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Ignition Parts Frustration

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Well I have been an out spoken proponent of keeping points and condenser ignition over an electronic unit if you are using your Healey for street recreation vice race. Today's experience is starting to make me rethink that. But I don't have the answer. I have always spoken that points on regular driver quality car are more reliable than the electonic unit. THAT'S IF YOU GET QUALITY PARTS. Which evidentially is not that easy to do anymore. I have had the same untouched points in some of my cars for over 7 years and they never gave me trouble. Today i was at The Glen and had a beautiful drive and a terrific day watching the Vintage Grand Prix. When I went to leave, just started my Healey and pulled up unto the roadway and the engine shut off. No Start, No Fire. After a little diagnostics I discovered that the condenser had shorted out. That condenser was just put in last summer and only had at the most about 1500 miles on it. The summer before that when I first put the Healey on the road after the restoration, I only made a few shake down runs with it and the rotor crapped out. Now that rotor wasn't the one that has been talked about with the metal tab that is prone to shorting, this particular rotor is one that I had in a box on the shelf for a few years. anyway it seems it is just poor quality stuff. I'm old enough to be retired and have run many cars with points and rotors and condensers and many as daily drivers back in the day. This Healey at this time is the only time in my whole life that I have had a shorted condenser and a cracked rotor. So where can you get GOOD parts? Are we doomed to unreliable junk or is there a source that can sell reliable stuff. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Dave.
 
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Dave!!
Go to Pertronics Neg Earth----:applause:

Very easy to carry a spare Module in the Chubby box
 
There are no clear answers to this and there's been a lot of discussion. Points, condensers, coils, rotors, caps, pertronix units - all have ongoing quality issues.
I'm using a pertronix, epoxy-filled Bosch coil, OEM Lucas cap and one of Advanced Distributors' red rotors. IMO this setup is going to be reliable for the foreseeable future as long as I don't accidentally fry the pertronix unit.

I also have lots of spares including a spare distributor ready to drop in and lots of rotors, some extra condensers, an extra cap etc, etc.

PS - I don't carry a spare pertronix because I'm afraid that whatever fault fried the first one might also fry a replacement - at $90 a pop. Like to carry a spare distributor all setup in case someone needs to borrow it.

Re condensers: their quality is so iffy, one might want to have 4 - 6 of them on hand.
 
Thanks Y'all for the ideas. I dug into my records to see where i got the condenser and in my search I didn't find what I was looking for but I found another name. Then I found the box with a new condenser in it. The name on the box is Intermotor. I don't believe I have ever used anything from them. And I don't know where I would have bought this box. I searched the name on google and came up a company website but it doesn't seem to handle things like old school ignition stuff. Does anyone know the name or anything about the company? Dave.
 
Vette:

The name on the box is Intermotor.

AS I recall Inter motor's products were about as welcomed as the County hardware we discussed earlier.

They provided a complete line of replacement ignition parts for a variety of LBC's

None of which I found demonstrated any quality.
 
I used to use Blue Streak ignition parts many years ago and they were very reliable. Are they still being made?
 
Patrick67BJ8 said:
I used to use Blue Streak ignition parts many years ago and they were very reliable.
Are they still being made?
Click to expand...

Yes and no they no longer make parts for the older cars but are still in business.
 
Hey Vette:

Come on man try a pertronix .

Just get the basic kit for your car.

You can always go back to them lousy points ,but I bet chu won't wanna----Keoke AZ :cowboy:
 
I hear ya Keoke. So far right now I'm either too cheap or to stubborn. Right now I have 3 new point sets, 2 new condensers, and 2 new rotors in the boot. Plus the set in the distributor. :smile: I figure I'll use them up before I buy anything. With the quality that they are made of, that might not take too long. I do wish Blue Streak was still making what we need, I had them alot. And as I said, back in the day if I did a tune up, I many times didn't even change the condenser. ( i was even cheaper then ). The real reason I don't want to go to the electronic is that at my age I don't want to lose a "learned skill". You know that fine touch of sliding the feeler gauge thru that point gap, and just knowing it is going to be "just right". On Saturday at The Glen when the condenser failed I had two friends with me, one with a bug eye sprite, (1275 eng. & Nissan 5 spd. ) the other an MGA, (with complete ' B' eng, trans, & rear) and both running the petronics. As I was changing out the condenser and each one reaching in to try to help, ( losing that little nut and plastic washers in the grass would have been disasterous ) one putting his hand under the distributor in case I dropped something, the other putting his index finger on the condenser while I tried to get the tiny set screw in place, I realized that it had been so long since they had done anything like it that they didn't remember how it was all set up to keep it from being grounded out. I don't want to be like them, you know, being retrogress in my abilities at this time. Age will do that soon enough. :smile: :smile: :smile:
 
