36 Ford truck on Ranger

[Old Iron]

Don't ever leave the ignition on over 10 minutes, while working on it or listening the the jukebox. The coil will self destruct, trust me on this one
The Petronix module holds the trigger on to the coil like points, resulting in over heating and the oil will spew everywhere.
I'm sure you know this, most coils are supposed to run on 8 volts not 12 hence the firewall resister. The extra little stud, on the starter solenoid, (remote solenoid on a Ford) bypasses the resister and is for starting the engine, it delivers 12 volts to the coil until you let off the switch to assist in quicker starts.
That said, I run 12 volts to the coil using a Petronix because it doesn't burn the contacts like points do.

 

[MercuryMac]

Doc, I just took the external resistor out of the ignition system wire, but I'm in the middle of ordering a new Flame thrower coil. The spark plug wires are brand new and expensive, so I'd like to keep them. Also, they are the third set that I've put on this motor. Maybe I can get the PerTronics III pick-up and that will be compatible with the wires.
OI, yes I have the older Ford solenoid that has the extra contact to give off 12V to the ignition while starting. It really makes a difference in starting a flathead, especially just after a wash job. Now-a-days, you have to order in a '56 to '70's something Ford solenoid, to get the one with the right internal wiring. Most of the newer ones have that extra peg as a ground.

 

[Bamamav]

Speaking of grounds, how is the motor grounded? Do you have a separate cable from it to the frame, or just grounded through the motor mounts? I've seen ground issues cause some funky things....

 

[MercuryMac]

Bama, I have a ground strap from the bottom of the bellhousing to the right hand frame rail.
After cleaning the spark plugs, and phoning lots of guys to ask questions of, I took a test-drive. This was the best test I've had on this motor. It was not perfect, but it was uplifting.

 

[Old Iron]

[cl
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[Bamamav]

Well, it was a thought anyway. Maybe it will get better....

 

[MercuryMac]

And a good thought, Bama. How did you know that when I was younger and dumber, I was a wee bit careless about grounding the engine and cab to the battery? Old age has improved me, --- like expensive wine.

 

[Bamamav]

And a good thought, Bama. How did you know that when I was younger and dumber, I was a wee bit careless about grounding the engine and cab to the battery? Old age has improved me, --- like expensive wine.

Maybe ......experience?

Saw a choke cable light up like a toaster element once.....fast learning experience!

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Doc, I just took the external resistor out of the ignition system wire, but I'm in the middle of ordering a new Flame thrower coil. The spark plug wires are brand new and expensive, so I'd like to keep them. Also, they are the third set that I've put on this motor. Maybe I can get the PerTronics III pick-up and that will be compatible with the wires.

I'm trying to save you some grief, Mac. Expensive as they are, they're still the wrong wires. They'll confuse your electronic pickup and cause it to misfire until the pickup quits altogether. PerTronix Ignitor III is no different as their literature clearly states...

.

 

[MercuryMac]

Thanks Doc, did you get that information of the Pertronix site? The partsman who sold me the electronic ignition and the wires said they were alright because they were copper wires instead of steel. Hmmmph. My system is Igniter I, but it probably won't be better than Igniter III. It's not that I'm trying to be ignorant Doc, it just seems like I've spent a lot of time and money on this motor to get nowhere.
Bama, when you said 'experienced', I at first thought you were talking about the wine. I don't like the taste of experienced wine, ----- that's wine that's been run though a human, isn't it? ----- Then I realized you were talking about us. It makes sense now.

I did a little on the truck today. A week ago I had been fooling around under the dash getting my oil pressure idiot light looking right again. In the struggle to get the gauge group out of there and fixed I had killed the dash lights. Well, I found the problem today and fixed it. I had to hold my finger over the flash on the camera to get a good picture so everything looks a little bit red.

 

[earthman]

Mac, my experience with solid core plug wires, the cool transparent red ones, caused me to return a GPS speedo unnecessarily and my set of led gauges wouldn't function.
It's a jungle of electromagnetic fields out there.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Thanks Doc, did you get that information of the Pertronix site? The partsman who sold me the electronic ignition and the wires said they were alright because they were copper wires instead of steel. Hmmmph. My system is Igniter I, but it probably won't be better than Igniter III. It's not that I'm trying to be ignorant Doc, it just seems like I've spent a lot of time and money on this motor to get nowhere.

