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Re: IGNITOR FAILURE-USEFULL LIFE?

To: eric@erickson.on.net
Subject: Re: IGNITOR FAILURE-USEFULL LIFE?
From: "Jeffrey H. Boatright" <jboatri@emory.edu>
Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 14:58:27 -0700
Eric,

I don't know about knee-jerk reaction. This is the second failure of 
a Pertronix Ignitor for me. Same car, but different distributors. 
Neither had more than 20k miles on them, in fact much less, and 
neither lasted more than two years. What can I say?

As for a count, I think that the numbers are mounting. On just this 
thread my count is 5 failures (2 for me, 2 for Larry Hoy, and 1 for 
Kai Radicke). OTOH, there are scores in service just on the mgs and 
spridgets list. My local LBC mechanic claims to have installed over 
one hundred and has never had a single failure. Note, though, that 
Kai and I use our LBCs as daily drivers (I don't know about Larry).

FWIW, when I researched this conversion 3 years ago, the Ignitor had 
exactly 2 failures listed in the entire internet. The major 
alternative, the Crane X700 (?), had had several (12+) failure 
reports.

I am not trying to talk anyone out of using an Ignitor; I'm just 
relating my experiences. I hope that everyone keeps using their 
Ignitors and never has a problem. If I were in your position, I'd 
keep using mine (though I'd keep a points and condensor in the boot). 
If I were someone pondering the conversion, I guess I would not do it 
until the causes of these failures were determined.

Jeff


>Hey guys, are we looking at a bit of a knee-jerk reaction here or what?
>I would really like to know because, of course, I have gone the
>Pertronix way myself.
>
>So far, from an extensive list like this, I have heard about three
>failures (did I count right?) and someone who says they have lasted ages
>so far without a failure.  Hardly seems like cause to abandon ship.
>
>Can anyone point me at some web resource or whatever that may indicate a
>problem (unresolved) with this bit of equipment?
>
>I haven't seen any conclusive evidence that would suggest that these
>units won't outlast points (and many stories of points hassles that were
>the reason for getting the Pertronix in the first place - far more than
>three or four stories of problems).
>
>So far I am a few thousand miles down the track and a few races further
>on without a problem with my Pertronix.
>
>Anyone got any conclusive proof on the points vs electronic/pointless
>ignition argument?
>
>
>Eric
>'68MGB MkII
-- 


__________________________________________________
Jeffrey H. Boatright, PhD
Assistant Professor, Emory Eye Center, Atlanta, GA
Senior Editor, Molecular Vision
<http://www.molvis.org/molvis>
<mailto: jboatri@emory.edu>

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