Pertronix ignitor swap questions

I am looking to see what is required from a tool and expertise standpoint when swaping out the standard points in the 170 distributor for the ignitor solid state pieces. Do you just swap out the old items for the new or is retiming necessary?

yes = retiming is needed anyways

I will be honest and say i never timed a car before. Is that covered in the manual? It is coming with the parts but i would liek to get an idea of how to do it on these vans before the parts come. I assuem a timing light is needed; anything else?

[Ok best bet is to =Google -how to set timing on the engine u have - also -have a look in =you-tube also-very informarive places. You will need a timing light -if wanting to own ur own? Id suggest getting one with a clamp on type sensor for the spark plug area -wont get shocked with those as compared to the old styles. harbor freight & sears always have them.If theres someone @ your work or a neighbor possibly can show & teach on this -really simple

I use a vacuum gauge to set timing because you can't trust the marks on the balancer. They can twist with age. That gives the engine what it wants, not what a book says it should get. This method also takes care of fuel quality and elevation.
Find a port that is full vacuum, between the carb and engine. With engine running, loosen lock bolt and adjust dizzy a little each way until you get the strongest steady reading and then back off a little. Test drive and check for ping,(detonation), and back off more timing if necesary.
If you can't get a steady reading you may have engine issues like vacuum leaks or burnt/ bent valves.

P.S. The Pertronix unit is a drop in and works great!

I have seen instances where the red wire from the unit had to be spliced into the green/black wire of the ignition, did you have to do this, or did you just attach the circular end the kit provided to the red wire end and then attach that right to the coil? Also, i may be misunderstanding, but what ports are available for vacuum testing? Attaching to the carb itself are the vacuum line to the dist and another one going into the exhaust manifold for the choke (is that even vacuum?). I dont understand where to attach the gauge. Thank you for the reply and any help you can provide.

cant remember =been working too long -just buy it & follow the instructions that are with it.

Please don't take this wrong, but if you haven't ever timed an engine and are unsure of what tools are needed, it might be best to find a knowledgeable person to help you. I'm not suggesting you take it to the local shop, but find someone local who knows what they are doing and can look things over with a keen eye.
Writing instructions for every little thing to look at and check for is daunting!
Check into local car clubs, museums, cruise spots and such for someone willing to give you a hand. This way, it's done right and you learn.
Also review this primer on installing a distributor. It will probably be easier to remove yours, clean and check it over and install the EI conversion out of the van.
https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t30513-how-to-install-a-hei-distributor-the-basics-only

RodStRace wrote:Please don't take this wrong, but if you haven't ever timed an engine and are unsure of what tools are needed, it might be best to find a knowledgeable person to help you. I'm not suggesting you take it to the local shop, but find someone local who knows what they are doing and can look things over with a keen eye.
Writing instructions for every little thing to look at and check for is daunting!
Check into local car clubs, museums, cruise spots and such for someone willing to give you a hand. This way, it's done right and you learn.
Also review this primer on installing a distributor. It will probably be easier to remove yours, clean and check it over and install the EI conversion out of the van.
https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t30513-how-to-install-a-hei-distributor-the-basics-only

Good point, What he said!

I installed the unit tonight and the van wont fire. I checked to see if it has a resistor in the line and it did so i wired the positive of the pertronix unit to a positive wire coming out of the ignition (black with green stripped wire). This wire only gets power when the ignition is on. I confirmed this with a volt meter and i am getting 12.7 v. The car ran with the points right beforehand. I DID NOT remove the distributor and all i did was swap out the parts. There are new plugs gaped right (.35), new plug wires, new coil with negative lead from pertronix unit to the negative side of the coil and new rotor. I also hooked the positve lead back up to the coil that was on there originally. I just swapped parts and now it wont start except for one turn over and a puff of exhaust gas after many tries. The ground wire in the dist was hooked back up too. What am i missing? I thought it should start right up and then i could just adjust the timing. Help is needed here.

I just did mine, make sure the gap between the magnet and rotor are correct. There should be a clear piece of plastic inside the kit, use that to set the gap. Also make sure the rotor is fully seated. Mine took a sec to fully seat.
Van runs great now.

I used the clear peice to set the gap. I reset it a few times in fact. Maybe I dont have the magnet collar all the way down but i thought i did as the stock rotor peice went right on top without issue and teh dist cap went on without issue to right on top of the rotor. I will review when i get home. Im hoping its one of those situations where after trying to get all the parts replaced and installed before sundown, a simple issue was overlooked.

I replaced one old wire with one new wire and one new plug systematically; one at a time so i wouldnt screw the order up. The dist has the numbers right on it so its hard to mix it up anyway. There are six wires and then the wire from the dist to the coil. I wired the positive of the igniton unit to the black wire with the green stripe coming from the ignition. with the key off there is nothing. With a voltmeter and the key on, the wire gets approximately 12.7 volts through it. The red wire from the pertronix unit wa sspliced into the black with green wire in order to get the full 12 volts when the ignition is turned on. The black wire of the unit went to the negative of the coil. The wire that was on the positive side of the old coil before i replaced it was put back in place on the positive side of the new coil (its a push on type rather than a ring tht you hold down with a 3/8th nut). That shoudl be all. It ran before i swapped everything out. I replaced the points with the new unit in the van without removing the distor unbolting it and i put the negative ground wire located in the dist back into place with the screw that holds down the new pertronix unit.

thank you rod - the second article is not for my application as i have a different rotor. The first article matches this one that i used http://falconfaq.dyndns.org/Pertronix_1266/Pertronix_1266.html - i think after reading your first link and rereading mine, i may have made an error. I believe my van has a RESISTANCE WIRE and not a BALLAST RESISTOR - it seems that i may be abeel to hook the positive of the ignitor right to the positive of the coil instead of going the route of wiring into a positive 12v source at the switch. i dont see how this makes a difference as 12v is 12v regarless of where it comes from right? I can always admit when i am wrong and welcome all of yoru help here. Thank you for the replys so far.

donivan - i took your comment about the wire into play and thought more about the article rod had provided. When i was talking about finding 12volts on the wire i was referring to the black with green stripped wire coming from the key ignition, not the resistor wire itself. I hooked the positive the coil and it fired right up. I found the timing marks on the engine block and the harmonic balancer and need to set the initial timing tomorrow. Just to be clear about this process, i plug the vacuum unit that is on the dist itself then look for 10 degrees advance (per the manual) at tick over, correct? Do i need to worry about how high the idle is set when doing this? Thanks for all the help so far.

Articles state to plug the vacuum hose, they dont say if its for the vacuum on the dist or the vacuum on he carb. Thats my main question.