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What would I gain Points vs electronic Distributor

14K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  Steptoe 
#1 ·
I bought my car and it has points. It runs ok, but was wondering if I changed over to electronic ignition how much gain would I feel? If so Should I buy a new Distributor or just change the guts?
 
#2 ·
I have the Pertronix Ignitor in my Camaro. It's easy to install, it takes about a hour (if that). Some of the benefits include, you can use your current distributor. You never need to change or adjust the points. Also, It adds some HP to your motor. Eliminates misfires under high RPM's. Also, it is suppose to increase your gas mileage. I would recommend switching over to EI vs. points.
 
#4 ·
I put the Pertronix Ignigtor in my car also. Does seem to start a little easier, haven't noticed much of a difference preformance wise, but no points is less hassle. Who said better gas mileage?? Still lucky if I get 14 mpg. :(
 
#5 ·
Do you own a dwell meter? Do you know what dwell is? Do you measure the number of Farads in your cap or just not worry about replacing it.

Points burn, points bounce, points are getting harder to come by all the time (I'm still waiting for that capacitor I ordered for my John Deere '47 M to arrive).

I can think of no rational justification to run points in a car today. There are a number of aftermarket solutions all of which are more advantageous than running points. Petronics offers conversions of the stock distributor; which by the way is probably pretty worn by now.
You can buy a stock looking HEI distributor or go with beige distributor caps, blue distributor caps. red distributor caps, or even clear distributor caps.

An electronic ignition will not "make horsepower" per say, but it will not loose any horsepower that is leaking away due to the problems associated with running points.


Larger Dave
 
#6 ·
I dropped a hei on ours yrs ago...recurved it...
Better starting, less maintaince, less problems when cleaning / high press hoseing the engine down, seemed(?) to pull smoother at higher rpm...This is usually to opening the plug gaps up, (increased resistance across the gap) supplying higher voltage and better healther stronger spark enabling increased assurance of that cylinder exploding the mixture every time.
Make sure u also up grade the HT to 8mm and keep HT leads separated.
Gas mileage...dont believe all the marketing propaganda m8, thu it can make a large improvement..but no more than if your orginal is stuffed and fixed that.
If so Should I buy a new Distributor or just change the guts?
Check yours for wear in the shaft, shaft bushings, centrifical mechanism bushings, centifical weight bushs...If those are worn, NOTHING will change anything unless those are replaced/rebuilt.
If a street car or street/strip, depending on how much money u have to waste..dont bother with expensive dizzies, u will not get any more than u would out of a HEI...or even a well set up stock pionts dizzy...other than bragging/noting rights.
 
#7 ·
I changed over years ago to an E.I.,One thing that convinced me was I was having a hard time getting an old nova I had to run smooth at idle, it would flutter from time to time. Come to find out the shaft in the distributor had worn so much that it had alot of play in it,at higher RPM's the cetrifugal force and spin would stabilize this but at low RPM's it had alot of "wobble" to put in laymans terms.Anyway the "wobble" in the shaft at low RPM's ,if you think about points type ignition, was causing the points gap to vary depending on just what location the "wobble" happened to be at firing point on the cylinder,I think Larger Dave called this points bounce in his thread...well it bounced alot...changed the distributor to a new points type in this particular car and it cleared it up and ran smooth,But it gives you an Idea of some of the problems with points distributors,and why fight it with all the good E.I. stuff out today.
 
#9 ·
I do have cheap new HEI
My hei came out of a junk box ...the orginal was due for a rebuild, bushes etc. A m8 had a box of them in limited assorted condition...from bits to broken.
Was broke at the time..so sat down sorted out good parts, turned up new bushes etc...
Running LPG any change or the slightest thing out in ignirion shows up real bad from not starting to missing...havnt had a problem since never looked back.
Since then borrowed loaned a few fancy brands etc...there was no difference, except for the duel piont ...that sucked
Over the orginal point dizzy, the only performace advantage was reliablity of dwell and stronger spark gap. We are tslking street here , not race.
I also tend to be old school..all this computer tech, senors, just seems to be more things to go wrong, more often, AND they dont get any better fuel milage/performance than a well setiup old school car.
I recon is a rip off lol
 
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