Your thoughts on electronic ignition systems?

[ben711200]

Ongoing maintenance but I can fix it (when I learn how..) at the roadside..

or

strike it off the maintenence list forever along with minimal advantages with fuel consumption and stuff... but if it does go wrong, I've got to call the AA and spend eighty quid on a new one again.


It's a 1970 triumph herald and I'm undecided so far.. It looks like a good way to go to me but I'd like to give the opportunity to be proven wrong. What do you reckon?

;D

[akku]

points are the work of the devil.

I have never regretted an electronic conversion.

I have used the Pertronix Ignitor with good results. Others swear by Luminition but i never had one of them. Safest route is often to use the electronic disty complete off a later version of your car but sadly not an option with the Herald.

Back in the day cheap Taiwanese type conversions sold for £2.50 out of ads in the back of Car Mechanics mag gave them a bad rep but go with a reputable brand one and you should be fine.

[bootsy75hst]

ive heard alot about britpart doing cheap ignition kits, I'm going to get one after xmas

[popuptoaster]

I usually get round to fitting one as soon as a points system gives me any grief, easier starting in the cold and damp is the best benefit i reckon.

[Anglia68]

I've used the Aldon Ignitor system for about 15 years on my cars and it's excellent plus it has some ridiculously long guarantee on it as well although I've never needed it.Not a lot to go wrong tbh.
.
I've also had a Bestek system which was ok but when I changed it for my Ignitor system, on the same engine, there was an marked improvement.

[akku]

Isn't the Aldon just the Pertronix with a different badge on it?

[Anglia68]

Dec 23, 2008 15:47:16 GMT akku said:

Isn't the Aldon just the Pertronix with a different badge on it?

Yes it is.

[Lankytim]

I'm 100% in favour of electronic ignition. Easier starting when cold, always in tune. Better than points in everyway. Setting points up correctly is a dying art that I could never get right, plus you have to keep setting them all the time. Electronics all the way!

Even my Allegro has been fitted with an electronic dizzy from a maestro. Stacks better than before.

Can you tell I don't like points?

[rooster]

personally i don't mind points! 1)for the cost and 2) thers nothing to go wrong with them, i mean yeah they need to be adjusted correctly, but there easy to diagnose if theres ever a problem, unlike electric igniton! this is my opinion and may differ from others

[ChasR]

Three words. Well worth it .

I have one MGB on points, and the other on electric. The Sebring was never a great starter on points, but now about 3 turns in and it will fire up no problems at all. That is with the Britpart conversion, although if that dies, I will be going to a Pertronix kit or Lumenition Optronic, both are proven systems on the Lucas 45D4 dizzy. It also cured my idling problems to boot.

The other 'B is a bit of a paint to start in the mornings, moreso when the weather gets worse! It may be on a Lucas 25D4 dizzy, but still, it's a tangible difference alright.

However, a word of warning for those looking to buy the Britpart kit. It may have been a one off with it, but it appears that they are not as accurate as their competitors (but then it does cost the same as points and a condenser, so I guess it may be expected:

Added January 2008, updated October 2008
Dave Blake had purchased a distributor on eBay that seems to have been a standard 45D4 but with an electronic trigger (seen here) instead of points. He recounted on the BBS considerable problems trying to get his engine to work properly, eventually resolved when I suggested replacing the trigger with points and a condenser! Dave was going to bin the trigger but kindly sent it to me instead. It is of the same type as Pertronix/Aldon/Magnetronic I.e. magnetic and contained entirely under the cap, but is of a different unspecified manufacture, I tried to find out what without success, but subsequently info from Gary Falkiner indicates that it is also used in a Land Rover conversion kit. It has the same two wires leading out to the coil as the others I.e. one red to the coil +ve and one black to the coil -ve, but the rotor is different in that the magnets are integral, the others have a separate magnetic ring that fits over the cam, then a standard rotor goes on the end of the shaft as normal. The separate magnetic ring definitely preferable, as with this integral unit if the rotor should need replacing for HT reasons, you would have to get this special one with the magnets, and without knowing the manufacturer whether you would be able to obtain one from eBay is anyone's guess. The alternative would be to scrap the unit and go back to points ... I put it on my bench tester and found that it triggers 30 degrees before points in the same distributor. Whilst this variation could be compensated for from a timing point of view fairly easily by simply twisting the distributor in the clamp, one is left with a change in phasing I.e. the relative positions of rotor and cap contact when the trigger fires (see the section above). And on my test distributor with a cut-away side I could see that when you start to add vacuum advance, the rotor was moving away from its cap contact, so the spark was having to jump a larger and larger gap. Eventually it would fail to do so, or jump elsewhere, causing erratic HT and missfire when fitted to an engine. Why it is like this is anyone's guess - poor manufacture? Wrong rotor? Who knows? Dave was fortunate in that he was able to retro-fit points and a condenser, it could have had a trigger plate that wasn't compatible. Gary reported that he had to retard the timing by 15 degrees to get back to the same point as before, showing that the phasing was significantly different to points. Initially it seemed to run well but after a bit of use it was noticeably inconsistent, and kept picking up iron filings on the magnetic collar which may have been affecting things. In the end he went back to points as well!

