Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....

[Never enough]

I have the Pertronix III, (hall effect), conversion with MATCHING coil, (important) in 4 vehicles now and have never had a problem. You can open the plugs to .045 and the engines start much quicker and run smoother. Get the black coil and turn the label to the back and it all looks original. You can leave the distributor clamped in place to do the swap. I usually pull mine and shim the end play and inspect the main shaft for wear/looseness in bushings.
Pertronix makes a complete, vintage look, new replacement for Chev engines. I have 2 of them also, no issues whatsoever, and I drive my street rod 2,000+ miles a year.
Can't stand the look of a huge HEI in a vintage engine bay.

[jamyers]

There are lots of ways to upgrade to the GM HEI, from swapping whole distributors to modding a Chrysler magnetic pickup inside the existing distributor and mounting the HEI module out of sight somewhere else, to buying one of several HEI conversions available online.
Our BubbaTruck is using one of the $80 ebay big-cap HEI distributors, all new parts and it fits and works great in a daily driver. My '62 Ranchero has a Ford dura-spark small-cap electronic distributor with a GM HEI module mounted out of sight on a large heat sink, and has been maintenance free for about 10 years and 20K miles. My '71 LeSabre used an HEI module triggered by a custom electronic distributor for years, until I went to an MSD box.

IMHO, it's awful hard to beat the GM HEI system, either in the original big-cap or modified into an original or original-looking small-cap distributor. Dead reliable, simple, and parts are *everywhere*.


Pertronix - While some people have super-reliable Pertronix units, what I've observed is that if you do have an issue with their stuff, their customer "service" is poor at best - basically you're on your own.
I do have two of their billet series III distributors that are both dead / useless right out of their boxes, if anybody wants one. Pertronix said that I must have wired them wrong - even though I KNOW that I didn't, and their series III are supposedly protected against mis-wiring. UGH.

[toiletbowl54]

I say keep the points. I have seen dyno run comparisons on the net ( if its on the net it must be true) that show points run right there with the HEI up to 5000 rpm's. How often do you run your motor past 5000 rpm's. How long does it take to switch out a set of points and a condenser and set the timing, 30 min. max. Just make sure you run a good set of points and condenser like Blue Streak. Just my opinion.

[jamyers]

Originally Posted by toiletbowl54

I say keep the points. I have seen dyno run comparisons on the net ( if its on the net it must be true) that show points run right there with the HEI up to 5000 rpm's. How often do you run your motor past 5000 rpm's. How long does it take to switch out a set of points and a condenser and set the timing, 30 min. max. Just make sure you run a good set of points and condenser like Blue Streak. Just my opinion.

New points are fine, I ran Blue Streak in my Buick for years and years. HOWEVER, after a year and or 10K miles, they won't still be 100%. Points work, but it's a downhill slide from day one. Electronic ignitions 100% right up until they aren't - when they fail, it's an immediate failure (that's why I keep a spare HEI module handy)

[davepl]

Originally Posted by Never enough

I have the Pertronix III, (hall effect), conversion with MATCHING coil, (important)

I have an Ignitor III distributor (one of their complete stock-body distributors with an Ignitor III module inside). I'm using a stock GM coil and have for years without issue, but you've piqued my interest.

Why is coil matching important? What if the internal resistance is different, what kind of problem could it cause?

I will admit that I am somewhat of an amazon.com addict

Their stock was up 13.22% yesterday. Please keep it up!

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by davepl

I have an Ignitor III distributor (one of their complete stock-body distributors with an Ignitor III module inside). I'm using a stock GM coil and have for years without issue, but you've piqued my interest.

Why is coil matching important? What if the internal resistance is different, what kind of problem could it cause?



Their stock was up 13.22% yesterday. Please keep it up!

Coil, condensers and the overall circuit resistance form an LRC (inductance, resistance, capacitance) network that operates over the range of frequencies that correspond to the rate of coil energization. For instance, running at 600 RPM, the coil will have power cycled at a rate of 1200 cycles per minute, or 20 cycles per second (Hertz). If you get a coil that is outside the normal region of frequencies that the vehicle uses, there will be lost energy in the form of heat, due to being mismatched.

The math:

600 RPM, divide by 2, since the distributor turns once for every 2 crankshaft revolutions, gives 300.

Then multiply by 4 since 4 plugs will have been fired per crankshaft revolution. That's where the 1200 comes from.

So, from 600 to 6000 RPM, the frequency will vary from 20 Hz to 200 Hz.