ELECTRONIC IGNITION

[8543bob]

GOOD MORNING, I purchaced and received the petronix 161 electronic ignition for the distributor. Great purchace, easy install, pull the distributor, remove the base plate with the points and condensor, replace it with the petronix base plate, place the magnet ring on the distributor cam and re-install the distributor. Start her up and off we went. No more point adjustment, or wear. cost $120 free shipping from e/bay. Just my observations. BOB

[T. Highway]

Bob,

I hope that you remembered to oil the lube wick while you had the cap off.

Bert

[8543bob]

THANKS, While I had the dist out and the plate off I noticed that the fly weights were frozen, I hit them with kroll and then lubed up the entire system.
BOB

[rtkjmk]

I used the same system on my M about 2 years ago , has been working great , just had the cap off for a check and to lube the distributor wick and everything was good to go . I agree it was a easy install , pulled the distributor , cleaned and lubed the weights and did the install . bob k

[Joe]

Pictures? What's Pertronix's part number? They have several 161s; G-161, CH-161... Are you using it in the original military distributor or a civilian one?

[mike_l]

Joe,

Yep, the original military distributor is used with Pertronix PN MV-161A.

[m-37Bruce]

Hey Mike,
I wonder what the part # would be for the 12 volt version, anybody know?

[8543bob]

CK OUT THE PETRONIX WEB SITE OR GIVE THEM A CALL, THEY WERE VERY HELPFULL, BUT I GOT THE CORRECT PART NUMBER FROM ONE OF OUR MEMBERS,
BOB

[MSeriesRebuild]

I noticed no one has mentioned anything about checking the condition of the shaft bushings and oil seal. On 99.5% of the ones we tear down, the shaft is loose in the bushings. Running it in that condition takes a toll on the inner cap and rotor as concerning the longevity of these components, plus it will most definitely affect your engines performance. A bad oil seal will also allow oil to escape back upward into the distributor housing. It collects in the bottom of the shaft cavity and under the coil, never reaching the oil starved top bushing. Ever pull your coil out of the housing to find oil collected on and around the bottom of the coil?

Many who have come to us complaining of weak performance, hard starting, and just dumbed down performance in general; we find it very often can be attributed to the overall condition of the distributor. Many think changing points and condenser is all the system needs, hardly the case though. The major cause of bushing/shaft failure is lack of lubrication to the top bushing; many don't have a clue that it must be oiled manually. Another issue is this; most often removing the plug and oiling isn't worth much until the wick is removed, thoroughly cleaned and reinstalled before oiling. A residue builds on the wick over time that will keep it from transferring oil to the shaft as intended. What happens here is simple, you see every time you pull the plug, oil is standing in the elbow. First reaction is put the plug back in, it doesn't need oil. The real issue is the wick is not transferring oil, so you are being fooled into thinking all is great. One other issue that also comes to mind is the type of oil some use. Some people will use the cheapest oil they can buy for this purpose thinking it is just fine. Using a high quality engine oil is imperative to good engine care. Using poor quality oil obviously doesn't offer the lasting protection that top quality oil does; and the oil that goes into the distributor elbow eventually ends up in the oil pan. The smart thing is to use a top quality oil in your crankcase; and the same oil should be pumped into the distributor elbow.