Pertronix Ignitor Electronic Ignition

Dad and I were stranded twice with these units. On two different cars ! Both units burned-out and we were stuck by the side of the road !
I don't think that their trigger can hande enough switchng current ~ Both units failed in the very same manner.
We were sure both units had good electrical grounds.

We went back to the old stand-by ignition contact points.

If you do decide to make the conversion keep your old point-set and condensor in your car along with a feeler gauge~
Just in case of a failure !

Hope you have better luck ? !

Thanks Tom, for the information. <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->

My records show that Pertronix's part # for the Cord set up is: SP 182P6. I bought the one I have from Sam Sipkins, 950 77 th Ave., #1, Oakland CA 94621 Phone # 510-632-8232.
When I got mine several years ago Sam said that he didn't plan to get any more. He might have a few left? I paid Sam $186.79 which included tax and shipping.
You could check with Petronix. Their web site is www.pertronix.com , They are located in San Dimas California.

Can you supply us with the Pertronix-Partsnumer for the right kit for Cord 810/812, please ? <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->

Josh's info is right on. I'm thinking of putting mine back on as it really allows the engine ti fire up quick when it is working correctly. I have an alternator so my battery should be fully charged.

The Pertronix ignition that Tom describes was specially made for Cords some years ago, to meet our need for 6 volt positive ground. It is a reliable replacement for the breaker plate and eliminates the adjusting/replacing of points. No condenser, either. BUT:

1. It requires at least 4 1/2 volts to fire. Since battery voltage drops when the engine is cranking, voltage is sometimes down in that range. Not a problem when the battery is fully charged. An alternator or Gener-nator works best.

2. When the unit does (rarely) fail it does so instantly and irretrievably. So I carry a complete breaker plate on trips as a backup.

It's a trade-off.

I had one on my Cord for awhile but had trouble starting the car some times when it was warm. So I went back to points and had fewer problems. I was told that they had to have a fully charged battery ( mine is 6 volt) and would not start if it was run down from cranking. After I took it out I found that one of my battery terminals wasn't tight. The new battery cable, which I had made up with OO welding cable, had an end with a metric nut and bolt. I had tightened this nut with a SAE socket. The SAE socket is a little bigger than a metric socket and when I thought I had tightened the nut the socket was just jamming in the well of the battery cable end. When I used a metric socket I got at least another turn on the nut. No more problems after that. This winter I'm thinking of putting it back on and trying it again.

I recently checked into the idea of installing one of these units in my Auburn 88. Because these old Remy distributor parts are not in their standard inventory, they would have to make one from scratch and the cost was quoted at $250-$300

Anyone know of any bad issues with the Pertronix Ignitor Electronic Ignition.

I have extensive experience with the Petronix Ignitor on Corvairs and several other collector cars as well. Incidentally the air cooled engine produces much more engine compartment heat that you are ever likely to see in almost any other car.

It is a very good unit, but the original Ignitor was very sensitive to heat. I have fried several from simply being too hot. Hooking up the positive and negative leads backwards also renders them useless. In fact I just did this a couple of weeks when I wasn't paying close attention.

There is also some variation in the dwell angle from stock. I find they require a little fussing with the timing and carb settings to make them work well. However, once you have them set-up they are virtually bullet proof and provide an definite improvement in starting and running.

I understand the Ignitor II is less sensitive to heat and you can use a higher voltage coil too. I'm a believe in their products and install them on every collector car I buy...but I also keep the original points and point plate with the car, just in case <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->

My recollection is that I paid about $75 for the last one I bought. On most cars you simply remove the point plate and use the one supplied with the unit. I don't know if this is the case with the Cord. It usually takes less than 1/2 hour to install one.

Anyone know of any bad issues with the Pertronix Ignitor Electronic Ignition. Such as heat range changes needed in spark plugs, performance etc.
How difficult is it to install an Pertronix Ignitor Electronic Ignition in 812 Cord.
What is the cost of one of these.