that may not be needed. To me the data stream is more important to understanding a problem and leading to a solution. Computerized systems are very good at hiding internal engine problems as they try to keep it running no matter what. My mentor and friend Frank referred to the electroncs on a car as F.R.E.D. F-----g Ridiculus Electronic Device. Why does the service manual for my wifes 2015 Fiat 500L have to be 8,268 pages long? You only have to tell me how to remove the engine cover once, not over 300 times. Replace the battery and now I have to perform a battry reset, powerwindow module reset, throttle learn, etc., etc., etc. Change oil and I need a scanner to reset the oil reminder and turn out the dash light. Install an LED light bulb and the CAN buss freaks out. Leave a car sit for a few weaks and the battery goes dead from all the electronic drain on the system. We all want to work on our own cars but because of all the special tools required, software reprogramming that can only be done at the dealer, electrical breakout boxes required to test the electrical harness and connections we are forced to go back to the dealer and pay their inflated labour and parts rates. I think that after this rant I'm going to go out to the garage and do some more work on my 1967 Chrysler New Port Convertible. At least if a tail light doesn't work only need my 12 volt test light to fix it.

[@et76039]

I had an MSD system and liked it. The theory behind it was more complete ignition, somewhat like the dual spark plugs on some Ford 2.3 liter engines. My '71 Ranchero smoothed out with it, but it was also over carbureted.

[@JamesHolbrook-eh5sp]

Terry, that's all really good info. I don't know if it's the same system but I had a British Ford (I'm in the UK) from 1989 which had the Dura Spark. I used to call it Arthur after the 70s trade unionists who had Britain on a 7 day week in the 70s. I fixed it by putting a sheet of aluminum behind it as a heat sink and screwing that to the inner fender. After that no problem.

[@JamesHolbrook-eh5sp]

That should have been a 3 day week, not a 7. 😂

[@robertgibson926]

I put a Mallory Unilite distributor in my Jeep CJ in the late 80s. Everyone said the module was unreliable and I should carry a spare, so I bought a spare module. I drove the Jeep over 100K miles between then and when I sold it in 2010. I still have the spare module in the drawer in my tool box. I replaced the cap/rotor once.

[@BillyLintzenich-wf7sk]

My brother installed those unilites in 1 or 2 trucks for my dads company. 1 we couldnt get it to work in a 3rd one. All i can say is that those trucks ran better with those

[@bruceabbott3941]

I spent decades as a Mercruiser mechanic, mostly on the inline 4 and 6 cylinder engines. Back in the day, it was standard practice that a stern drive boat coming out of storage got new points, condenser, and plugs every season. When Mercruiser went to HEI distributors, that went away. We never touched them. But remember that these boats ran 143-165 degree thermostats and were surrounded by cool water. For ignition systems, it was like the Promised Land. I did install a couple of Mallory electronic distributors in two 4 cylinders, one to replace a worn-out points unit in an old 140, and one to replace a Delco electronic timing curve system in a 3-liter Lynx (spit and swear...) and never had to look at them again.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

My 1974 120hp 4cyl Mercruiser bought new still has the original points, never touched.

[@edbeck8925]

Points will rust and not get contact

[@blueyhis.zarsoff1147]

I know a few guys that used the HEI on offshore race motors, they said set and forget PS you were lucky the inlines had Delco distributors, the v8s had that rubbish mallory crap before they converted.

[@yeahitskimmel]

Crazy that the HEI made the plugs go from lasting one year to maybe 10 if you never touched them again

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

@@yeahitskimmel Thunderbolt IV has the advance curve built into the ignition module, there's no mechanical advance. And the TBI system ran open-loop with no need for an O2 sensor. MPI was open-loop as well, for a while. Boats never used vacuum advance, the duty-cycle is too high (very little vacuum while cruising).

[@pittsky]

My mechanic told me to keep my stock Motorcraft ignition for my 1989 Fox body when I wanted to upgrade it. I have no issues with it.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Its pretty decent and sorta easy to troubleshoot. I see it on a lot of 80s and 90s era generators with ford power. The one that had no spark on me , and was in the sticks, had a bad box. (This was pre COVID) So I look up a local napa and cross my fingers. I told the guy it's for a generator so forget what kind of car this thing came in...ok hold on lemme get the veteran..... Dude asked me what color the plastic was where the wires went in. Blue. Ok dude I got one come on down. Awesome,cause I was 2hrs from the shop and we pride ourselves on getting a unit operational. The power wasn't out , but that's what it's for and folks don't have generators for no reason. Good stuff man, I'm a huge fan of Ford industrial engines. 2.3,300 and the beautiful turbo 460 are all some of the best industrial engines of days gone by. GM kinda took over around the early 2000s.

