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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Pittsburgh, Boat lives in Chautauqua NY
    Posts
    431

    Default Petronix Electronic Ignition

    So I decided to install my Petronix on Sunday....of course I was trying to do this job between the rain stroms and finally had to quit because of the downpour.

    I found that installing it was very easy...really not much to it. However once I had it installed I could not get the boat to fire. I installed it using the counter clockwise position. I also used the plastic rotor that came with the new ignition. I had read in the instructions that maybe the rotor would not work if I didnt have a spring loaded one. Wasnt really sure if I did or didnt so I installed the new rotor which seemed much bigger than the orignial. It would fire...so i changed back to the orignal rotor. Again it would not fire and then my battery died and the rains came so I had to quit.

    any ideas? For those that made the converstion to the Petronix

    1. Does your distributor rotor turn counter clockwise?
    2. Did you use the new rotor that came with it or reinstall the old one?
    3. Would the new rotor cause damage to the distributor cap contacts?

    Any ideas on what I did wrong with the installation. Like I said it doesnt seem that there is too much mess up in the installation. Any help would be appreciated.

    thanks

    Dan
    1984 Supra Rider

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    927

    Default

    That happend to me also. I had to unhook a resistor that sits under the plastic housing were the main breaker is on back of motor. The resistor would not let pertonix do its thing.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Northwest Missouri, St. Joseph
    Posts
    88

    Default

    The flat rotor is used on older engines, not sure of the years. The spring rotor is the newer style. I think you would have to use the newer cap with the spring rotor. My rotor snapped into the magnetic unit.
    agetech
    89 Comp
    Restored to "Better than New"

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Parkersburg, WV
    Posts
    1,940

    Default

    Dan -
    I ended up using the rotor that was with the distributor, not the new one that came with the Pertronix unit. I can't remember why, but I know that's what I did. Also, someone mentioned disconnecting the ballast resistor? I'm pretty certain you need that unless you have an aftermarket coil that has an internal resistor. All I can tell you is how mine is hooked up, and works with no problems. I'm probably not much help diagnosing a problem in this area - sorry.
    Clint
    Wake the World - West Virginia
    www.waketheworldwv.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    927

    Default

    The factory Petronix told me to unhook it. It was a 1983 ski naughty with 351 w. It worked great when I did?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Parkersburg, WV
    Posts
    1,940

    Default

    Go figure -
    Sorry I can't be more help, Dan. Maybe the guys at skidim can help.
    Clint
    Clint
    Wake the World - West Virginia
    www.waketheworldwv.com

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Pittsburgh, Boat lives in Chautauqua NY
    Posts
    431

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by csuggs View Post
    Go figure -
    Sorry I can't be more help, Dan. Maybe the guys at skidim can help.
    Clint
    Sent a note to Ski Dim...did not hear back yet. What does the resistor look like under the cover. I know what you are talking about but have never looked under the cover.
    1984 Supra Rider

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Parkersburg, WV
    Posts
    1,940

    Default

    The ballast resistor is a white ceramic-looking block and it's under the plastic cover on the back side of intake manifold. If you've not seen it, how did you have it hooked up?
    Clint
    Wake the World - West Virginia
    www.waketheworldwv.com

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Pittsburgh, Boat lives in Chautauqua NY
    Posts
    431

    Default

    Hmmm when i hooked up the electronic ingition...i thought I followed the instructions correctly...connected the black to negative terminal on the coil and the red to the positive side of the coil. Did I misread the directions. I dont recall any mention of the ballast resisitor in the instructions.
    1984 Supra Rider

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Parkersburg, WV
    Posts
    1,940

    Default

    I think my red wire went to the ballast resistor. I'll have to check to be sure which wire it is, but I know that one of them went there.
    Clint
    Wake the World - West Virginia
    www.waketheworldwv.com

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