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Posted By Discussion Topic: Electronic Ignition -- page: 1 2     Jim 01-17-2017 @ 6:54 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 33 Joined: Oct 2009 I have a 59 AB engine and am considering electronic ignition. What are the pros and cons of electronic ignition... is it better than the stock set up? Any advice/suggestions would be appreciated. Who supplies a quality E-ignition set up? Thanks for your help and advice! Jim TomO 01-18-2017 @ 9:17 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7256 Joined: Oct 2009 Here is my opinion: Electronic ignitions on old seldom driven cars are just a way to flatten your wallet. They are more likely to fail than points and do not have any redeeming features. The dual point system use in the Ford V-8 engine is designed to give full coil saturation with minimal trouble and long point life. A set of point will last at least 15,000 miles on the dual point distributors and may be serviceable up to 20,000 miles. The average hobbyist drives his antique car less than 5,000 miles a year and if the points wear out, the car will still be able to make it back home. If the electronic module fails, you better have some sort of backup or it is time to call for the flatbed to carry you home. They do a great job on modern cars that are designed for the electronic ignition and electronic fuel injection. On old cars with generators and leaky insulation on the plug wires, the electronic ignitions appear to be very troublesome to some people. Tom cliftford 01-18-2017 @ 10:55 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 2014 X2 on TomO's post. On 59 A and earlier engines, there is no improvement over the stock ignition system if it is properly set up. Save your money. nelsb01 01-18-2017 @ 2:08 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 983 Joined: Oct 2009 I listened to all those that are using electronic (Pentrax) and when I realized that I had not replaced my spark plugs or points and condenser for over 18000 miles (recommendation is 10000 according to owner's manual), I got on the internet and ordered electronic. Instructions were good, and it went in easy. Tested it around the city and it started and ran fine. Half way to the 2014 Central National Meet driving on the two lane, it started losing power, and intermittently quitting. Pulled over and checked -- every thing seemed fine. Stopped for lunch and it wouldn't start. Walked a mile to the U-haul dealer and rented truck and trailer to get it home. Luckily it ran enough to get it on the trailer. Once back home from the Meet in the modern car, packaged it up and mailed it back. They found that it over heated and sent me a new one. A new set of points and condenser have been keeping me going since for an additional 4000 miles. Moral: Don't fix what isn't broke or none of these vehicles would be around now, if the ignition system was junk. And according to TomO, I changed my points and condenser too soon--- I still had about 6000 miles to go. Oh, I do have a new electronic set for sale. (for later flatheads 1949 - 1953) It's on the shelf someplace. len47merc 01-18-2017 @ 2:32 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1165 Joined: Oct 2013 x3 on TomO's post. Personally drove my distributor to then 88 year-old John Shelor in northern VA and got a 5 hour education on the correct way to rebuild and set-up the distributor on an Allen machine on my 59AB with quality points, components, etc.. I'd set it up myself twice earlier (feeler gauges) with components from the normal sources and thought it could get no better. Drove home, put it on the '47 and absolutely could not believe how well it ran. Haven't touched it in 8K miles - plug 'n play. Was getting 15-15.5 mpg MAX with my set-up on highway before with 3.78 rear gear. The best tank on the drive to Gettysburg last year after install of the 'new' original-style dual-point unit was just north of 18. 18! Did I say 18?! Purchased another distributor at a swap meet and sent it to John for full rework and keep in in the trunk now for back-up. Doubt I'll ever need it but it's there. nelsb01's, cliftford's and TomO's comments are all rock-solid reasons to stay old-school on these cars IMHO. Steve 40topless 01-19-2017 @ 3:03 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 38 Joined: Jun 2015 I have had nothing but troubles with electronic. 2 electronic set ups later I gave up. My dad come with a wooden box of old distrubitors. Put an old junker on and it ran perfect. I went down and bought a rebuilt then installed plug wires with wire in them. My car runs the best it has ever ran. Stay away from electronic!! Drbrown 01-19-2017 @ 7:32 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 571 Joined: Nov 2013 X4 re TomO ! ! Had a Pentronix in my '47 59AB crab dizzy from before I bought it. Drove it occasionally for 4 years then it totally quit. Had a spare from Bubba in my trunk and it quit after about a half hour. I then had both rebuilt and they both quit. Spent endless hours searching for cause, checking wiring, testing and even replacing electrical system components, and much money on replacement Pentronix units. Even with a Bubba's proper coil they would run for a very short time and die. I gave up and had Charlie NY build me a stock crab (dual points) with a Bosch Blue coil. My Tach stopped its double reading and bouncing indicator and the engine has started and run fine since. I'll still carry a spare and I finally got my confidence in my flathead back. This message was edited by Drbrown on 1-19-17 @ 7:33 PM 4dFordSC 01-19-2017 @ 7:42 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 266 Joined: Oct 2009 Points will get you home. len47merc 01-20-2017 @ 6:07 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1165 Joined: Oct 2013 Btw Jim - I also have a 59AB and will add one more comment to 4dFordSC's last post. Even long-distance towing provided by our classic car insurances &/or AAA does not provide the driving/on-the-road/tour comfort and confidence felt from knowing points'll get you home, original ignitions are much easier to troubleshoot on the road (particularly with the knowledge gleaned from this Forum) and original ignition parts are readily available/easily substitute-able (if necessary) while on the road. Personally I try to avoid anything that may produce that gnawing-at-the-base-of-the-neck, sitting on pins 'n needles feeling of 'oh God what might go wrong any minute now...'. For me anyway, being able to spontaneously throw a bag in the '47's trunk and leave for a multi-hundred mile one-way trip without mechanical or electrical, 'what's that sound' or 'was that a miss' or 'am I losing power' anxiety is priceless. Electronic ignitions do not come close to providing anywhere near that level of confidence and comfort - at least for me. Steve This message was edited by len47merc on 1-20-17 @ 6:50 AM supereal 01-20-2017 @ 1:57 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 We have seen problems with electronic ignition conversions. Most stem from the primitive electrical systems that are very poorly regulated. Many are heat sensitive, as well, I concur with my friends in the above responses. If set up on a machine by someone who really knows how how to do it, and quality parts are used, it is rare to have problems with the stock distributor. I do carry a spare condenser in my "road kit" that is on clip leads. It has become difficult to find decent points and condensers. We generally find the old condenser is a better choice when servicing the ignition system. I have learned not to trust foreign parts.

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