[@peteloomis8456]

I used to work at a old bone yard back in the late 70s early 80s and we sold tons on those ignition modules . We had a 55 gallon drum full of them with each one marked from what they came off of & we had a shelf in the shop stacked full of them tagged with what each one came off of . They could be dead reliable but we had so many people coming in at times they must have had problems with them going bad on the road leaving people stranded . A old friend of mine his father stopped in to see if we had one for his Ford van and we did but I told him that these were known to burn out so if you can afford it but 2 of them and keep one as a spare in the van just in case the module takes a dump that way you can get it back up and running again . He never did come back again for a module after that but bought other parts from us for the van and other vehicles he had . I found out this friend of mine from way back then who lived about 2 miles from my parents house and I knew his whole family that he had committed suicide after his wife divorced him and left & took the kids and she brain washed the kids so bad that they wouldn't even come to see him after he tried to get them to come over for dinner to just talk & hang out & have a fire in the fire pit but they never gave him a chance & found out that someone else I new worked at the same place he did & that he didn't come into work & didn't call in & I was told that he never missed work so this person got a hold of his brother and he called the father and he had the police go out to the house with the father and they found him dead because he had hung himself. I wanted to go to the funeral but just couldn't make myself go because I didn't want to see the family in such pain after knowing them for so many years before I moved away . The only thing good about this is his ex wife will now be constantly reminded that what she told those kids and her brain washing them she's going to remember this for her whole life and unfortunately the kids as well who now will never get to see or talk to their father again and actually get to know him . I apologize for this not really being relavent to this video but after seeing the mention of the Ford style brain boxes it immediately brought me back to those days working in the bone yard and seeing his father at times coming into the shop to buy parts from us and what ultimately happened to my friend many years later and not seeing him or knowing where he was living at the time or even knowing that he had got married and had children.

[@user-wv1pj6wh4h]

If the cars worked in the old days well they will work well today. Piuck a car in th scarpayrd and make it your money pit

[@toejam503]

THIS is the type of video I like to see you put out! AWESOME 👏👏👏

On Point!

[@nickbruni8041]

Whoa … a rare moment of Vintage Chevy-ness as a comparative measure used in “ CONTEXT “ …. Thanks UT ✊🏼

[@palgjertsen2518]

From Norway: Cant't tell u how much I apreciate that u share your knowledge and experience. My Mark III had issues with both fuel and ignition. -both sorted thanks to u! This particular video made me replace the condenser in a fairly new distributor with the stock one. -solved ignition! Probably som cheap China-shait😀

[@user-oo2tk6vc2u]

20 minutes in you got me on that siren. I'm on my way home about 85 on the interstate😂😂

[@davidcoudriet8439]

Thank you, Charles F. Kettering, for an awesome ignition system.

[@bruceabbott3941]

Made up for that little episode with the Copper-Cooled engines in the Oaklands and Chevys...

[@nicholasagnew2792]

I just learned about that guy like yesterday

[@BillyLintzenich-wf7sk]

​@@nicholasagnew2792i live in michigan. Ive seen pictures of him and theres a high school with the same last name

[@BareRoseGarage]

You are speaking the words straight out of my father's mouth UTG and proven 100 times over. Great Stuff as always man.

[@Hysteresis11]

I'll say it again: Uncle Tony is the Paul Harrell of engine building. Two G.O.A.T.'s

[@rctopfueler2841]

Paul harvey too

[@fratzogmopars]

@@rctopfueler2841 Paul Harrell is the Chuck Norris of shooting. He is in poor health now.☹

[@SpecialAgentJamesAki]

I could listen to these guys all day. Wish they could do a colab. Paul has a couple nice classics!

[@merrillschaps2325]

I always liked the Pertronix in place of the points in my 1969 Dodge Charger R/T with the 440, 1970 Ford LTD two door with the 429, and 1971Ford LTD Convertible with the 400. Never had any ignition issues and never had to worry about points ever again.

[@8avexp]

My '69 AMX had a Pertronix coil when I got it, then I upgraded to a Pertronix ignition module shortly thereafter. Kept the factory Delco-Remy distributor. The ballast resistor was repurposed for just the tach. Its insides were reworked, but it still has the original factory look on the outside.

[@Karkmotuning]

In 1990 I dropped in an HEI in my 400 LeMans. It ran so much better than with the points distributor. Two or three miles later tehe engine quit, probably the module popped. Anyway, the reason for it running better with the HEI was the shot bushing in the points distributor, making it misfire, mostly at idle. So the worn bushing is a real thing, it's what makes so many old engines make fluff and puff sounds at idle.

[@LongIslandMopars]

Yep. My 66 Coronet has a worn distributor bushing and the points were bouncing all over the place. The Pertronix cured that and it runs mint. Unfortunately, I'm on my 2nd Pertronix. Not going to invest in a third. If it craps out, I'm going to figure out my options.

[@Karkmotuning]

For a year now I've run a points distributor in my 1984 Caprice and it runs beautifully

[@BillyLintzenich-wf7sk]

​@@LongIslandMoparsived heard on here that ppl have had their cars catch on fire because of the pertronix units

[@LongIslandMopars]

@@BillyLintzenich-wf7sk I never heard of anything that severe. I talked to Pertronix and they told me what kills the unit is anything above 15 volts. Not much margin for error if a rectifier goes in the alternator.

[@SavingChevys73]

I stocked up an NOS gm points and condensers off ebay. I've been daily driving points for a while now. No issues. Your videos and info are a big reason I went back to points. Also, I've had a pertronix unit go bad. Thanks, UT.

