Petronix mystery

F

fottyjs

Senior Member
my 36 with Petronix distributor will not run with all ignition wires on will not run...If I take off one plug wire off....it fires right up....Any ideas......
 
Take off any plug wire, or one particular plug wire?
What kind of plug wires? Solid copper, graphite resistor wire, or coil wound center?
The latter is preferred for Pertronix.
6 volt or 12 volt?
 
May or may not be your problem but this is what Pertonix and Mallory recommend for ignition wires.
 

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I am running stock wires...I assume that they are copper...I tried wire 6&7....It is strange because engine was running great last week...I have some of the Petronix recommended wires so I will try them....
 
Electronic ignition in old cars seems to have caused more problems than it solves. Many can be traced to the coarse voltage regulation. I doubt that the plug wires cause or contribute to your problem. It is more likely the output of the distributor is failing. High under hood temperatures apparently contribute to failure. Reinstall the stock distributor and coil. If the engine starts and runs well, you have isolated the problem.
 
Supereal's comments are right-on.

My '47 59AB 12 volt engine came to me with a Pentronix powered crab and copper plug wires. It had previously run, and did run fine for me for two more years until one day it died. Two Pentronix replacement units later ($$$$), including professionally set-up/rebuilt crab assemblies, the units were still being damaged or destroyed by undetermined causes. The Pentronix tech dept could not help. Despite electric system testing, trying several new coils and alternators, and a lot of work and advice by/from Bubba, we could never find the cause. So I changed to a stock points crab by Charlie NY and have had no further problems. In all of this affair, I give Bubba and Charlie NY my highest regards for their knowledge and services. They remain an outstanding resource to our community.
 
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Superreal...Why do you say the output of the distributor is failing?...I have always heard that the module is either performing or not...If it is failing you get no spark....I am getting spark and the engine runs.....
 
Move the wire causing the problem away from the module wires going to the coil. More than likely one wire is very close or touching the module wires etc.......
 
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