Petronixs Ignition Module

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pocket change

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I installed a Petronix ignition module in my 1988 3.7 mercruiser in 1998. It worked fine until wed at 5:49 pm. Then it quit. I was towed in. The next day I checked things and found no spark. I re-installed the origional point ignition and the motor started right up. I did that because no one had a module and I didn't want to have no boat on a holiday weekend The question is should these modules be replaced at reguler intervals and what is it? Obviously mine should have been. I was a big fan of getting rid of the points but now I have my doubts. Thanks and have a good weekend.
 
I have doubts about changing from what works, to something you 'think' is better. I would never have changed from the Kettering ignition to begin with.

Where its really cold, those electronic ignitions are the cat's meow! The best thing you could do for your starting in cold weather.
But where things are normal, you cannot improve on the old Kettering ignition. Not for better running and of course not for the price.
Forget the Petronix.
 
I changed out my points for the delco EST ignition on my 85 crusaders, and have not had any trouble.

I was orginally going to instll the pertronix kit, but decided not to based on the input I received here, particularly from tugboat Kevin.

If you decide to get rid off he points again, you may want to consider this route.
 
I forgot to add what Mariner said. The GM HEI is a Great ignition. Hardly any failures with it.
I had Fords most of my life and NEVER had a failure with any part of ANY of the Ford electronic ignitions.
In AK, I put together a Kit for my Subaru. A capacitive Discharge ignition module. It helped in winter starting, but failed the following winter. I went back to the Kettering ignition with no more failures.
 
look for low voltage that kit will fry at low voltage make sure the resistance wire is bypassed, coil and pertronix should be 13-14 volts running
 
Didn't pertronix cure their low voltage/key left on problem with the 2nd generation kit?
 
Sandy
It was the origional ignitor. It was 11 years ago. They probably didn't have the 2 or 3 yet. I also installed the flame thrower coil. I don't think a voltage problem caused the modules's death. I didn't change any wiring recently and it runs fine on points. Do the 2 or 3 run forever or don't we know yet.I put about 175 hours a year on the boat. It gets a lot of use.
 
Pocket Change - Very sorry, I somehow missed the "installed in 1998 part" , and I did not intend the above to be any kind of put down, just differentiating models. I'm sure you are correct that the -2 & -3 's would not have been available in '98.

I'm a believer in replacing old worn points distributors with the full kits of electronic distributors & matching coils and cables, but it sounds like your matched Ignitor("1") and Flamethrower worked well for a long time for much more palatable investment.

As long as your tachometer has a steady reading (no shaky needle caused by worn dist. shaft , if not digital tach) & the distr. including old advance mechanism is not corroded, the orig. distr. may still be in decent shape . In that case, it would seem like a reasonable move to just install one of the newer model Ignitors since it sounds like they are more robust/forgiving for longevity and provide stonger spark than the one you have.

Disclaimer: I've never used any of the Ignitors but did have Delco EST full kits mentioned above installed on my previous '88 350CI points engines for huge improvement in reliability and starting, much as I expect you have experienced up 'til now.
 
Sandy
On a Petronix's dealers site it says the 2&3 are for competition and racing. I don't need that. Ed, the mechanic at my marina said that there a lot of marine engines still running with points. You just have to replace them yearly which is cheap and simple. I am going to leave them in for a while and see how it goes. I have an extra set aboard and my Sea Tow membership is current.
 
I believe they CAN be used for competition & racing as they are so much more reliable than point/condensor mechanical advance igntion systems , put out much higher energy to the plugs and can work much better at higher RPMs, but at least the "2" I believe is regularly used in everyday applications. As a matter of fact, Petronix even makes a marine-certified electronic distributor that employs the Ignitor II and has models for most common marine gas I/B I/O engines as listed in their online catalog, but not the Mec-built 3.7l "470",etc. . ( P.39: http://www.pertronix.com/catalogs/pdf/ptx/2010/Pertronix2010.pdf ). FWIW-They do offer a separate Ignitor II module for that engine ,# 91146A on p. 18.

You'll probably be fine with the old system checking /changing points and condensors and dealing with gaps and dwell and smooth timing advance issues, since they worked well enough for so long before there was a better system commonly available. I kind of figure there is a really, really good reason why, as far as I know which isn't very far..., no new regular production cars or boats are offered with points ignition systems. probably not even lawn mowers. Personally , I wouldn't go back to that on a bet. Heh, this is reminding me of the days of owning a peppy little Mazda that had 2 distributors and 3 sets of points and condensers on the rotary engine. That kept me busy.
 