[@LongIslandMopars]

I had one go bad, too. Now I'm into them for $300. If the 2nd one goes bad, that's it, I'm done with them.

[@michelle-lz8tg]

we've got a pertronix in our old willys jeep right now...we carry a complete spare distributor in the toolbox under the passenger seat...just in case...a distributor swap in that jeep takes minutes....i have never liked to totally rely on electronics on older vehicles...especially out on the trail.

[@zilksmooth]

Outstanding video - this is what Uncle Tony does better than anyone. Tons of detail, useful, applicable to most of us, and easy to follow.

[@carguy3028]

Something you should mention is that if you think you got an improvement you should measure it, 1/4 mile et increase or mpg increase. I bolted on an MSD box when I was in high school, I wanted more power didn’t have money so I went with this as one of my mods. I swore that it was faster, ran better but now that I’m older and able to analyze it I am pretty sure it was a placebo effect. Do not underestimate the placebo effect when playing with cars, you spend money to improve something, you want to justify it, you may think it is running better but in reality it made no difference.

[@greenbassboosts8872]

This is why I only focus on making it sound cool and continue running 😅

[@edbeck8925]

You could just wash it, that can make it run better too

[@patrickisswayze3446]

The butt Dyno never lies.

[@Videoswithsoarin]

the placebo is also very real when it comes to feeling like something is wrong with the car!

[@carguy3028]

@@Videoswithsoarin yes it is

[@drumdude68]

The Sun distributor machines are handy if you can find one.

[@BillyLintzenich-wf7sk]

Are talking about those brown little boxes that were mounted on a inner fender and wired up to your dizzy and elsewhere?

[@jasonmatthew5055]

My 440 D150 had points and ran great. I put a Petronix in without a ballast resister. The truck starts faster than anything I have ever driven.

[@Mustang-Mike]

Pertronix Ignitor III. Ten years with no problems.

[@robertwest3093]

Pertronix is great stuff!

[@jamessharp9790]

The quality ten years ago was probably quite good.

[@apocolypse11]

This guy likes to complain. Steam cars don't have electronics there u go utg.

[@jamesblair9614]

You’ve missed the point, the point being that whatever was on your vehicle when it was new, was in all likelihood completely adequate.

[@58sportsuburban]

How many miles?

[@charleselertii6187]

Hi Uncle Tony and Uncle Kathy! This is off-topic, but we all know that you are both dog lovers. Famous Cowboy Cook Kent Rollins beagle dog died. In Kent's emotional nice video today, he said: ""Angels come with wings. Some very special Angels come with fur...."" Nice words. Made my eyes tear up. The dog appeared in many of his videos as ""official camp food taster"" Chuck in Florida.

[@Carstuff111]

I have seen a VERY few people run a Pertronix ignition system totally problem free for thousands of miles. These were old units, being run on vehicles that were often daily driven, and they all had something in common. They all had beautiful wiring front to back. One person at a car show was telling me he hand wired his car front to back with all new, more modern connectors when and where possible, and brand new original style plugs where needed. Every other vehicle I have seen with a Pertronix ignition tended to be trailer queens and parade cars that did not get driven much, if at all, and I have seen them fail. There was a guy with a 440 Dodge Challenger (swapped from a 318) that broke down just as he pulled into a show I went to. Someone helped him swap to a points ignition he bought at the swap meet, and he was back up and running before the end of the show. Most people I have ever seen with daily driven, or at least often driven, classic cars tend to stick with points, or OEM electronic ignition.

[@johnnyhonda7576]

I’m running a Mallory Unilight with mechanical advance on my 393 stroker Cleveland at about 450 Hp in my street 1970 Mach 1

[@Maleekus]

I put a Pertronix II Igniter on my stock 65 F100, 352ci. Best thing I ever did for it

[@Z_732]

Lol.. perfect example of what I did with my 225. Dad dropped a points dist in it because he didn't understand the original chrysler electronic ignition wiring. When I got the truck, (ran very rough) the distributor wobbled bad enough the factory rotor would hit the cap and snap the tip. So I pulled the dist. Put an electronic system back in it. Still running it today. Runs fine, always hits.

[@randysinger2673]

I have a File Drawer full of 35 + year old Good OEM GM HEI Distributors i have saved over the years, have always used them in my street cars, and several years when we raced dirt track, never had a failure.

[@SILVERHORSE347]

My 63 Buick Riviera had an Allison XR700 ignition which later became Crane XR700 ignition. I had issues fouling plugs, after I found the ignition box under the hood I was able to open up the gap and now get slightly better mileage and less plug fouling.

[@gvxclassics]

I've been installing them (pertronix) for 20+ years in maybe 30-40 cars. Never had a failure or complaint. I do so because my customers have no idea what points are or where they are. In that case, where I know it won't get maintained, I really do not have a choice.

[@michaelstrafello7346]

I worked for Chevrolet when I got out of high-school gm hei modules were made in Singapore.

