Pertronix Confussion

Don't get the coil,the resistor or the Pertronix kit either

Funny, I was thinking along those same lines after reading some of the horror stories in other posts.

Sam

SNobsessed wrote: Buy a new set of points, lube the cam block well & they will last longer than the Pertronix.

I agree. Keep the point set. What do you expect to gain with the conversion??? Hopefully nothing because that's all you will get. In fact, the conversion is unreliable so you are going backwards!!   

You say it breaks up after an hour of running time. But then, it's fine after it cools off?

Probably the coil.

Call Zach, I think you want a 9V coil.

HW is correct but in todays world they usually say 12V externally resisted.

Coils were designed to operate with 6v systems. Instead of developing new technology in the 50s to make them operate on 12v they just threw in an inline resister to bring the voltage to coil down.

People always wire the ignition conversions improperly and overheat the non internally resisted coils. They will actually run for quite a while before they start showing symptoms.

Is there a particular brand of coil I should buy, or will a generic from Auto Zone do?

Sam

And keep the wiring the same (use the ballast resistor) with that coil

I have the 8202 on my 351, even layed on its side (no no for oil filled) and been running fine the last 13 years, probably longer with the previous owner.

If your old coil is too hot to touch when your boat stops running it is likely bad.

You say that Kevin but when you really think about it PCM has been putting them on their sides forever. I think the problem starts when people change things on the cheap or think they are improving items that I'm sure that PCM spent some money on doing R&D

sam57 wrote: I have a MSD coil on another PCM 351 engine. The coil is a Blaster 2, number PN 8202. But, I've never run the engine and don't know if the coil is any good. Is there any way to test the coil, or just try it and see if the problem is corrected?

Yes, You need an Ohm meter. Values can be Googled.

Roughness can be from many different causes, timing is one of them. Set the timing to between 8-10 deg before TDC. Also check so see that the advance is working - it should be advancing by 1500 & be at full timing by 4000 RPM.

If it is still rough after verifying timing, pull plug wires off (gloves recomended) 1 at a time to see which cly is weak.

Yes, check the advance by reving the engine. A second person is handy to run the throttle & target the RPM. If you really want to do it right, get a degree tape (although I just measured 10 degree increments with calipers & scribed lines) so you know exactly how much advance you are getting.

If the engine is running rough & it is not because of ignition timing, then it is likely that 1 or more cylinders is not firing cleanly (or at all). So by pulling a plug wire while idling, you can hear the engine's response to the loss of power. A strong cylinder will drop RPM noticibly, while a weak cylinder will have little or no effect.

If you do find a weak cylinder, then you can investigate why (plug, wire, compression, etc).

83 bucks?

Buy that man a beer.

No, buy him a case.