[TR] TR6: Pertronix ignition, worth switching to?

[Anthony Rhodes]

I had been working on my TR4a trying to get it to run really smoothly.

I tuned the SU carbs, and got them running great.  A wideband oxygen meter
showed rather good mixtures throughout the load/rpm spectrum.  I had to use RL
needles instead of TW needles.  This corresponds to the 10% ethanol we have
here in PA.

BUT the engine still was not quite smooth enough.  My distributor has only 30k
miles on it, and all the ignition components are new.  So, I installed the
pertronix.  My dwell started at 60 degrees and stayed there with the
Pertronix.  On a timing light, the timing mark jiggled around less.  With the
Pertronix it was rock steady.  But the overall smoothness of the engine was
not improved in a meaningful way as far as the "seat of the pants" felt.

I then installed a push-in terminal type of cap (listed as fitting a 1970
MGB), and magnecore wires (for the TR4A).

Now this DID make a difference.  It runs really well.  That last change did
the trick.  I did not go back to points to see how they work.

THe new cap and wires are cheaper than the Pertronix, and I would recommend
that you try this first.  If that is not good enough, then get the Pertronix.
I have seen several failures of Pertronix units, so I am somewhat wary of
them.

At the VTR national, I removed the MGB cap (and the magnecore wires) along
with the rotor.  I pulled the pertronix leads off the coil and stuffed them
under a stock type of cap.  I then hooked the stock ignition wires to the
plugs, and I had a dummy low tension wire to go from the coil to the
distributor.  It looked perfectly stock, but would not run, of course.
Undoing the "cosmetic conversion" took about 2 minutes and I was up and
running perfectly again!

-Tony

>Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:36:37 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Greg <one_second_zero at yahoo.com>
>Subject: [TR] TR6: Pertronix ignition, worth switching to?
>To: triumphs at autox.team.net
>Message-ID: <981882.69321.qm at web50612.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Hi, I saw that TRF has the Pertronix electronic ignition on sale this weekend
for $89 and was wondering if those of you who are using this set >up would
recommend it.  I'm currently running stock points and haven't really had any
specific problems with reliability, but have wondered if >my still slightly
erratic idle might be ignition related. (I just had the carbs sent away and
rebuilt and tuned them, so they *should* be fine.)  So, >those that have used
the Pertronix, are you happy with the results and the quality?  Does it really
gain anything over stock points?  Do I have >to use the their coil with it or
can I use the OEM Lucas sports coil (which I just bought)?
>
>  thanks, Greg H
>  1976 TR6