292 Y Block Electronic Ignition Conversion Advice

[fordor41]

I ran PertroniX ignitor I in my '41 with a 302. Installed in the 80's. Only one that went bad was because my coil went south. Before I knew that I tried another ignitor I had in the trunk and that one fried also. Called PertroniX and they said send them back. PertroniX replaced both free with instructions on how to check the coil.

 

[dw-satx]

Thanks for all the info guys. I have decided to stick with the points for now. The frustration was not being able to get the points set correctly to achieve the correct dwell 28 - 32 with the distributor installed. There is not much space to see what you are doing with the distributor on the back of the engine for the 292 Y block. I went ahead and pulled the distributor off to set the gap. At the same time I pulled it apart and cleaned it completely then re-assembled and set the points - much easier to do on the bench. Once I got it back installed the dwell was at 31 and then adjusted the timing. Thanks again for all the advice!

Now on to the next problem in another thread.

 

[Gene F]

With the Accell unit be sure to match the ballast-restistor to it. I think (and I mean think) it takes an 80 ohm unit. I know summit sell the right ballast-resistor, but you have to know to order is separately.

The way to go is 1 leat it points, 2 the Mallory unit, 3 the Accell conversion with a new ballast resistor. Anything else is just asking for a tow truck.

To add to the mix, let me suggest the ACCEL 2020 conversion kit that is commonly sold at most auto parts stores across the US. This kit is a "points eliminator" package that is a much cheaper option than Petronix and does not have a track record of repeated failures. No "kit" or any option is 100% foolproof. What the other posters have said about low quality ignition parts such as the points and condensers is certainly true - read this post on my blog concerning a rebuilt distributor and the internals that failed within 30 miles or so... no fun.

https://www.hotrodreverend.com/post/2018/08/19/1955-ford-part-59-1956-ford-four-door-victoria

I run ACCEL 2020s in all the Y blocks I have rebuilt, own myself, and for friends' engines that I help with on occasion. 0 issues with any and all over the 15 year period. I will say this however - if you read through other articles on my website you will find that I did encourage a 59 Edsel owner to stay with his points and condenser - but that was because a college student was given the opportunity to learn how to adjust points, the use of a condenser and points set up under the cap, and the ignition parts themselves were quality NOS components installed some time ago. For what the young man was doing with the car the points/condenser worked just fine.

 

[darrell]

you need the later dist,with the o ring dust seal when converting to dura spark.you can convert them in half an hour.i believe they are a replacement unit.

 

[dmsfrr]

When changing to some Y-Block replacement type distributors be sure to double check the length from the mounting shoulder to the lower end of the shaft. Some are too short and can seriously damage the shaft bushing in the distributor, and/or not fully engage the oil pump drive rod.
Measurements are in the photo.

 

[Aarongriffey]

When they work it is very noticeable how quickly the engine fires up when you convert to electronic. But......with good points the same thing happens.
I have seen far less trouble with electronic.
Last year I took a 400 mile trip in my F1 pulling a trailer. Hauling a car
On the way back it got to be hard starting and at high speed it ran a bit on the tagged side. I got in my driveway and tried to back in position but it died and wouldn’t restart until I replaced the condenser.
Now I carry a spre, tested condenser as well as points and coil.

 

[Dobie Gillis]

Points and condensers have been a dead issue for the auto industry for 50+ years so the antique/classic car hobby is left with whatever NOS can be scrounged up, either OEM or aftermarket. The new ones available are all made offshore even if they have a major aftermarket label like Standard or Echlin. It doesn't make economic sense for stateside suppliers to tool up to make parts for such a limited market here due to labor costs.

 

[Daves55Sedan]

Now I carry a pre-tested condenser as well as points and coil.

Ha. You can carry a cardboard box full of these crap condensers and still have no confidence that you can get back home without using half of them. And it ain't easy swapping a condenser without dropping that little screw that holds the bracket to the breaker plate while you're on the side of the highway. I dropped one and fished around with a telescoping magnet to see if I could snag it, only to find that it fell all the way down on the shoulder which was scattered with pea gravel. That was fun crawling under the car to get it.
My '55 has been down since January, and I'm not even going to bother tryin to get it going again till spring.

 

[fordor41]

Ha. You can carry a cardboard box full of these crap condensers and still have no confidence that you can get back home without using half of them. And it ain't easy swapping a condenser without dropping that little screw that holds the bracket to the breaker plate while you're on the side of the highway. I dropped one and fished around with a telescoping magnet to see if I could snag it, only to find that it fell all the way down on the shoulder which was scattered with pea gravel. That was fun crawling under the car to get it.
My '55 has been down since January, and I'm not even going to bother tryin to get it going again till spring.

that's exactly why I use allen screws instead of common in my dist.

 

[dmsfrr]

... And it ain't easy swapping a condenser without dropping that little screw that holds the bracket to the breaker plate while you're on the side of the highway. I dropped one and fished around with a telescoping magnet to see if I could snag it, only to find that it fell all the way down on the shoulder which was scattered with pea gravel. That was fun crawling under the car to get it. ...

Carry some extra shop rags in the car and spread them out on the engine under where you're working. With any luck the screws & small parts will land on them and not go under the car or intake manifold. Handy for carb screws too.