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Electronic Ignitions - to dual or not to dual...

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Nunyas

Nunyas

Yoda
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Hi all,

I've been playing with the idea of upgrading my electronic ignition to one of those "dual fire"/"second strike" type systems (e.g. Pertronix Second Strike electronic ignition) sometime in the future. I've already checked into whether or not they're "street legal", and the one I'm interested in claims to be legal in all 50 states. I've heard that they make a difference from people that have seen them in use but have not heard any details from anyone that actually uses one. I've started weighing the pluses and minuses, but without knowing whether manufacturer claims are accurate the only thing I can count on are the minuses.

So, I was hoping maybe someone here could either confirm or deny the advertisement claims, and maybe provide some added insight as to any other hidden benefits/problems that come from using these systems.

Thanks for any information,
-Rob
 
No, I haven't even seen this Second-Strike system.
I will say that I have been running the normal Pertronix for the last 3 years and it works very well...my car will even idle for extended times, something it wouldn't do with the previous points-ignition.
When using any Pertronix system, it's important to have the correct coil or ballast resistor and coil combo.
 
Re: Electronic Ignitions - to dual or not to dual.

Moss and various other parts stores sells the Pertronix kit. I find the prospect of using one to be interesting, but the price of admission leaves me hesitant, especially if the difference it makes turns out to be negligible. I currently have an electronic pointsless ignition made by Crane (from the documentation that I can find on the internet I should have the correct coil and balaste installed) with Bosche Platninum plugs gapped at roughly double the standard gap (0.030 comes to mind for some reason). The system works pretty well.

But if I can get a "more complete burn" with a dual-spark system of any brand then i might have an easier time with emissions people next time i go, with a potential side benefit of more power... One of the main reasons i'm interested in a dual-spark system is because a friend mentioned that they're more effective on carburated engines, but his claims come from watching an episode of some hot-rod build-off on TV.../ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

A lot to hope for i know, but i thought I'd ask on here in case someone has first hand experience with these types of systems.
 
Re: Electronic Ignitions - to dual or not to dual.

I have sworn by MSD for quite sometime now. I have used MSD 6AL boxes in my Mustang and Midget and would like to get one for my new truck. With a new set of points and the MSD box hooked up, things run flawlessly. Never a miss. I also really like the soft-touch rev-limiter. I must admit, though they claim it improves gas mileage and horsepower, I have never kept track of gas mileage or personally checked for power increases. Therefore, all my experience with them boils down to "it just feels better with it". But i'll tell you, after many years, no box-lots of problems and the last year or so box-no problems, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Go to my page, www.cardomain.com/id/lesingepsycho and you can see a picture of my box hooked up.


JACK
 
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