Ignitor Kit

Has anyone installed one of these kits, Made by pertronix, take the insides of your dizzy out and install this. Converts it to electronic rather than a mechanical, still have to run a coil but it gets you away from the points and condenser part.


http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pnx-1162a/overview/make/chevrolet

I surely would get a HEI unit out of the wrecking yard  or one of these  units before going back to those low output wires and coil,,,,,,,I kinda like having something that you can get parts anywhere,,,,,the stock High Energy units last forever,,,,,,,probably the centrifugal weights will wear out at 200,000 miles before it needs work on,,,,,


http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHEVY-INLINE-6-CYL-230-250-292-HEI-DISTRIBUTOR-6522-R-/371072757818?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5665a8f03a&vxp=mtr

I/ve been using it on mine w/ the hotter coil they sell with it. been using it now about 2 yrs.

I had one of those on mine when I bought it. Don't waste your $, it would run for 10 min, then stall, and no start. I swapped in a Skipwhite HEI and have been rolling sense.

ive had pertronix units on some of my hotrods. they worked well. i'm running a new hei unit on my van though. i don't see a problem with either set up.

We've been running a Pertronix ignition on my granddad's '66 F250 for the last 20 years or so. It works great!

I wrote a fairly in-depth thread about putting the Pertronix on an Econoline. The most critical thing is making sure you run 12 volts, not the 6 or so at the coil to the Pertronix to power it. https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t45263-installing-the-pertronix-ignitor-ii-and-flamethrower-coil

Thanks for all the reply, I guess Im just on the border of them both right now, HEI or Ignitor kit.

I see the HEI that eBay has for $60, but I was just worried about quality. Its just hard to look at a pertronix HEI for $300 and believe they both do the same thing.

Not trying to rip on either one I just don't want to be stranded on the side of the road.

Get the pertronix small kit for ur dizzy thats already installed goes in the point type dizzy!!!!!!!!!!?  80. bux max! not the hei! If u want an hei-just get a good used  one from salvage!cheapo! my recommendations=

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevy-SBC-350-BBC-454-Race-Pro-Billet-Aluminum-Distributor-Red-Cap-/201154318281?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AChevrolet&hash=item2ed5bb4fc9&vxp=mtr

or this moosey big one?? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevy-SBC-350-BBC-454-65K-Coil-HEI-Electronic-Distributor-Red-Cap-/171429041762?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AChevrolet&hash=item27e9f79662&vxp=mtr

conversion for point type-good!= http://www.ebay.com/itm/ACCEL-2010-Distributor-Conversion-Accel-Points-Eliminator-12-V-Kit-/390898399856?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AChevrolet&hash=item5b035c3a70&vxp=mtr

this is the ebay seller i usually use- lots of stuff-cheap !! http://www.ebay.com/itm/SBC-BBC-CHEVY-350-454-SMALL-BASE-HEI-READY-TO-RUN-DISTRIBUTOR-6701-R-/371113111566?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item566810b00e

see if this old video still works,,,,,,,


https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t788-hienergy?highlight=hi+energy

there is one more thing to think about with the decision between the
factory hei or the pertronics, and that is when it does fail and it will.
where will you be, and can you get parts to make it run again?
not very many auto parts stores carry the pertronics, the factory
hei parts used to be carried on store shelves but their popularity has
declined and they have to be ordered, only thing I`m sayin is if you
do a lot of highway traveling with your van, it pays to have back up parts
available in your van. jm2cw

Good point! With the Pertronix I toss the old points and condenser in the glove box for a back up. I have never had to use them in the 20 or so years i have been running them, but anything can happen. You can gap the points with a match book cover and get going again.

AZ SuperVan wrote:Good point!  With the Pertronix I toss the old points and condenser in the glove box for a back up.  I have never had to use them in the 20 or so years i have been running them, but anything can happen.  You can gap the points with a match book cover and get going again.

So when you put the ignitor kit in did you have to run the pertronix coil too? I heard you need a higher Volt coil so it won't burn up? And you can run the factory plug wires right?

No u dont !! yet i would advise a good new coil!! Cap, rotor & wires!! Not the Cheapo stuff!!

The only thing you have to do, to install it correctly is to run a 12 volt power source to the Pertronix. The coil is fed through a ballast resistor that drops voltage to about 6 or so. You need to pick up power before the ballast resistor to get the full 12 volts.

AZ SuperVan wrote:The only thing you have to do, to install it correctly is to run a 12 volt power source to the Pertronix.  The coil is fed through a ballast resistor that drops voltage to about 6 or so.  You need to pick up power before the ballast resistor to get the full 12 volts.

So to get a constant 12v would I have to disconnect the ballast completely. I know exactly what your talking about but I don't think I have one on there, or connected for that matter.

I was reading that you should up the size of the wire since I will be running a contasnt 12v through it. Would I have to discounted the yellow wire from the coil, and starter that is on (R) and change that to a 10 or 12 gauge wire and then disconnect the white and purple wire and replace that whole stretch with 10 or 12 gauge back to the main wire connect on the dash? Or is there a easier way to get 12 v without burning up the 16 gauge wire?

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the 20 gauge w/or/ppl in my opinion should be replaced with at least 14 gauge wire
and the 20 gauge y wire between starter and coil should match what you replace the
w/or/ppl wire with.

The wiring diagram doesn't show a ballast resistor. the resistor should look like this:



It is possible that they used a special type of wire called a resistor wire that does the same thing as the ballast resistor. The way to know what is going on is to measure the voltage at the positice terminal of the coil when the engine is running. (Y wire at coil) if you get less than 12 volts it means that there is a resistor in the circuit some where.

There is no reason to upgrade any of the wires. The Ignitor pulls very little current.

Chevys and GMC's dont  use external ballast resistors,,,,,they use a resistance wire, which is that cloth covered orange/white/purple wire,,,,,,that diagram is the 6 volt section of the circuit,,,,if you want 12 volts, go to the other side of the connector by the carburetor,,,,,splice into the 12 volt pink wire that connects to the orange/white/purple wire,,,,,,,the yellow wire is the 12 volt boost wire from the solenoid to the positive side of the coil,,,,,,,the 6 volt also uses it to power the coil when the starter aint cranking,,,,,,so you can hook up power there or just go right to the coil for 12 volt power from the ignition switch once you find it at the incoming side of the connector,,,,,,

Thanks Donivan!

here is that connector that sits in the doghouse next to the carburetor where the pink 12 volts goes in and the orange/white/purple 6 volts comes out,,,,,,if you can still tell what colors they still are and if that connector is still in there,,,,,,