How bench test Pertronix unit

[tdskip]

Hi guys - the '66 TR4A came with not one but two spare Pertonix units. I am thinking they are toast, but is there a way to bench test a unit off the car to see if it is alive and sparking, so to speak...

Thanks!

 

[dklawson]

The Pertronix units are an electronic switch. As long as you are dealing with the original Pertronix (and not Ignitor-II), you can bench test the units both on and off the car.

You can rig up a simple test circuit with any 12V indicator bulb you happen to have. Solder some leads to it. Using a 12V battery charger as a power supply, connect the red battery charger lead and one side of the test lamp to the "RED" Pertronix wire. Connect the other side of the test lamp to the Pertronix "BLACK" wire. Connect the black battery charger lead to the mounting foot of the Pertronix module.

With the battery charger powered up, move the target ring for the Pertronix unit slowly in front of the Pertronix module. As the magnets in the target ring go past the sensor in the module, the test lamp should turn on and off.

 

[TR3driver]

However, note that Doug's instructions are only for the negative ground Ignitor. If your Ignitor has a black/white wire instead of the red wire, it is a positive ground version, which requires a different hookup:

Black (negative) lead from power supply/battery charger to Pertronix black wire. Pertronix black/white wire to one lead of test lamp. Other lead of test lamp to red (positive) lead from power supply/battery charger.

Also note that this is only a basic go/no go test. The unit could pass this test, and still have issues when installed on the car. To really give it a clean bill of health, I would suggest just installing it and see how the engine starts/runs. And, assuming your engine already has one installed, this is probably easier than messing around on the bench with wires and test lamps.

 

[tdskip]

Thanks guys!