However, I have had mine a month, and while it has not seen any use I have not had any issues so far with it regarding timing etc.

If you are that worried about the box of magical tricks failing, keep a magnetic screwdriver handy to undo the screws in your dizzy, points and a condenser in your glovebox. Simple really.

[ben711200]

That's that sorted then. I'll be ordering after wintermas. It can even jump the queue and go ahead of lowering. It sits so bloody low as standard that I'd probably get it how I wanted by ziptying a brick to the front end*....













* I'm not actually 'that' stupid. Thank god.

[MartinC]

There's nowt up with points! (apart from that god-awful Intermotor stuff).

Good points, gapped correctly (which is dead easy!) are as good as any leccy ignition.

That said, the leccy version stays in tune like that (hopefully) forever and mean you can upgrade the coil etc. without excessive points burn.
I've never used the Pertronix but like the way they hide away.
Lumenition I've had on a couple of cars and it was utterly reliable. Shame it's £100!!

[fredtransit]

Electronic all the way for me. Been running pintos with it on for over 20 years, only ever replaced one ignition module. I would replace the points on the horsebox but we will be putting a diesel in soon anyway, so mo point, if you pardon the pun!

[Unmuffled Ryan]

recently switched from and accell dual point aftermarket dizzy to a mallory electronic ignition on the smallblock. I can only conclude that points are wibblepoo, gapping, replacing etc... no more condensor for me, or messing around with feeler guages, maintainance free goodness. Not really noticed it being faster, but it sure starts alot easier, that may be down to the new coil / ballast resistor / leads though, hahahahaah!

I'm thinking about getting rid of the points on the other 2 cars now.

why bother forking out on points and other consumables, regapping, fit and forget, unless something bad happens. XD

[bazzateer]

Got a Bestek on the Imp and have a Lumenition ready to go on Madge. Bestek excellant, Luminition - don't know yet.

[DutyFreeSaviour]

I've actually got 2 kits sitting awaiting fitting - but rust repairs have taken a LOT longer than I thought. Should have 'em done soon though, just in time for the shonky winter.
Best mate in UK swears by 'em - but I think that's just cos he's a lazy bar-steward and prefers fit n forget. ;D

[Bob the Fish]

Once set, points are gradually working their way to be out of kilter. And they're less reliable by far. It's nice that points can be swapped at the roadside, thing is though, you may well have to at some point. For a daily-driven car, leccy wins for me hands down.
There is however something kinda old-timey satisfying about fettling points...

[cheezburger]

I'm ambivalent about electronic ignitions, still got the points on mine but I've been contemplating megajoult. Anybody have any experience with it?

[Seth]

I can recollect only one occasion in all the motorng I've done when points have actually failed. And that was my stupid fault for buying NOS lucas ones - they lasted a couple of hundred miles before the weak 40 odd year old plastic cam follower snapped.

I got one of the cheapy Britpart sets a couple of months ago. Only had to shift the timing a few degrees. It failed after a couple of miles - ought to have returned it but never got round to it. Read some good hints on the Popular Classics forum about separating the rotor arm section from the magnets to use a known good rotor arm instead. (I've got a proper repro one made of the right kind of stuff) Not got around to that yet either

In the mean time we're back on points. Check them maybe twice a year, possibly replace once a year each time I service the car? They cost leass than an oil filter after all. Herald's done an average of 9k a year in our ownership...

[bortaf]

When i have leccy ignition fitted (allways a ford system) i bolt 2 moduals to the inner wing, it's usually them that go so it's easy to just unplug one and plug the other in