Not sure if this is any interest or help or even particularly relevant at this point , but I happened to find this old posting to this forum :

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Petronix Ignitor Troubleshooting
Low Voltage

We occasionally get Ignitors sent back from customers as faulty. In the great majority of cases the unit checks out fine indicating there is something amiss with the vehicle. The most common reason for an Ignitor not to work is low voltage. If the red wire is connected to the coil + terminal the voltage there is usually reduced by a ballast resistor or a resistor wire from the ignition switch. Voltages over 8 will fire an Ignitor in a 12 V system. However, the voltage can be lower if the resistance in the circuit is higher than it should be resulting in misfires or no spark at all. This can be caused by loose electrical connections, corrosion at electrical connections or deterioration of a resistor wire due to age or neglect. In cases of low voltage the red wire should be connected to a full 12 V source from the ignition switch as mentioned in the instructions. The power source must come through the ignition switch so that there is no power to the Ignitor when the engine isn't running. If there is power to the Ignitor when the engine isn't running and the engine happens to be stopped in a position analogous to points closed, the Ignitor will continue to try to charge the coil. The current in the Ignitor/coil circuit will have no place to go except into heat. This could damage the electronics in a standard Ignitor. The Ignitor II has an automatic shut off feature to prevent any damage under these circumstances.

Another way to get low voltage to the Ignitor is if there is a bad ground between the breaker plate on which the module mounts in the distributor and battery negative (assuming a negative earth system). With a digital ohmmeter set on its most sensitive scale, measure the resistance between the breaker plate and the battery negative terminal. If it is 0.2 ohms or more you have a bad ground. Check for corrosion at the connections of the ground strap between the breaker plate and the distributor housing and also at the battery itself or where the negative battery cable attaches to the block. Another possible resistance source is the distributor hold-down clamp which is the electrical connection between the distributor and block or intake manifold. If engine parts have recently been painted there may not be a good ground. 0.2 ohms may sound like a negligible amount of resistance, and in a steady state circuit it is. But in an ignition circuit where the current is switched on and off many times a second, the transient effects of the 0.2 ohms is significant and can prevent an Ignitor from firing normally.
 
Good job Sandy,Looks like you did some digging to get the straight scoop. I have no experience with the #1 unit but I did install an ignitor II on my dad's boat. This is the second season for it and it has worked without a hitch. Its a 91163A on an old 165hp. Long term...who knows. I'm not sure anything electronic lasts forever. Pocket change I'm sure your right that a lot of people still run points. My biggest reason for eliminating the points and going with the Ignitor II kit for him was that he doesn't use the boat much. When it ran with points it was fine but when it sat for long periods it occasionally didn't like to fire up.(no or weak spark)I'd go clean up,file or replace the points and he was off and running, again no problem. The biggest problem was after it sat over the winter. In the spring we'd put the muffs on and get it running in the driveway so it was ready to go and it was a 99% certainty that there would be no spark. Again, the points would be the issue. Clean,file or replace. It got to be a pain in the neck year after year to wonder if it would run when he wanted to use it and to have to go thru that ritual every spring. I put the pertronix in and he ran it last season(2008) no problem. The real test was spring 2009. After sitting the winter I dribbled an ounce or so of gas into the carb, turned the key and within a few revolutions it fired and I pulled it back to idle and it idled right away. I was impressed as I can't remember how long its been since the points set up worked like that after winterizing. If ever. So for my Dad it was not much use, and just wanting to use the boat when he wants to use it with out messing with it(he's in his 70s). He just wants to turn the key and go. I'd venture a guess that Pocket change using the boat often may never experience a problem with points. Its just my story and a possible alternate solution to anyone not happy with points for whatever reason.
 
Davcar
Pocket Change is idle only November and March. From 4/1 until 10/30 it is in a slip in the Hudson River and December 15 to March 1 It is in the canal at the rear of our winter rental in Key Largo Fl.We trailer it down.It is out almost every day down south because the fishing is so good. If you use the boat a lot you have less problems than if it sits weeks at a time.There is more maintenance however. I reseal my drive twice a year, once in spring and before we head south. I do have another Petronix unit coming so in case of problems I have it. I believe in spare parts. Thanks for the input.
 
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