I had to search installation instructions for Pertronix. I can't tell you where I found the page I posted yesterday, so I searched again. (Similar links below) I understand you've spent lots of time and money. At this point, I only hope to minimize your losses and spend your next bag of money on properly matched components.

https://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/44771381A.pdf

https://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/44791168LS.pdf

.

 

[MercuryMac]

Doc, I went on the PerTronix site last night and read quite a bit. The first pages that I read said nothing about solid core wires, [these are the same pages that my partsman must have read], but I eventually came to the part about not using solid core wires even if they are copper. I think I'll go back to the points and condenser for the time being.
E-man, I remember back in the day that solid core wires made the nearby radios all staticy, so I should have thought that the same wires would interrupt newer electronic devices.

 

[Torchie]

Hang in there Mac.
My best friend is a auto parts store district manager. There are times when I need something and he says.... "don't go to that store today." It all depends on who's working the counter. [ddd
As a aside.....
One of the many reasons I haunt this site is that the comments people make are based on their actual experience. Not just some "heard it from a friend who....Heard from a friend" nonsense.
We are all pulling for you.
[P [P [P
Torchie

 

[lowbudget50]

I have never had issues with plug wires with a pertronix unit. but I do know you need to use there coil. the ohms are different. it will kill the unit very quickly if you don't. when my chevy did it it was like some one flipped a switch and turned it off

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Doc, I went on the PerTronix site last night and read quite a bit. The first pages that I read said nothing about solid core wires, [these are the same pages that my partsman must have read], but I eventually came to the part about not using solid core wires even if they are copper. I think I'll go back to the points and condenser for the time being.
E-man, I remember back in the day that solid core wires made the nearby radios all staticy, so I should have thought that the same wires would interrupt newer electronic devices.

That's what I would do, Mac. The wires you have are designed for high performance points and/or magneto ignitions in race applications, where leakage and interference are not an issue or concern.

It's a crying shame we have to dig so deep to find the relevant information. (It's nobody's fault but PerTronix in my opinion.) I hope upon hope your misfire cleans up with points calling the shots. Your MSD wires are massive overkill, but well suited to a points ignition...

.

 

[MercuryMac]

I've taken a couple of days off and done stuff around the yard, just for a break.
Doc, those MSD wires are over kill, but I was grasping at straws, straws that didn't save me.
Anyhow, I have a new cap, rotor and flamethrower coil coming in tomorrow. A new dream has come to me, also, what if my power valve is opening most of the time and pouring gas into the motor, fouling the plugs, so much that some of the gas doesn't burn until it is in the mufflers. The other exhaust lights up the remaining gas and I hear the popping.

 

[MercuryMac]

Again today I broke my own rule about fixing one thing at a time and then testdriving. I took the carb lid off and fished out the power valve, I couldn't see how to make a block that would shut off the gas so I spread seal-all to shut all of the holes in the old power valve. While the old power valve was drying, I installed my new distributor cap and rotor. There turned out to be only two return springs on the points breaker plate, so I took one of them off before I replaced the rotor and cap. Hopefully this would allow my lower vacuum to advance the timing easier. Now the seal-all had set up somewhat in my power valve, so I reinstalled it and put the carb back together. The vacuum gauge was still attached so I hung it over the windshield wiper so I could read it while testdriving. It was melting out there today and it rained last night so the back roads were really slick, so I couldn't push the truck at all until I got on the pavement. This has been the best testdrive yet. The vacuum gauge read what I considered nice, steady numbers all through the trip. On the level, in overdrive, softpedaling, I could keep the gauge at about 12 and keep my speed. At an idle, the gauge reads almost 13. I don't know what made the positive change.

 

[BillM]

That's encouraging news MM, sometimes you just have to take the win even if you don't know how you did it.

 

[dutch]

progress anyway...