Problems installing PerTronix Solid-State Ignition

[M880IKE]

I installed PerTronix 9CH-181 - PerTronix Ignitor II® Solid-State Ignition System in my '77 M880. Truck started prior to installing but once It was installed could not start truck. Also I noted that the distributor was rotated clockwise after trying to start it up (the distributor vacuum advance had moved clockwise and was pressed up against the firewall).

Has anyone tried to install one of these on their M880?
Any ideas about how to trouble shoot?

Thanks in advance.

 

[gerrykan]

Did you bypass the ballast resistor? If required for your installation.


I put a complete Pertronix distributor in my Mom's 1965 Dodge Monaco, and it needed 12 volts,
The instructions with the distributor called for 12 volts, so I bypassed the resistor.

 

[M880IKE]

I took the stock wires off the ignition coil and put the Pertronix black and red wires on the coil. Now that I am thinking about it this may have bypassed the solenoid, ignition module, and ballast resistor? Maybe that's the problem?

Did you bypass the ballast resistor? If required for your installation.


I put a complete Pertronix distributor in my Mom's 1965 Dodge Monaco, and it needed 12 volts,
The instructions with the distributor called for 12 volts, so I bypassed the resistor.

 

[tennmogger]

My experience is NOT on the type truck you have, but maybe this will help. The Pertronix instructions should have directed you to attach the red wire to constant DC (12 or 24 whichever your truck is). If you try to get DC voltage on the coil side of the ballast resistor then the voltage to the Pertronix will not be constant because the voltage on the wire between the ballast and the coil jumps around a lot (as 'points' open and close)....

The black wire from the Pertronix acts like the wire from the points, grounding and ungrounding the coil (to make the spark) just like the points did.

Do you get any spark when the engine is cranking? After you have the system making a spark you still have to time the engine. The Pertronix can be 10's of degrees different from the original point timing. Another trouble spot is getting the magnet ring aligned with the detector module. That can vary depending on how much the mag ring is pushed down over the cam. Pushing all the way should be proper but I have had mag rings need a solid push to seat them on the cam.

Be sure you do not bypass the ballast resistor or your coil will overheat.

 

[Bob H]

I took the stock wires off the ignition coil and put the Pertronix black and red wires on the coil. Now that I am thinking about it this may have bypassed the solenoid, ignition module, and ballast resistor? Maybe that's the problem?

One of the wires on the coil is the power from the ignition and the other goes to the distributor.
Never messed with a Pertronix, but it sounds like you removed your power wire.
The vacuum advance is in a different position????? then your timing is also off.

 

[M880IKE]

One of the wires on the coil is the power from the ignition and the other goes to the distributor.
Never messed with a Pertronix, but it sounds like you removed your power wire.

Yes, apparently I was having a senior moment.

The vacuum advance is in a different position????? then your timing is also off.

This part I can't understand, after I turned over the engine to try to start it, I looked at distributor again the whole thing had shifted clockwise (The distributor hold down clamp was tight).

 

[M880IKE]

Did you bypass the ballast resistor? If required for your installation.


I put a complete Pertronix distributor in my Mom's 1965 Dodge Monaco, and it needed 12 volts,
The instructions with the distributor called for 12 volts, so I bypassed the resistor.

Do I just splice the wires from "normal ballast resistor" terminals together and the wires from "auxiliary ballast resistor" terminals together? I have included a pic from the TM.

 

[gerrykan]

To bypass the resistor (or not) will depend on your Pertronix instructions, and the type of coil you have.
In my case, I installed the Pertronix distributor, coil, and plug wires to eliminate compatibility issues.

Looking at a few of their instruction sheets on their website(I do not know which model you ordered), you may have to keep the factory ignition module in the loop.
One sheet I read said it will operate on 8-12 volts, so the resistor can probably stay in place.
It has been a quite a few years since I wired up a Chrysler module in a non-electronic vehicle, but your attached TM page shows reduced voltage (through the auxiliary ballast) going to the module.
I would not bypass this side of the resistor if the module is kept.
If I remember correctly, the modules ran off of less than 12 volts, so the ignition system would function longer if the alternator failed, or some other problem caused a voltage drop.



Was the truck running good before the swap?

Did it have the original Chrysler electronic ignition system, or had it been converted to points ignition?
If electronic and running good, I would keep the original system, as it is quite dependable.

The only bad (from the factory) Chrysler electronic ignition system I ever encountered were the 'Lean Burn' systems.
The M880 did not have 'Lean Burn".
Converting "Lean Burn' to standard electronic, or even points resulted in a much more reliable system.

 

[M880IKE]

It was running ok. One of my friends told my wife to get that part for a birthday present? Until now every upgrade I have done to the truck has been pretty straight forward. This one has me thinking too hard. I have had the part sitting around for about a year and thus can't take it back so I would like to use it.

The other possibility is to wire the red wire to the ignition size of resistance or any 12 v ignition power source.

 

[michigandon]

Was the truck running good before the swap? Did it have the original Chrysler electronic ignition system, or had it been converted to points ignition? If electronic and running good, I would keep the original system, as it is quite dependable. The only bad (from the factory) Chrysler electronic ignition system I ever encountered were the 'Lean Burn' systems. The M880 did not have 'Lean Burn". Converting "Lean Burn' to standard electronic, or even points resulted in a much more reliable system.

Yes, I do not understand going through all of this at all. It would be a classic case of "If it ain't broke, fix it until it is."

 

[tennmogger]

Comment on apparent rotation of the distributor: In some installations (specifically a 404 Unimog) the Pertronix magnet ring held the distributor rotor too high, causing interference with the distributor cap contacts. If that happened to you then the turning of the rotor by the dissy shaft may have caught the dissy cap and rotated it. You should look closely at the rotor and dissy cap contacts and see if there is damage. On the Unimogs we had to shorten the body of the rotor by about 1/8 inch to give clearance under the cap.

Concerning voltage to the Pertronix, you can simply measure the voltage on the Pertronix red wire and confirm there is battery voltage on it during starting cycle and whenever the key is on.

During cranking, measure the voltage on the black wire and see if it changes as the engine is cranked. Use an analog meter. It should drop to zero then back up to some voltage less than battery voltage. The exact voltage you will read depends on the result of the voltage divider formed by the ballast resistor and the coil primary.