Petronix ll installation help.

[Guest]

I purchased a Petronix ll conversion kit with new coil and wires recently and started reading the instructions to install it in my 72 Electra and put it back in the box as it looked very complicated. I am a fairly experienced amateur mechanic and have done everything on a car except rebuild a motor. All the comments I have heard about installation of these kits say that it is quite easy. It probabaly is but the directions are confusing. Can anybody shed any light on installing these in a 455 C.U. Buick motor. Thanks

[Guest]

I just installed one on my dist. It is best to remove the dist. from the engine. I hate anything electronic related to cars, but it really was easy. I did remove my dist. gear and put a shim in there to limit end-play of the dist. shaft. After that, just remove the parts as they describe, push the two new wires through the housing with the grommet first, and then screw down their plate and box to the housing. It really is as easy as they say. It took me maybe an hour and that's because I shimmed the black plate to get it within the tolerences they want to the "brain box". Pull out those directions and give it another try.

[rocketraider]

The Pertronix II should be a lobe sensor type that eliminates the need to shim the distributor gear to set the air gap. On a Buick, with distributor in front, I would think installing the PII would be very easy without having to remove the distributor. Remove the cap and rotor, then the existing points/condenser. Disconnect the coil wire at the coil and pull it thru the grommet in distributor body. Then run the red and black PII wires thru the grommet, leaving enough slack to work with the PII module. Mount it in place of the existing point set, connect the wires at the coil, button everything up and you should be ready to start the engine.<P>You will probably have to play with initial timing and idle speed to get them set where you want them. Also- if the red 12v lead is connected to existing resistance wire coil (+) connection, you will have to turn the ignition on, count five, and then start the engine. It's an aggravating characteristic of these units. It can supposedly be eliminated by connecting the red lead to a constant 12v source.<P>On a 1974 Olds 350, installing the PII allowed me to set basic timing back to factory specs, and gas mileage increased from 12 mpg on 93 octane to 16-17 on 87. It was a miserable car to live with before, having to run retarded timing and having to use the higher octane fuel to eliminate pinging.

[Guest]

Thank for the info. I purchased the new petronix coil and wires also. With this will I have to wait 5 seconds after turning the ignition on to start the car? I will tackle it soon and intend to try it without removing the distributer.

[rocketraider]

Yes, if you connect the Pertronix power lead to the original resistor wire for the points at the coil. The wait-to-start gives the Pertronix time to charge itself up. If you try to start the engine without waiting, it will spin over several times before firing. Some folks like that because oil pressure builds up before starting. I'd rather the engine started and got the oil pump turning faster than cranking speed myself. <P>Sometimes you'll notice a slight spark rattle when the engine first fires too. Nothing to worry about, the Pertronix is advancing the timing for quicker starting.

[JUSTIN]

I installed one on my 65 riv with 401. it installed easily but it would stay running after 5 seconds. The instructions said it wasn't getting enough amps so I should run another hot wire to the coil. So I did and it ran great. retimed it and drove it around the neighborhood and its fine. retimed it.<P>This morning on the way to work, it ran great for about 20 minutes then it died. I was low on gas so I thought I was out of gas. but it restarted after 1 minute and I made it across the intersection the station. filled up with premium. started it and it died after 10 seconds. set in the gas station for about 5 minutes trying it. it would start then die after 10 seconds. then once it didnt die so I made it the next 1/2 mile to work.<P>any ideas? when I got to work I checked the wires. they were a little loose on the coil so I tighten them. they were not hot.

[JUSTIN]

forgot to add that I got the 40,000 coil from them also.<P>Has anyone else had to add another hot wire to make it work?<P>Its almost like the second wire isn't giving enough amps once it heats up. but then if that was the case it wouldn't have started after only 5 minutes.

[JUSTIN]

update:<P>I called Pertronix. They said it sounded like the hot wire is getting too much resistance going thru the fuse box. they suggest going thru the iqnition switch. not sure what they mean.<P>but then I checked the coil and called them back to tell them it was a flamethrower II. And they said that was not the right coil. it was too hot 45,000 volts vs 40,000 volts. and I had probably burned up the module but it was covered by waranty. they suggested I either put a stock coil on it and try to get it home and put the points back on til I switch the unit with them. and it it wouldn't start then switch the points also. there is no way to tell if the module is damaged or not. it might just have its life shortened.<P>so I got a lift to the autoparts and got a standard coil and put it on. what is that little condensor thing that was on my original coil and not on the flamethrower II or the new one?<P>it started but I havent try to get home yet.

[rocketraider]

The condenser is strictly for radio noise suppression.<P>I'm not following the reasoning behind 45kv toasting the Pertronix module. All the module does is switch the coil on and off. The high voltage never goes thru it; the high voltage goes thru the coil high tension lead to the center terminal of distributor cap, then the rotor conveys it to the individual spark plug wires. But if the manufacturer says that's what happened...