[@ryurc3033]

Ok, and? Id rather pull a working Delco module out of a used distributor, and put that in my daily driver than go buy something new from AutoZone or O'Reilly's. I've had more bad new electronics in the last 5 years than I had in the 20 years previous. At least they were still using decent materials to make it in the 80s

[@mattbauckman9907]

Converted my original points distributor to Pertronix 10 plus years ago, no issues. I do however have all the old parts in the glove box just in case I need to do a roadside conversion back to the points setup. The problem I had with points was getting quality parts. The days of the Echlin or Blue Streak with the phenolic followers and good springs in them are gone.

[@roberttoews2775]

My experience is the same. Original parts in the glove box. 15 years later and I've never needed to open them.

[@mikekeil3974]

You nailed it Tony, I always use points in my old fords. Petronix is fussy and likes 12v , I have found the resistor wire in fords ignition drops the voltage to 8 v and petronix doesn't always run well with that voltage drop. Petronix works better than points on worn out distributors with bad bushings, seems to be more forgiving, however I will always be using points in my old cruisers and as you say the echlin points are the best I have found lately...if electronic ignition fail you are screwed on the side of the road, points, even if worn will always get you home....good video Tony

[@RocketCityTech]

When an episode starts with “let’s talk ignition systems..” I go ahead and hit the like button immediately

As a busted-up, dead broke old man, it is extremely unlikely that I will ever drive again, nor spin any wrenches. IMMEDIATELY clicked on this. Thanks, Tony. P.S., My all-time preferred domestic ignition was a Mallory Bluepoint, dual point distributor fed by an Accel Supercoil.

[@FordMan-pe7sm]

Years ago, I had a 1986 Mustang GT hatchback 5.0 auto, 3.27 gears. Only mods were a shift kit, under bumper ram air, 13-degree timing, an MSD coil and 6A box with the plug in wire set up. At the track, it would go consistent 14.90 to 15.0 at 87 to 89 mph with 2.10 60-foot times. One time, I decided to unplug the MSD to see how much slower the car would go. Next pass, 2.07 60-foot time, 14.89 at 89.77 mph. That being said, hot ignitions are good for high power engines. More stock engines, not so much.

[@COG2829]

Please keep making these kind of videos. I want to learn as much as I can.

[@reriley2002]

I ran a Mallory unilite distributor for many years in the late 80’s. Never had an issue. I’ve used the pertronix drop in unit and it worked fine for me. It’s a crap-shoot with pertronix. You might get a good one, might get a bad one.

[@NoodlesXIII]

Evenin' Kathy & Tony, thanks for the drop!

[@oops1952]

Great advice Unk.....I use to like the CDI 's. Just driving around the plugs would get lead fouled and miss when you had your foot in it as the rpm came up. CDI really helped. Plus the points didn't burn

[@stevensek7872]

My son as part of his Bronco project rebuild, went with a Holly Sniper unit. Everytime he would start the Bronco it would flood out! Tracked down the issue to the new Dura Spark model he installed. It was sending false RPM data to the Sniper and flood the engine. Returned to the factory module and the problem went away. Aftermarket parts are not built to spec's I agree 💯

[@incognito-pn1px]

Hey Tony, My daily driver is probably the last V8 with a carb and a point type distributor produced, a 1978 Olds Delta 88. The best way I have found to check the bushings in the distributor is to monitor dwell angle at various rpms, if the dwell angle does not stay constant through the rpm range of the engine the bushings are usually the problem. I have checked my point distributor and it is fine and now on the shelf replaced by a HEI unit.

[@58sportsuburban]

Gm stopped using points in 1975.

[@anteneupitra]

if you get sick of points you na use electrinics or optical systems

[@douglashewitt5064]

My sons friend bought a 50's mail jeep. Ran ok for a hundred miles. Checked under the dist cap...sparkles! New cap and another hundred miles...more sparkles under cap. Rough running. Sold the jeep for 100 bucks. I told him it was just a worn out distributor. Fifty bucks and it would never give him any more problems until the next part wore out. Too late.

[@et76039]

Once again, great points from Tony, no pun intended. However, I do have a slightly different view on the MSD ignition, which worked well at cleaning up my overcarbureted '71 302-powered Ranchero. There is a lot of truth to Tony's view that it will cover up problems; my '71 was overcarbureted. The basic theory behind an MSD is that multiple sparks in an ignition cycle will help ignite fuel/air mixture that failed to burn properly. Given how slight imperfections will always be there, it can be a great help, but as Tony pointed out, if it helps noticeably, do try to find out what is going on. I can also see where it would clean up emissions, but many of us on here aren't very concerned with that. Probably the best strategy with MSD is to tune as best as possible with it disabled, then reenable it for reliability. I enjoyed the way it smoothed out the idle on that '71. Yep, points have a better chance of surviving solar flares and EMPs than anything electronically controlled; nothing to fry. They give you a signal before going kaput, whereas electronic ignitions generally die an instant and often unexpected death.

[@Robs-Garage-experiments]

My Chrysler Chrome box has been in constant use for 22 years now. Zero issues!

[@gabrieldimarco9646]

I'm glad you touched on Mallory Unilite distributors. I have one in my sbc for 30+ years now and never had an issue. Yes the original module is still in it. I drive it on the street and track days on a road coarse, countless laps. I only had to change the lower bushing last year due to wear. Yes they are bullet proof.

