Okay, so I'm at napa picking up some stuff and decieded to get a new cap and rotor.. I get home, tools out, boxes on the ground, items on the radiator and then.... I pop the top on the cap and my Pertronix Ignitor II had eaten itself up prettygood. Stringy type crap all over the cap, inside the distrib, a horrible site... So, out comes my old Ignitor LSC to play pitch hitter while I hope Pertronix will replace what's left of the IgnitorII stuff. I wire everything up (hoping the wires were long enough), put the new rotor on, new cap and plug everything else up.. Start'er up, bingo! So, I goto check the timing (cuz the ignitors run diff dwell times) and Holy $#!^ :shock: The timings at over 45* !! I think (hope rather) that the weights are just wacko, pull it apart, everythings cool.. Back it goes, and I undo the bolt to adjust the timming, wtf! the thing starts throbbing on me, I scream for someone to shut the engine off and then calm down to Inspect everything.. The cap is bad, the springs mine as well not be there.. :af: So I clean up the old cap and on it goes.. Starter back up, and now she doesn't wanna start.. So I let it rest and turn the distrib for less advance thinking maybe I moved it in my haste. It starts up.. Still with 45*+ on it with not much more room to turn the distrib. So, I say fine, and come here for help.. When I removed the distrib I marked both the rotor and vac advance posistions and replaced using those marks. The only thing that changed was the Ignitor.. The LSC uses a fixed dwell of 25*, the Ignitor II uses a variable (with rpm) dwell that starts out at about 20* Timing before I pulled it apart was 12*, now it sits at 45+ deg.. Whats wrong here??? All I wanted was a new cap and rotor, and this is the hassle I get.. :ball: If you have <i>any</i> ideas, please, please clue me in!
revision? Okay.. Maybe you're all reading this thinking, "He should know how to fix it".. Well, you're probably correct.. Pull the distrib, move the vac advance and housing to the right and drop it back in for more movement. But the real question I have here isn't so much 'how do i fix it', but "why the hell, or how the hell this happened". I know dwell affects timing, but 'that' much? I can't believe that could be true... Anyone with some thoughts or ideas? Or is my day gonna end like it started, getting cussed at.. Thanks, and also thanks for lettin me vent a bit earlier..
You're not alone Scott. I also run a Pertronics ignition and am following this thread to see the answers. Sometimes the ones with the answer aren't on at the same time as us and I suppose it would even be too much to expect that everyone checks every post (like I do). Patience will be rewarded. It always is around here. Bill
Bill, ya know, it's funny.. Your in AU, I'm in CA, yet we're always on around the same times.. I think there's a trend here, we never sleep.. :Brow: I too most times just sit here and hit F5 and do nothing but read, but ya know, when you have a post I think you find that the F5 key wears out really quick.. :laugh: Well, least ya cheered me up a bit.. Thanks.. Now, where'd I put that Bacardi.. :beer Whats strange is the thing never stoped working, tho I'm glad I pulled it apart, better now in the driveway then have a busted distrib on the 405.. Oh yea, almost forgot ta ask. What's yer prob with the Pertronix??
Scott, If you still need help with this, give me a call. If you're near the 405 you can't be too far from me... I'm pretty good with distributors.. 562-697-8018
And here I am saying I read every thread and I haven't checked this one for a while. Actually I don't have a problem with my Pertronix but I use one and am interested to learn in case the same thing happens to me. Sorry about any confusion. I'm just interested, that all really. If I'm awake there is a browser open. I work as an IT Specialist (2nd level support) so I sit around waiting for someone to have a problem with their PC. I have a laptop which sits next to me and is always tuned into this forum as well as the Yahoo BuickNailhead group. Both excellent sources of Buick information and conversation. Here's how the time differences align for me. :Smarty: Being in Australia we get the days before you do. You guys are still experiencing the day I have just had (you are behind). While I'm at work you guys are finishing the evening I had last night. When I get home in the evening you guys are just about all asleep. I then work on the site while you sleep and I go to bed as you are getting up (to have the day I just had). When I get up in the mornings you guys are well into your day and while I'm at work it's your evening so that's why we seem to meet. If I didn't have access to the 'Net at work we would never meet. I know there are repeats and confusions in that last paragraph but it's so confusing I was afraid to go back and correct it. ou: Right now it's 6:30pm on Thursday. You guys are about to go to sleep on Wednesday night (actually most of you alreay are). Trippy eh?
Bill, Personally, I kinda like how the timezones and continents work, but that's me.. As you wrote that, it was after 2am here, so yep, all but the night owls were asleep.. As to the Pertronix, I have a few photos I'll post tomorrow. I took 'em right after a grusome and long removal... Anyone know what Pertronix waranty policy is? uzzled:
