Pertonix won't fit!

[Dooner]

Did you change the coil? When I converted my car, I used both the module and the recommended flame thrower coil. Pertronix wants battery voltage to the module however, if your existing coil had a ballast resistor, which yours probably did, you leave that in place. Are you sure you didn't burn out the coil? Here's a diagram, which in short shows a resistor in line with the coil but the module gets full battery voltage. I believe Pertronix III has a rev limiter built in which you can program, they have a video to show how to do that. http://www.pertronix.com/prod/ig/ignitor3/default.aspx

Art, I used the stock coil on mine. How do I check if the coil is burned out? Do I just replace it and see?

I had a little time to work with the car. I noticed that my muffler was blown out like a balloon, so I went ahead and cut it off. I'm going to replace the small diameter single exhaust anyway. Might as well get the old muffler out of the equation.
I bought the unilite kit like I wanted, and for some reason it did not fit the distributor at all. So I put the Pertronix back in, and wired it up as the directions show, with the ballast inline with the coil, but the Pertronix wired into the hot side of the ballast. The Poly starts up pretty well now, but runs like hell. It at least runs now. It didn't before. I still have that same coil on it. It also could be the three year old gas in the tank. The car has been sitting there since it happened.
What should I try next?

 

[ArtH]

If you use the correct Flame Thrower coil, you will not need the ballast resistor at all. You will run battery voltage to the positive (+) side of the coil and the red lead of the Pertronix will also go there. The black lead from the Pertronix should go to the negative (-) post of the coil. This should give you a little more voltage going to the plugs. Once the engine is running, check your ignition timing. This should be done with the vacuum line disconnected from the Pertronix unit and plugged, a golf tee works well for that. Chances are your timing was disturbed when you R&R'd the distributor. Double check your wires to ensure they are connected properly at the distributor tower and at the plugs and that none are grounding out against the engine. If you car back fires through the carb, the timing is probably retarded, advance it some you'll know if you have advanced it if the RPM's increase. I would set the initial timing without vacuum advance around 8 to 10 degrees before top dead center or whatever Chrysler says it should be. It might not hurt to check some of the plugs for fouling as well. I'm kind of betting here that you damaged your coil but didn't completely fry it otherwise it wouldn't work. I think the Flame Throwers run about $30 but check with Pertronix for the correct one for your application. I'm pretty sure it's going to be: High RPM performance is improved when used with the Flame-Thrower II super low resistance (0.6 ohms) 45,000 volt coil.

 

[CoronetDarter]

After installing the Pertronix I increased the plug gap to .045 and advanced the initial timing 4 - 5*. The engine runs great.

Dooner - As Art said, get the FlameThrower II coil to match up with the Ignitor II. By-pass the ballast resistor. Also, check TDC by pulling the #1 plug (and disconnecting the coil wire), put your finger over the hole and have someone crank the engine until you feel the pressure blow out the hole. Check to make sure that the rotor is pointed to the #1 spark plug tower. When I changed the wires on the cap i was off by one post and the car wouldn't start. Moved every plug wire over by one on the cap and it fired right up.

 

[Dooner]

Thanks guys. I will try to work on it some this weekend, but it is supposed to get pretty cold here in Texas. We will see how that works out for me.


And I know this is stupid, but want to make double sure that I am on the number 1 Piston. It is on the passenger side of the Poly 318, right?

 

[ArtH]

Thanks guys. I will try to work on it some this weekend, but it is supposed to get pretty cold here in Texas. We will see how that works out for me.


And I know this is stupid, but want to make double sure that I am on the number 1 Piston. It is on the passenger side of the Poly 318, right?

I'm not sure about the Poly engine but the 318 has the odd numbered cylinders on the driver's side; check it out here: http://www.boxwrench.net/specs/schrys_A.htm

Checked on that and the layout is the same.

The firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2

The layout is 1,3,5,7 left and 2,4,6,8 right

The left side is the driver's side if the engine was in the car

 

[Dooner]

Guys, could I be more stupid.

ArtH, you da MAN! You put my head right where it needed to be. My main problem was the stopped up muffler. Once that was off, the engine could exhale. But then one of the simplest things was getting past me. And the bad thing, it happened before when I first purchased the car. I mean the exact thing. All I needed to do was check the firing order. Number 5 and 7 switched. And thats all it took. She starts up so easy now. It doesn't run real smooth, but it has been sitting for 3 years and the carb is probably gunked up and the 3 year old gas isn't helping anything.
So I don't have to replace the engine just yet.

Thanks so much guys.

 

[g413]

My Flame Thrower/Ingnitor II won't fit either. I don't know why a company would design a new product which doesn't fit. As a design engineer, I couldn't get away with this.

 

[brasil]

same with the MSD Ready to run Dizzy.... but the Grinder helps in that case... just a little bit on the corner of the cyl.head... No big deal

 

[Mr Belvedere 30144]

Same here a touch off he corner of the head and all is well.