Issues with Pertronix Distributor - black wire showing ground
 

Hey all,

my problem: I don't get any spark from my Pertronix D7120700 and the black wire coming from the distributor is showing ground all the time.

So, I installed a new trans dipstick and when I bolted that to my bellhousing I accidentally jammed in the black wire coming from my Pertronix distributor and thus grounded the whole thing.
I realized that pretty quickly since the coil was getting warm and I didnt have spark.
After I fixed this issue, I now still see ground on that black wire all the time (which should not be the case, since it's basically a "breaker" for the coil, right?)
Even when I take out the distributor and measure between the distributor housing and the black wire, I get constant contiuity.
So I was wondering if the ignition module in the distributor is toast?

Customer Service at Pertronix is an absolute catastrophe and asnwers around my questions with silly stuff that doesn't have to do with my questions in the first place.

Any ideas from you guys? Any experience? Am I looking at the wrong end?

Thanks!
TJ

There’s no fixing that now.
Until you get another conversion kit just stuff the points and condenser back in if you still have them, in fact with the reported failure rate of these things you should travel with the old parts in your glove box.

Hey Steve,

thanks for your quick response, although it sounds a bit like a personal opinion... I have completey rebuild the motor and don't want to go with the old junk that was in there just bc I don't know what's wrong.
From what I heard many people are quite satisfied with their Pertronix distributors.

I was very satisfied with mine also until it failed.
Lucky for me I it did so in my own neighborhood.
Then bought a used Accel conversion off a Chevy buddy and ran it for 10 years and went away with the cars new owner when I sold it.

Yep, normally the black wire connects to the (-) coil terminal. The internal semiconductor switch turns the coil current on and off. Grounding that wire will cause a short circuit thru the switch that most likely damaged it. the coil limints the current thru the switch. a hard ground does not.

"A transistor will blow to protect it's fuse" :)

george

My experience--limited though it may be--is that "If it's a Pertronix, it's broken".

Much like Mallory Unilite modules. Mallory sells a protection device that costs as much as the Unilite itself; and should have been engineered inside the Unilite module to begin with.

Far as I'm concerned, "Electronic Ignition" is spelled "HEI".

You are far better off with a good set of points and a MSD box than a Petronix. Petronix is the "junk" and that "old junk" is proven,works and you will not get one more horsepower with a Petronix vs a MSD triggered by good ole points.
In fact, you are better of with points and no MSD box than garbage Petronix.
Yep, if you want electronic ignition, its called HEI. Or spend the coin on one of those new distributors used with smart phone.

I think as soon as you get your feet wet in this group, you will discover that the Pertronix system is nothing more than a piece of Chinese junk!!! Many here have talked about the failures with these systems so this is just NOT one person's opinion. Cliff Ruggles has used many of these systems and has echoed what Steve says. Go back and look at his comments and you will see what I mean. Many of these spark systems were great at one time but when the companies began to outsource to China, that is when failures began to crop up. Points and condenser are old school but hardly "junk". If maintained well and kept dry, they work very well for thousands of miles and won't leave you stranded somewhere when your Chinese parts fail.

Had 2 burn up on me - no more. Running NOS Delco points and condenser, no more problems.

Think about this.... points systems have worked for 100's of millions of miles on all kinds of cars for a LOOOOONG time.

Are you satisfied with it now? I had one whig out in the staging lanes. it cooled off, then began working again. Took that crap off!

Been using a pertronix on one of my cars for 10 years now, never a problem. But I’m guessing that if I shorted out the wires by pinching them between the block and the bellhousing that it would stop working, just as it would on most any other distributor.

As with any electronic device, it's hit or miss. I've had pertronix on our 71 454 Vette work flawless but my 70 formula hated it. Both bought at the same time.

Very unreliable on the bird. Pertronix at the time was great about it and warranty swapped it, but the same issue arose. They warrantied it again but that unit went straight to the shelf where it still sits today. I put points back on and never looked back.

It just comes down to your comfort level and what you're willing to deal with. These days I avoid that stuff.