[NASCAR T/A]

Hello I have an 81 T/A and I have a HEI distributor. I was looking at a pertronix ignitor III for the HEI but none available. I just picked up a 1973 pontiac 350 distributor that is not HEI. Now I think they have a kit for that distributor. Which is the better way to go, and does anyone have experience with the Ignitor III. By the way I also have an Accel HEI super coil. Any help would be appreciated and thank you in advance.

[android 211]

The point distributor will need the voltage reduced to use. Your car has a computer, I assume its no longer connected? Where is the ECU distributor? They have more pins. The best thing to do is send the HEI out for a rebuild and recurve and use it.

[NASCAR T/A]

The original motor was long gone when I bought the car along with the ecu. I am plan on putting an older pontiac v8. Thanks for your reply.

[my72lemans]

nascar t/a
a friend of mine runs the pertronix 3 in his 427 camaro, but he bought the billet distributor pkg. and the ignitor 3 coil that goes with it. basically plug n play. It runs great has a built in rev limiter and the adv is pretty easy to follow. since it works so well with his i purchased 1 also, too be installed in the next month or so. the main thing
is to be sure to have 12volts.
hope this helps.

[MescaBug]

Originally Posted by NASCAR T/A

I was looking at a pertronix ignitor III for the HEI but none available.

The HEI is already an electronic distributor. It uses its own module.

Since you dont need a 'date' correct distributor for your car, using an 40 years old points distributor upgraded with an electronic module (Ignitor III) is a nonsense.

Just get a complete Flame-Thrower dist. It uses the Ignitor III module, billet housing, ball bearings. Get the Pertronix coil as well. Ignitor modules are for those who wants to keep their original points dist, and upgrade to electronic guts.

Pertronix also sells HEI replacement dist. No need for a coil, but HEI are big and ugly

[george kujanski]

Good thought on using the old dist. It may need some mechanical refurb and then add the cost of the IG III, you may be up in the range of a new dist with the IG III anyway.

George

[Squidward]

Years ago I bought a brand new points disty and ditched the points in favor of a Pertronix I. I was very happy. It had new distributor mech and vac advance, along with HEI spark performance. All in the smaller package. Benefits of that setup start going away if you are talking about an old junkyard distributor.

I would do it again. IIRC, the points distributor was less than $40 at Autozone, but that was almost a decade ago.

[rexs73gto]

several years ago I went to the Pertronix 1 in my 73 GTO. I bought a rebuilt dist & when I got it home took it apart to mke sure it was shmmed right so it didn't have to much up/down traval. I think the book said between 65-80 ths . I reshimmed it that way & put the new Pet. unit in it. I used the coil wire off the factory harness as it has the fuesable link in it & when I measured it it was putting out right at 11.1 volts which is almost the 12 volts that some say you need for max effic. But it depends what you read , the voltage I have is more then enough to make it work great. It's been in my car now for about 25 + years & still works great. I know the new # unit has a few more bells & whitsles but the 1 works just as good for me. I use the coil they had for it back then which is a 50ths. coil & looks like a stock unit. I have the coil mounted on a holder right next to the heater box & the coil wire is short which is always better to have it as short or as close to the coil as possible. Mine works great & have had no problems with it so far.

[gto_ron]

I use the Pertronix ignition + their coil for a stock appearing distributor. If the HEI was stock on your engine why change it? It throws a very hot, long duration spark, it's pretty much maintenance-free and any wrecking yard will have dozens of them. The HEI stands for High Energy Ignition and that's no exaggeration.

[Squidward]

Originally Posted by Squidward

Years ago I bought a brand new points disty and ditched the points in favor of a Pertronix I. I was very happy. It had new distributor mech and vac advance, along with HEI spark performance. All in the smaller package. Benefits of that setup start going away if you are talking about an old junkyard distributor.

I would do it again. IIRC, the points distributor was less than $40 at Autozone, but that was almost a decade ago.

It was pointed out by a friend that the Pertronix I doesn't give the same spark energy as an HEI due to voltage differences when using a standard coil and having ballast resistor/resistance wire in use with the Pertronix I.

What I should have said was "no BS with dwell adjustment, but in a smaller package".

[george kujanski]

Pertronix Ignitor is essentially a points-replacement..set it and forget it.

Pertronix Ignitor II design is similar to a HEI, variable duty cycle, probably higher RPM performance and higher voltage capability then points or points replacement.

Pertronix Ignitor III adds RPM limiting, i believe, I don't have experience with those.

George