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New Pertronix Distributors Available!

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tony barnhill

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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I'll be installing the distributor when the head gets back from the shop...I just ordered it to try since everybody was raving about Pertronix

& my price will be under $200.
 

wkilleffer

Jedi Knight
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I put my Pertronix distributor and Flamethrower coil in and also replaced the carb jets. Drove it in this morning, and it seems to be fine. Starts faster, and no run-on when I shut it off. Using 89 octane gas, and the temp gauge was almost dead-on center.

I still need to do some adjusting on the carbs though. The fast idle speed's a bit too fast, and the mixture *might* be a touch on the lean side. But I'm afraid to mess with the carbs too much.

Either way, it's good to have it back on the road.
 

jlaird

Great Pumpkin
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Oh come on, don't let those carbs scare you. They are really simple as you well know. Only two adjustments really and you can get at them easly.
 

wkilleffer

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[ QUOTE ]
Oh come on, don't let those carbs scare you. They are really simple as you well know. Only two adjustments really and you can get at them easly.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, they're *not* that simple. There are many variables, like air temperature, humidity, and the alignment of the planets of the Solar Federation.

No, I'm not scared of them. But I can get really obsessed and single-minded about getting them *just* right, and it ends up frustrating me when everything doesn't seem to be the way the books say it should be.

It's amazing how easy it was to get them to where they are now. The new ignition has helped alot in that regard, and the new jets don't leak. I didn't know the old ones were leaking until a couple of weeks ago. Now, maybe I can get it to run as designed.

Thanks,
 

jlaird

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Because of all those variables you will never get them spot on but for an hour or two. Close is ok for street driveing of course. In fact an average is good for the street, the only reall difference for street cars is the temp change from summer to winter and back and it is prob half a flat at most, so not worth worrying about.
 

startech47

Jedi Knight
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I know how you can obsess over carb. adjustments. I quit tuning up LBCs one fall when I thought I lost my touch. My customers were still happy, but I wasn't. Than in the spring I rolled out my C-dragster with a highly modified small block Chevy and Hilborn mechanical fuel injection. Fired her up, blipped the throttle , and she was instantly at 8 grand. Figgered out this is the response I was comparing the SUs to and went back to tuning LBCs. Phil The C-dragster won on the short straights, but my Sprite kicked a** in the corners
 

JeffS

Jedi Trainee
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I just wanted to post some new info on the Pertronix Flame Thrower distributors. I bought 2 of them last week - both came off of the same shelf with the same part numbers. One had 12 degrees of advance, and the other had 10 degrees of advance. They were both supposed to have the same advance curve, and they were both very different, but there's good news! The one that had a 10 degrees of advance was using a tremendous performance advance curve - the same one that I discussed with Carl Heidemann a few months ago and the same curve I put in my performance B distributors.
It seems that Pertronix is repairing the problems with the standard Moss distributor - to a point where I would be comfortable running it in my own car. They don't short out my testers like the unit from Moss used to!

I attached a photo of pertronix's modified advance mechanism. Note the new "stop" installed along with a few brass bushings and better springs.
 

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OP
tony barnhill

tony barnhill

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So, how can I measure the advance on the new one I have?
 

Keoke

Great Pumpkin
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[ QUOTE ]
So, how can I measure the advance on the new one I have?

[/ QUOTE ]

The simplist way I know of Tony, is to take it to a shop that has one of the old Dizzy test machines.---Keoke
 
OP
tony barnhill

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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That's what I figured, Keoke....I'm just gonna install it & drive the car!
 

JeffS

Jedi Trainee
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Tony, pop the advance plate out of it - the new timing stop that Pertronix installed has the amount of advance stamped into it. Or just drive it! Most people aren't going to feel the difference 2 degrees makes anyway, unless its a daily driver.
 
OP
tony barnhill

tony barnhill

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Thanks Jeff - my MG's aren't daily drivers. They're just fun & wringing out stress drivers!
 

Rick_Stevens

Jedi Trainee
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/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif Ditto here, actually. I just bought the same unit (Lucas Cast part # D1766) from Vicky Brit and am planning on installing it when I come back from leave in 3 weeks. It will be interesting to know what to expect.

Rick
 
OP
tony barnhill

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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Head's sitting next to car...now I've just got to install it.
 

JerryB

Jedi Warrior
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"""So, how can I measure the advance on the new one I have? """

Out of the car you can use a protractor on the rotor and see how much centrifugial and then use a Mity-Vac on the vac cannister and take that reading.

On the car you can run the motor from idle to full cent. advance and using a timing light and a tach and a well defined dampener with marks every degree or 2 can graph the spark curve. Then use the MityVac again and take those readings.

Att he end of the day, to change the curve and make meaning full changes you need to spend an hour or so on the dyno and see what that particular motor wants.

An off the shelf part is a compromise and geared toward streetability. I wouldnt agonize over a degree or two or three...just set the total at about 30 to 32 crank degrees total on a B depending on the gas you use.
 

JerryB

Jedi Warrior
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Jeff wrote........

And your comments please Jeff....

"""""""both came off of the same shelf with the same part numbers. One had 12 degrees of advance, and the other had 10 degrees of advance""""""""

So did both units have an advance plate marked 10* ?
If so, that tells u something right there......there should be more consistency. A diffrent curve? Then different springs/weights?

""""""""It seems that Pertronix is repairing the problems with the standard Moss distributor - """""

what standard Moss dist...you mean the Moss 143-116 which is the Pert #D176600...or do you mean the Aldon that moss gets $300 for?

At any rate Moss is buying these from Pertronix. Someone mentioned a Lucas box or part number.....Green box (modern) Lucas has a factory in South Africa and Indonesia that does rotating electrical ......just possibly coming from them as a China part would take a fair order of a few 1000 and the volume maybe is't there for the Briish car market.

Surely they come in bare less module and Pert adds that here.

I wont discuss pricing but there is a diference.
 

Limey

Freshman Member
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I just bought one from LBCCo to install on my supercharged GT. Looks like a well made unit - I will be interested to see how well it works. Certainly a fair price! I considered the 123 unit - but it is waaaay to many $$$$

I just took it apart - the plate is stamped "12" and the springs look the same as the springs in every Lucas distributor I have taken apart. IMHO - it is at least as good as a Lucas unit, and no wear - yet!
 

JimBrashear

Freshman Member
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Have been following this thread for a while. Put the new flamethrower in my 79 Midget several months ago- my original 45de4 was running fine ( with a Crane conversion ) but the shaft had a little play in it after 26 years. Price was right, dropped it in without much fiddling and I'm sure it runs even better than before. Got rid of the external ignition box, it's all in the distributor now. Will see how it holds up, I'm the original owner and that's not gonna change anytime soon!
 
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