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Pertronix electronic ignition

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Hey guys. I dont post here much but I do read this forum on a daily basis.

I guess this is more of a poll than anything else. I have installed a few of these electronic ignitions in various tractors and equipment. I had one of them fail in less than a year since install. My question to you guys from your experiences. In the kits that you have installed how many have you had fail? I know this is a debated topic and I am looking for real world data. Wondering if I should not be installing these in customers equipment. Thanks for the input!
 
Curt, Ive installed these in every tractor I own(8), as well as a bunch of other folks tractors. I havent had a failure yet, and my personal ones are going on 6 years old. I get them from this very website, along with the coil.
 
I HAVE INSTALLED SEVERAL OF THE UNITS-HAD A COUPLE
FAIL & THE COMPANY TOLD ME THAT IF YOU HAPPEN TO
PULL A PLUG WIRE OFF WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, IT WILL BURN OUT THE MODULE. HAD ONE ON A 2 CYL DEERE
& THE CUSTOMER DID PULL A WIRE OFF & IT DID TAKE THE MODULE OUT, JUST FOR YOUR INFO, I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS BUT IT SOUNDS LOGICAL.
 
Very interesting. Does it normally fail right away when you pull a wire off? I did some testing to figure out a fouled out cylinder by pulling wires while it was running. But it did not fail at that time. Wondering how to diagnose a fouled out cylinder if you cant do that. Spose a non-contact thermometer on the manifold would tell you.
 
I have installed the kits on 2 tractors, a JD 2cylinder and IH 4 cylinder. They have worked great for me. Both of my tractors had been converted from 6 to 12 volt prior to instellation. I put one on a car years ago and just put one on my jeep. Guys say with points you can always get home by cleaning them, that may be true and I do have back up points for each rig. Guys also talk about cost, but I think the last set of points and condenser I got were close to 20$.
 
Put one on H 10 years ago, installed carbon wires 4 years ago to get rid of TV interference and haven't had any problems.
Neighbor installed one but hooked the wires up wrong and fried it instantly.
 
While we are on the subject of Pertronix, I would like to put one on an early 706. Does anyone know what the part number would be?
 
I used to install a LOT of them. Then came several failures, at inopportune times for customers.(like there's ever a GOOD time?)

NOT swell.

They are warranted, I believe, for 18 months, but with no stocking supplier in our state, things get UGLY when one fails and you wait for a replacement.

No more for me, thank you.

I'm NOT saying that they are particularly BAD, it's just that they DO fail from time to time, as ANY electronic device does, and the fact that there are so many versions/part numbers made to fit a variety of applications that finding a replacement instantly, locally, when the smoke leaks out of one isn't likely to happen.

NOT the kind of thing you want on a machine that is NEEDED!
 
I had a kit that was dead right out of the box......wasn't to happy. decided to just go back to points. I don't have any issues with the 'old' technology
 
I have no complaints:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4YA_-x3QXQ&feature=c4-overview&list=UUmV4Ud6hHHOGnlasYBH6o3w
 
Thanks for the replies, we'll see what they do with warranty. Purchased from All States Ag parts. Returned it there and they exchanged me another ignition kit. Soon thereafter they called and said that they called Pertronix who doesnt believe anything is wrong with it so they will do some testing tomorrow I guess. I verified connections and did my own testing. Then ONLY swapped points/condenser in and I had spark again.
 
I was told my a Pertronix tech to NEVER leave the ignition switch in the "on" position without the engine running. With the switch in the on position, it will fry the module.
 
I have installed a half dozen or more Pertronix kits for others. Never had one fail, maybe in part that I insisted the owner also install the matching new coil from Pertronix, that way the module will not be damaged by the wrong or partly shorted coil.

For my gas 4020 JD, I adapted Chrysler electronic ignition to it .
It has a more cobbled look because of the external dual ballast resistor and ignition control box, but replacment parts are as close as my local auto parts store.
The Chrysler setup has much hotter spark than the stock points ignition, so it totally eliminated the plug fouling and hard starting so common to the JD 6 cyl gas tractors.
The "new generation" JD gassers need 3 things to make them a good tractor. Replace the much to big carb with a smaller one from a Moline model "U",, replace the whimpy MT 10 starter with a MT 25 and replace the weak stock ignition system with a more powerful electronic ignition unit.
 

Don't know why anyone would spend that kind of money to fix something that isn't even broke. I've got tractors that see regular use, and haven't needed a tune-up going on 10 years now. If I could figure out a way to get rid of the elctronic ignition on my truck, I would do it in a hearbeat.
 
IF YOU WANT TO CHECK OUT A CYLINDER, CONNECT A SPARK JUMP TOOL ON THE PLUG WIRE THEN START THE ENGINE & SEE WHAT KIND OF SPARK YOU HAVE, AS WELL AS OBSERVING THAT CYLINDER REACTION.
 
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