[@user-tn1hk6zm2freedom]

I have run pertronix for years and have never had one fail.

[@user-ot7vn7bf5e]

Mallory uniltes are fantastic! I put a dual pointy l in a 318 back in 1981. I ran dual point to 86 then converted it to a unilite and ran that old distributor until 2003 and then put a new unilite distributor in it. Back in 2017 I shorted the unilite eye wire hit header:( I took the old unilite cell out of the old distributor and put it in no issues!!! Amazing stuff!!!

[@gcaprice406]

I worked as a diehard Chevy guy at a parts store in the mid 2000’s. Used to stock a new Accel HEI distributor right on the shelf, made in Canada. I could always count on that part to give my customers a reliable conversion or replacement for HEI. They shipped that production to China, and boy did that go to hell in a hurry. I don’t know if they still make them, but Standard motor Products used to make point conversions like Petronix that were very reliable. If they are still available it might be worth a test.

[@AtZero138]

STANDARD BRAND, does still make.. ignition products.. But they very.. built in etc, to price point,, T series is the Economy option.. same part number, just add T in front etc.. I've seen, USA, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan!.. in both T and Non ... Blue Streak is gone now.. I trust Accel Plug wires, and would beyond that.. MSD street Series brand is.. absolute crap.. I've also sold Parts for years.. O'Reilly's and even AutoZone, Classic Industries, to wholesale Parts Distributor.. My daily driver is a 68 Dart Grandma special Slant6 to V8 swap, Accel Coil/Wires, I converted a Spector Brand Points distributor, after.... 9 failures .. 9! Warranty exchanges... I only got to do so because I was management.. Swapped to Petronix... Running now for 7 years.. plus.. everyday and everywhere... I got lucky... Cheers from Orange County California 🇺🇸 @∅

[@nickb2080]

Accel hei coils were bulletproof until they weren't. I would rather a Amazon one now

[@ClaremontClassicGarage]

I had a 2.5 in an old Daytona circle track car I ran a modified Pinto Duraspark distributor and mopar orange Box. Worked great.

[@JulianCoogan-zl1ru]

I have a 1981 Saab 900 with twin carbs and a points ignition system with a 4 speed manual transmission, it sounds great and drives lovely!

[@cuebuilder969]

Tony, I agree with everything you said on ignition systems except one thing. When I was 15 I used to hang around with this kid that was 16 and had a 66 Impala with a 350/350 in it. He asked me to take a look at it because It didn't run very well. It would bog down at 2500 rpm or so, but only under load and driving down the road. After looking it over and trying to figure out what was going on with it I finally asked if it was the original motor in the car. Him and his Dad had put a 350 in it out of a 84 impala and when they were pulling the motor out of the donor car they broke the distributor cap. His Dad put in the points and condensor system from the original 350. I put the hei distributor in it and it ran perfect. The only thing I could figure out was the 84 motor had alot less compression compared to the original 66 engine. Sometimes you shouldn't go backwards with the ignition system. I've never heard of it before or since but it cured his problem with the engine. Ran good after that.

[@grantsgalaxy687]

I ran a small block chevy to 8k on a pertronics stage 3 in a stick shift camaro 4 passes 😅 then went back to my grumpy jenkins book, did his magic to the points distributor, deavcon in the body no vacume advanced Mallory x points and solid core wires. More work to the mechanical advance ,springs making the slot larger worked for years

[@pauljanssen7594]

I'll just say this if you run a stock Mopar ignition system make sure you go down to Napa and get the mo 30000 rotor it gives you a closer Gap to the distributor cap with a spark goes across to the contact not shooting up because the Gap is the original cap of the old fashioned rotors. I prefer Blue streak points. And run plug wires that are not made of carbon this is another key issue you want good firepower to your plugs.

[@rodfonda3248]

I've realised and seen with using points , usually the rubbing block only touches the cam on one side or edge and wears quickly,so I either pull the dizzy out and look closely at the cam contact and file/sand the high spot on the rubbing block to get full contact, or you can use a marker pen on the rubbing block or cam without having to remove the dizzy

[@tcullen5895]

I always learn something from your videos, I should ad that I am 65 and have been working on cars since i was 14. I did however spend my career in the electronics repair business. While it is easy to always blame the manufacturer, and sometimes I do, you also have to look closely at the consumer. If the average consumer is mainly focused on the lowest cost, retailers will search for lower priced product. Vicious cycle. In the case of aftermarket ignitions for classic cars, I have to point the finger of blame on greed or pure ignorance. These companies could, with a competent design engineer, provide a product that will work under the extreme conditions of the average engine bay. The added cost of the proper circuit design would most likely be a few dollars. I for one would rather pay up front

[@user-wv1pj6wh4h]

..he talks too much 46 minutes of confession, damm the qauntuty od SINS is HUGE!

[@user-wv1pj6wh4h]

point points points poits points my vintage GM dont use points... he talks so much

[@carmudgeon7478]

25 years ago the Wells brand ignition box for all my Jeeps would fry in a few months, so I bought all the OEM I could from junkyards. I ran out, So I converted to Ford TFI using factory 302 parts. 340 thousand miles later Tony tells it true. OEM only.