Standard Blue streak or now standard Motor Products still make the points and condenser for the BJ8 for sure; The Echlin brand sold by NAPA was a premium brand ignition and is now owned by Standard but the product is still sold by NAPA using the Echlin name. The Echlin points (CS207A) and the Condenser (EP29) are made in Mexico and seem to be very good quality...........I have been using the Echlin product for quite a few years, even dating back to when Echlin was not owned by Standard and located in Branford CT. The Standard part number for the condenser is LU206. There is a T series but a lower price and not so sure if the quality is there. The rotors are available but they have discontinued the caps quite some time ago (EP 46). I prefer to use the red rotors sold by Jeff at Advance Distributors or the Moss which is the same as the Advance unit. AD stamped in the underside of the unit. My opinions based on my experiences.............hope this helps!!

John
 
I also vote for Pertronix. Just the plain old Igniter I with a standard Lucas or Bosch style coil. It has worked for me for a combined 20+ car-years in a Healey, a Lotus, and a BMW. I have left the ignition on several times and never fried one.

Use some black heat shrink to camouflage the two wires and you can't see a difference. I do carry the points and condenser in a bag in the trunk for good luck but I have never needed them.
 
Thanks again everyone. Rick, I'll send a pm. Bluegrass, I'm a frequent visitor at NAPA. thanks for the info.
Gee Rick, if NAPA is so good, I hope you have a 'ell of a deal. :smile:
 
Keoke:

The real reason I don't want to go to the electronic is that at my age I don't want to lose a "learned skill". You know that fine touch of sliding the feeler gauge thru that point gap, and just knowing it is going to be "just right".

Man this guy really cheap or old fashion he don't even own a DWELL Meter??---:jester:
 
Keoke said:
Keoke:

The real reason I don't want to go to the electronic is that at my age I don't want to lose a "learned skill". You know that fine touch of sliding the feeler gauge thru that point gap, and just knowing it is going to be "just right".

Man this guy really cheap or old fashion he don't even own a DWELL Meter??---:jester:
Click to expand...
Old School Rules! Vintage is good!
 
Keoke said:
The real reason I don't want to go to the electronic is that at my age I don't want to lose a "learned skill". You know that fine touch of sliding the feeler gauge thru that point gap, and just knowing it is going to be "just right".
Click to expand...
I respect that. It's a fine line between chasing reliability and losing the interaction and feel of an old instrument.

My general and flexible rules:
Must be cosmetically invisible (Pertronix) or done on purpose (bumper delete)
Must be easily reversible (shift knob, bumpers, aluminum valve cover, wheels)

Everybody has their own line. These are some things I can't bring myself to do although I am sure they would improve the car experience.
Toyota 5 speed
air conditioning
side draft carbs
coil springs
 
Gearhead_Garage said:
I also vote for Pertronix....I have left the ignition on several times and never fried one....
Click to expand...

I fried one leaving the ignition on for a couple of minutes. Pertronix' tech support told me 45 seconds is a good rule-of-thumb maximum to leave the ignition on with the car not running.
 
I'm with you on points. Because that is the way it was. I like that virtually everything on my car is original technology and works. That type of ignition worked for decades through wars and all. You may need a piece of sand paper, but it will usually get you home.
Good parts are an issue. I've had black rotors fail electrically without any visible signs of failure. Sometimes British Car Specialist has some good advice on parts.
 
I'm with you on points. Because that is the way it was

YEP:

We use to only be able to look at the moon with a telescope,Now we can land on it.:applause:
 
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