Hey guys. I'm a newbie here on the forum but have been in the POM for about five years. We own a 32 Cabriolet. Great tourer and has done a few Glidden Tours. My question: Has any one changed over the 4 cyl ignition to an electronic ignition using a Pertronics module or something similar. Thanks, Ken
I have not done a Petronics conversion on a 4 cyln but have done this conversion on several other cars I own. I recently converted my 53 Pontiac 8 cyln.
A few words of caution.......... Everytime I have contacted a local vendor or one of the major mail order parts vendors about a Petronics module I have gotten conflicting information, ie: "I think this will work or this should work" . As a result of conflicting info from the vendors I have found it to be best to contact Petronics Tech line in Monrovia CA, they will not sell you the unit but they will give you the right info so you can purchase the correct module/coil for your car.
When my mechanic installed the module in my 53 Pontiac he could not get the engine to run right, he called me, telling me the thing was junk, he wanted to use an after market ignition. In talking to him I found that he had not used the coil that came with the module because it was a ....12 volt.... and the Pontiac has 6 volt. I told him he had to use the 12 volt coil because that is what Petronics recommended, after a little discussion he finally saw it my way because I absolved him of any liaibilty if the module went up in smoke. Upon installing the 12 v coil the engine fired right up and purred like a kitten.
There has been a lot of discussion over on the Early V8 Ford and Buick Forums about the various electronic ignition conversions, and the Petronics unit in perticular. It seems that a lot of people have had problems with the Petronics, in some case's, people have claimed that the units have failed with in a few miles of being installed. I can't help but feel that this is more a problem of people getting faulty info in lieu of faulty parts, because I have never had a problem with the vehicles, four of them, plus a boat, that I have the used the Petronics modules in....Bill