[@CarputingYT]

Just found this channel off the Edelbrock carb in a minute video from 5 years ago. Subbed, this guy's awesome, immensely great energy and smart at giving info while keeping it entertaining, this guy's got it all, great work!

[@vikingmike8139]

I have 454/460 .030" overbore, recip. ass. are 4340 USA forgings crank/rods, 10.88 to 1 static compression, dynamic compression is 9 to1. Forged pistons with 5/64" rings/ Hastings, Edelbrock aluminum heads 100 cc angle milled. 750 cfm 3310 vac sec. Holley. 272/278 custom ground solid Isky Pro55 core on a 108 LSA, installed at 104 ICL. 510 hp @ 5900 rpm 510 and ft.lbs. tq, @ 3,900 rpm. For ignition [she] has an MSD Pro Billet 'Tach-Drive' with magnetic trigger, 6AL Box with Blaster coil firing through Moroso Ultra 40 ignition wires. Very reliable and lights the fire. This is in a C3 Stingray Corvette. Great video UTG, Cheers!

[@dalerobinson2986]

never had any pertronix go bad on me. infact,,ive picked so called "bad" pertronix out of trash bins, installed them and they worked fine.. i still have two trashed ones left.

[@matthewtaylor2185]

I bought my first squarebody chevy, a dually with a dump, about 400 miles from home. It had just been tuned up and ran perfectly. I drove it a good while and checked everything out well. That old 350 was running at the touch of the key and idled great. I trusted it to make it home. 60 miles in, I noticed a slight loss of power. Enough that i just got a little suspicious but kept driving. 70 miles in, while in the beltway of a major city, i was coasting down a hill and found i had nothing at the bottom of the hill. Clutch, crank, nothing! Oh no! Not here! I was able to coast to the emergency lane and safely stop. Family in minivan behind me. I got help from the finest squarbody enthusiast in the country...the ground strap had been left out from under that coil. That was a lesson i will never forget.

[@roberttoews2775]

I swapped my 1968 Newport with the original 383 2bbl from points to Pertronix 16 years and just over 20,000 miles ago. Never had an issue. It was definitely worth it. The original parts are riding around with me in the glove compartment, but were never needed. Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones, but that's OK with me and my car. I could easily switch back to original, but I've had no reason too.

[@flinch622]

The vast majority of burned end wire problems I have seen over time are loose connections driven. Corrosion generally takes years to produce an event - not months.

[@glennpanella7318]

Hi Uncle Tony, I have been watching the Big Richard build with Dr Art, Maybe you and he could dedicate a video to getting the 318 motor started and a few of the last items filling the checklist. It was a great idea for power tour and would enjoy seeing that old bird take flight again soon. Dr. Art poured his heart into that motor and the relevant items included along with your trans build, It deserves a close it out finally soon.

[@jamesrogers5783]

back in the day we ran lots of HEIs , a few MSDs , one or two mallorys dual points the ford duraspark kits , and the mopar --either points or electronic . the HEI can really romp if its set up to the GM race manual spcs --i seen up twist up so high that the counterweights ate through the posts-- anything electronic these days is just a crap shoot. best i can recall about the MSDs is they put out but were bad to blow up coils . for the street it was strictly OEM stuff--even the points ran good --back when you could get good points

[@redneckwithajeep5001]

My 66 belair is still on points and I honestly couldn’t be happier with the ignition system. It has given me less trouble than any of my other vehicles in that department. I’m getting ready to drop a 350 in that car and every hot rod builder I know swears I should drop an HEI unit in it. I keep telling them HEI is a last resort if I can’t figure out what a problem I’m having is after I drop the engine in it. The 283 and the 350 aren’t different enough to warrant changing something that does work for me

[@michelle-lz8tg]

i hear points can be an issue in really moist climates.

[@redneckwithajeep5001]

@@michelle-lz8tg they can be but there’s little tricks you can do to help I personally take dielectric grease and make a light seal around the cap to help prevent moisture from getting in there

[@Ripsaw17]

Those of us that work on cars in the 70s and 80s are trying to forget about the lean Burn System God that system was awful so many problems with that system EPA really knows how to ruin everything

[@LongIslandMopars]

Yep. I remember.

[@ericrudyj2184]

Still have the original HEI in my 1975 Nova, no components were ever changed except for the cap and rotor. Original electronic module and coil.

[@al15944]

I have a 70 AAR "Cuda. Installed Mopar electronic ignition in the '70s. The epoxy potting compound has been creeping out of it down the firewall very slowly ever since. I have a vintage spare unit in the drawer, and it's been doing the same thing. So much for NOS!

[@snaredude56]

I have a friend who put one of those Pertronics ignitions in a old car he was putting back on the road. Drove it only a couple of miles before it crapped out. I told him to replace everything with the old points and condenser setup. It has worked flawlessly for over a year now. Simple is often better.

[@michaelstansfield319]

Back in the 1980's, when I had a 72 Gran Torino Sport and was building a high performance 400 for it, I wanted something easier to maintain for ignition too. I ended up converting a stock Ford single point distributor to electronic ignition using an Allison XR700 optically triggered electronic ignition kit. It worked great.

