PerTronix Ignition Failures - A Double Feature

I have been running PerTronix electronic ignition systems for decades, but a couple things that happened last week has changed that from this point on.
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[@jamesblair9614]

Pertronix seems to have quite an active fanboy club. There’s no shortage of KZbin videos with people showing how they’ve been let down, and the comments are usually full of testimonials to how great their experience has been, as if that somehow cancels out your experience. Pertronix are lucky they have such a vocal support group covering for their substandard product.

[@russfrancis4220]

Replaced points and coil in my 66 mustang 20 years ago with pertronix and their flame thrower coil. Over 100k miles. 289 2 barrel automatic. Never misses a beat. Added a Jacob's to it and the Jacob's quit on me after 1.5 years. Now have an MSD on top of the same old 20 year old pertronix and flame thrower. Works great!

[@dougcapps1717]

Thanks for the Pertronix info ! My new Pertronix distributor & Coil on my rebuilt 289 just left me stranded and I hope I can return this crap to Jegs.

[@davidmcclain5180]

Yep, same issues. I bought a Pertronix distributor with Ignitor 1 and the Pertronix 1.5 ohm oil filled coil. The coil lasted about an hour and then the engine died. I had it mounted to the cylinder head. So, I changed to a MSD epoxy filled Blaster coil and added a .7 ohm resistor to make the 1.5 ohm circuit resistance. It runs with 10 volts at the coil.

[@graemepaul8748]

Just had the same issue. 70 Mustang with 351w stock distributor with Pertronix ignitor I and 40011 coil. Car was fine before putting away for the winter (Scotland, UK) took it out started great, idled fine then the engine just shut down, I suspected the coil (after reading about failures being common), I have replaced the coil with another 40011, haven’t had a chance to try it out because winter is back (that’s Scotland for you). I have had the Pertronix fitted for nearly 4 years, this is the first issue I’ve had, but I’m not confident in reliability now, I will carry points and a coil in car from now on, seriously considering going back to points but will need to look at this my resistor wire was ‘toast’ so I have a bypass in and 12v to the coil, no idea how long points would last with this. Pertronix has a large following for these cars they should really focus on reliability because they are great systems when they work. I will be interested is any similar alternatives.

[@snake_eyes_garage]

(Apologies in advance for the long post.) I just bought a '65 Mustang that came with an Ignitor with original coil. There is some yellowing on the Ignitor label, but the swap is probably more than 20 years old. (The Mustang hasn't seen more than 20k miles since the 90s from what I can tell.) Otherwise, there is nothing I can point to saying that the system needs attention. I really want to upgrade the ignition system, however every MODERN option has negative reviews as well as people who claim positive longterm experiences. From what I can tell, most of the reported problems are a combination of increased failure rates due to lower quality assurance standards (I've seen this apply to every country lately) combined with the expectation that the configurations are 'plug-and-play' with no modification, maintenance or monitoring needed. But this certainly does make the case to go back to and use the original ignition setup. I am keenly aware of the fragility of the pertronix but I have had experiences with distributor components and coils failing in all electronic ignition setups. (MoPar guys have long had to carry an extra ballast resistor in the glovebox.) I have been learning what specific conditions cause premature failures, and have been performing tests to see if my current setup may have a risk. But so far everything looks good. I do though think it is a good idea to carry backups on these old cars just as someone would have many years ago.

[@babygrand1100]

I'll bet you are using Factory Ford wiring which has 6-7 volts at the coil....YOU MUST HAVE 12 VOLTS AT THE COIL otherwise you will ruin these ignitor systems every time

[@juliansimmons7700]

Instance 1: 1.5ohm coils are normally used when there's a ballast resistor in the ignition system, do you have a 1.5 - 1.6 ohm resistor in place for normal running? (bypassed when cranking). If not, you need a 3 ohm coil, otherwise the coil will blow. What's the resistance of your old coil? 1.5 or 3 ohm? (just test across the two main outer terminals). Instance 2: The HT leads needs to be self-resistive to prevent unused current from the plugs bouncing back into the distributor and cooking the EI module. If low resistive copper-core ('sport') HT leads, that will cook the EI in no time. Another point, it's always worth using a silver finish coil - which will keep it cooler than a black body coil. BTW I've not used any Pertronix gear yet, but might be more wary now!

[@graemepaul8748]

I get your point about the resistance of the coil. Pertronix do recommend 1.5 ohm coil with resistor bypassed if using it on an 8 cylinder, but like you I do question this.

[@AlanSchildroth]

After 10 years of a billet 2 flame thrower in my car I ended up taking off the cap and it is all rusted. Except the ignitor 2! I ended up trying to take some of the rusted parts off and working on them. The one thing that came to my attention was the lead ground. I basically just fell apart. I was having some starting problems and throttle problems. This was the the biggest problem I have seen with it. Check the lead ground connecting the ignitor to a base plate.

[@ericuncapher9922]

What B/S .. thanks for the video.

[@sleazyvz]

Having the same issues .

[@JAK-rt8im]

Are there any other electronic’s you would use in its place???

[@1967BlueBoat]

I have heard nothing but good stuff about MSD. The downside is MSD is very expensive.

[@stevenbusher3803]

Are you still running the factory resistor wire from the ignition?

[@1967BlueBoat]

Nope, I had a full 12V to the distributor.

[@stevenbusher3803]

@@1967BlueBoat that's a bummer to hear you've had bad luck with pertronix more than once... I just bought a coil and distributor... I guess I'll keep a spare coil and ignitor in my car...

[@bryandallolio3260]

I had 3 of their points replacement kits fail on me. Hours wasted waiting for tow trucks. Wife hates my hotrod now! Back to points! Pertronix suck!

[@georgesabol459]

What failed in the distributor? Wiring seems to be the culprit. When the vacuum advance is moving back and forth it has the propensity to pull the wires going to the module. With your skill level I'm sure you know this already, but thought I'd throw it out there. They are using a GM style mechanical weight system. I don't run vacuum advance on my Pontiac. So this would not be an issue for me. Did you run a full 12 volt source to the positive side of the coil ? Just a few questions, I like to give & receive information. Good luck.

[@dougcapps1717]

Thanks for the Pertronix info ! My new Pertronix distributor & Coil on my rebuilt 289 just left me stranded and I hope I can return this crap to Jegs.