[Healeys] Champions(again)

[Oudesluys]

You are correct that Pertronics (and similar systems) is an electronic 
set of "points", however the voltage for the spark is higher with the 
same coil because appearantly the speed of switching is higher than with 
points. This will cause a faster change in the magnetic field causing a 
higher voltage. This is also the reason you should do away with the 
shorting of the inline balast resistor of the coil (if fitted) during 
start up to increase the voltage of the coil, as during start up the 
voltage will drop because of the heavy drain by the starter. It will 
save your Pertronics.

Always keep the resitance of coil or coil plus resistor over 3 Ohms. If 
you do not do this you may suffer a burn out of your Pertronics. Most 
people and professional garages tend to ignore this.  In fact Pertronics 
undeservedly got a bad reputation because of this.

In 9 out of 10 cases I see the electronic ignition wired in wrongly, 
e.g. directly to the coil if a balast resistor is fitted or using a 1,5 
Ohm coil if no balast resistor is fitted. People simply do not check.
The small wire from the starter or starter solenoid shorting the ballast 
resistor during starting never ever gets disconnected.

Kees Oudesluijs
NL


Warthodson at aol.com schreef:
> If the electronic ignition is a Pertronix (or a similar design) that 
> is actually only an electronic set of "points" then the voltage is a 
> function of the coil which may or may not be higher voltage than the 
> original.
> Gary Hodson
coudesluijs at chello.nl writes:
>
>     I would gather that most of you have an electronic ignition of
>     some sort
>     installed by now to preserve the engine and because reproduction
>     points
>     are mostly of a terrible quality. Plugs that use a wider gap
>     therefore
>     should not present a problem.
>     Kees Oudesluijs