[@HarryTGarlandIII]

I also used an msd 5 on my 1971 ford pinto 2.0 (122 cid 4 cyl) the only change was the crane cam I put it. It worked well…

[@thomasschumacher5318]

I would also like to add that the first european electronic ignition system the Magneti Marelli Dinoplex was a CDI unit and used in ferrari 206/246 gt dinos at first. That was also street legal car running on pump gas with 9:1 static cr hemi heads however revved so much higher than any american ohv v8 engine. It also used twin points inside the distributor to trigger the cdi unit

[@XxMusclecarsxX]

Someone could easily 3d print rubbing blocks of higher quality. I've also bought a condenser on amazon and it was dead outta box

[@ryurc3033]

AutoZone/ O'Reilly's aren't any better, constantly getting bad new parts. Makes me want to quit screwing with cars .

[@scottmoot2969]

1950 IH with sbf 302 and HEI swap. 3 failed new modules later, I raided an old OEM module and never had a problem. SBC 327 with old Crane ignition conversion has an adjustable Rev limiter works flawlessly 25 years

[@bluejacketsfan60]

Exactly right on finding stock factory electronic distbutors for regular street use. Built the 327 in my '67 Impala in 1991 - went to the junkyard and pulld an HEI out of another small block Chevy and put it in......30 years later it's still running that same distributor! You'll never get that from the new stuff thats being sold today.

[@jeffreyvietzke228]

I'm a year older than Tony and have been in the auto industry since 1979, starting out tuning cars for large chain. 10-15 cars a day. I've tuned thousands of cars over the years. Tony hits the nail on the head here, guys. I run NOS points in all 4 of my old cars, have for 45+ years, never an issue. (GTO's and Corvette). I can't count the number of HEI failures over time. And yeah, the green wire on the module on the Olds and Pontiacs. And early GM black rotors burnt through, but the white rotors that superseded them didn't. Ran into some of the GM coil hold down screws arcing through the cap on the old 2.8 V6's. And personally have seen a handful of Chrysler BID magnetic pickup coils with cracking and no-start when hot. The new aftermarket stuff is totally inferior to the OEM 40+ year old stuff, and even then, that stuff wasn't as bulletproof as points were. Great video.

[@michaelthompson1110]

Excellent stuff Tony! This subject is also the bane of Flathead Ford ignition systems as well. Keep up the great work!

[@dirtlump]

I still run the stock single points ignition in my 1969 Charger R/T SE survivor. 440 Magnum/Auto Unrestored/unrebuilt and still in V/Fine original condition..... the single points fire first time every time with no issues. Just say'in.... if it ain't broke why fix it ?

[@The0utmode]

Im personally a fan of the GM HEI style distributor. But points are good too if you set em every week.

[@jamessharp9790]

I must have been the outlier because I seldom adjusted my GM uni points on my street car back then.

[@PatandDoopypoopy]

​@jamessharp9790 1 time a year for my ford with points. And that was only because I changed them 1 time a year. I would check timing a few time a year' just before summer and winter. If timing spot on then so are points (1 degree dwell change is 2 degree timing change). I ran more timing in winter.

[@DarkFlamage]

Connect Dwell meter. If angle stays the same, you're good.

[@anteneupitra]

iam out

[@Link-we8so]

Ahh I've never had a problem with a HEI conversion. The one I'm running now cost $13 from rock auto. Also people are still replacing them in factory gm vehicles and not having problems. Also for $13 you can carry 5 of them in the glove box.

[@dalesideroadclassiccarwork9038]

I totally agree with you, I work on mainly british cars from the 50s,60s, and 70s, and I have replaced loads of dodgy electronic ignition units back to points. Mainly due to the electronic units getting too hot, resulting in the hardening of the heat sink paste and magnet brake down, the heat eventually fries the units internal components.

[@rhekman]

Great stuff Tony. I wholeheartedly agree, stick with the OEM design and only upgrade parts when other engine performance upgrades require it. I mostly work on either really old stuff (old tractors with points and magnetos) or slightly newer stuff from the 80s and 90s. IMHO the single best factory ignition system in terms of robustness and reliability was the Ford EDIS. They have a simple crank trigger wheel and vr sensor, no sensitive distributor pickups, no bushings to go bad, multiple coils to fire pairs of cylinders. And they're relatively cheap to repair unlike more modern coil on plug setups.

[@Zulumies]

Uncle Tony you just mentioned the issue with point ignitions in the beginning. When the bushings wear out the distributor becomes slobby and after that you'll run to all sorts of problems. I've had a few such cases and I also have experience of installing "superior" pointless setup which was a mockup of the original system with no improvement at all. Currently I have low mileage point ingition system in my summer car and the biggest downside to that system is the lack of quality spare parts. Points and Condensators sold today are full crap and the NOS parts are close to unobtainable. This is why I completely understand why someone would opt to buy Chinese copy of the original pointless ignition system instead of trying to survive without reliable parts. I must say that partly inspired by this channel I've opted to keep the original Carb and ignition system and I've tuned the engine to suit the current modifications. It's cheap and fun hobby once I discovered what jets fit my carbuteror. Would be fun to watch a deditaced series on how to tune your setup ( point ignition included ;) ) without dynotime etc. as I feel I could improve on that area. In any case, thanks for all the tips and clues so far, they're gold!

[@Fljeff7]

Nothing beats a factory HEI type of ingition system with the timing set for the fuel available

[@carburist]

Would be good if you could do some more regarding performance ignition especially magnetos, the scintilla vertex/ronco magnetos seem to me that the quality of those units (the old ones) is second to none

[@andywishaw3213]

I have a '78 318 Dodge pickup plow truck with a Davison unified HEI conversion. I had to dent the firewall which I was unhappy about. I did not open the plug gaps and it absolutely worked perfect

[@charletonzimmerman4205]

Finally UT gets the "POINTS". !

[@username-kb7yf]

Thanks for taking the time to drop some knowledge on us uncle. Keep up the good work

[@mikerobinson3672]

My 82 El Camino with a slightly moded Buick 231 still runs with the original HEI unit from the factory. That distributor and module sat for 27years on that engine in a lean to with the hood half open. I dropped it into place set it to factory specs and it worked since I backyard rebuilt the engine. It works as it should, it starts as it should, it gets 25mpg, punch it, it chirps the tires. I keep a chinease module in the glove box to get me home. Those old HEI units are tough.

[@YODAMAN5]

AWESOME vid UT....So true on the factory pointless systems, I have a 73 Challenger (bought new) still running the same factory set up in it. The only thing I did to id is the coil, been using like that MALORY you show in the start of the video. The coil is like 40 years old, no issues to date.. MOPAR 4 EVER.

[@stevesmoneypit6137]

This might have been pointless but very informative. I’ve thought about trying pointless because good points are scarce. Now I have a path if I try. 👍🏻

[@skorner5798]

Good Day from Australia Tony , a big reason that the old Chrysler system was so reliable is that it was a low energy ignition and very under stressed . On top of that Chrysler very cleverly mounted the module on the inner guard panel using the bodywork as a heat sink and away from the hot motor - Electronics Hate Heat . One of the big problems with none genuine ignition modules is that they ( often ) contain no internal current limiting causing a slow ( or sometimes rapid ) death of the electronics inside - How long do points last with the Ballast Resistor Bypassed ! The reason the parts store ignition modules are so cheap compared to the dealership genuine parts is often this reason . It is expensive and complex to create electronic current limiting inside the module so most of the aftermarket just delete it with result being unreliable modules and burnt out coils etc. etc. On the same subject of Electronics Hate Heat ( So what better place to mount the module then inside the distributor -- Bad design by so many manufactures ) it is vital to coat the base of the module with heat sink compound as not doing this will drastically shorten their life . If the design allows it remote mounting the module away from engine heat and somewhere that provides good airflow will often dramatically increase module life !

[@ccfmfg]

I just Invented Hi-Speed Hi-RPM "Roller" Rubbing Block Hi-Performance Dual Point Conversions for Popular American Muscle Car Engines. Just like a Roller Cam it will last almost forever.

[@b.snoodleman5864]

As a huge bonus HEI eliminates the need to set the points and dwell, also it is contactless so nothing wears out like the cam inside the point distributors do.

[@HANDBALLDIEHARD]

I still have a accell hi-po dual points distributor with the ball bearing supported shaft in my basement from the early 80's car days, also you can connect the old MSD moduals to a points distributor as an option.

[@kg6itc]

This was incredibly helpful. Also stock ignition systems well tuned are a place to start. Experiment from there and take dependability into account when working on a daily driver. I have a 78 Cherokee that came with a badass ignition and I returned it to stock, and it ran better.

[@Darrenlawrence89]

Like always good information His main point is to use as best as oem grade or quality parts for reliability ,,, i swaped from points to a Petronix unit to get away from ballast resistor and condenser failures ,,,, I didn’t see any performance gain ,,,, but if it ever fails as I’m out on the highway as I do travel with my classic I can always swap back in a points distributor or if I have another spare petronix unit ,,,he just wants us to be aware and keep our reliability,,,, Sadly there is lots of people I deal with who get influenced and then down a rabbit hole it goes , to the point where they get fed up they leave the car scene 😞

[@garymatthys3605]

I'm using a Duraspark II distributor to trigger a GM 4 pin HEI module and a 'E' coil. Runs great. 302 just a step or 2 above stock.

[@roberthollinshead2325]

What E coil?

[@garymatthys3605]

@@roberthollinshead2325 the Ford coil for the tfi ignition. Doesn't require a ballast resistor or resistive wire.

[@garymatthys3605]

And the HEI module is mounted on a large aluminum bracket to dissipate heat

[@roberthollinshead2325]

@@garymatthys3605 I've heard some of the Ford e-coils were really good. What vehicles are you harvesting these out of?

[@garymatthys3605]

@@roberthollinshead2325 the one I used was out of a 86 LTD/V6. I wasn't aware some were better than others?

[@SteveSummers]

Met you in Tennessee on Powertour. I appreciate you saying hello.

[@brandonwoods9866]

Thank you for ALL of your awsome detailed videos. You have a way of explaining material like no other. I always enjoy watching all of your content! Keep it going brotha.😊