pertronix upgrade?
 

Got a pertronix ignitor and coil to put on a 470 mercruiser. Do they all have a ballast resistor or wire? Do I need them if I put on a flamethrower coil? Here's some pics, two black wires from negative coil, red and purple/yellow wires from positive. The purple/yellow goes around to the port side. Is this the ballast resistor or starter solinod or what? Any help would be great,want to go fishing Monday.

BC

Didn't you get instructions with the kit? From what I remember, you don't use the resistor wire...

I got the instructions but they are so vague it's hard to tell.

the resistor wire is in teh harness on teh engine, cut the tape back and follow the purple wire on the coil back till you find a small connection with a piece of black heat shrink over it, it could be a piece of stiff solid wire as well, cut the purple wire up stream of this conenction and run a new wire to the coil, Tape it all back up liek the factory had it. I think you end up somewhere around the back side of the valve cover. The purple/yellow wire is hte resistor bypass wire from teh starter selenoid, it makes sure the coil gets enough voltage when you start the engine. Purple /white wire ususally goes to the charging circut and or electric choke coil. Look real close at the grommt for the wires under the cap, make sure the cap doesn't cut the wires when you tighten it down. You may have to use a rat tail file to clearance the cap a little

I put the Pertronix ignition and Flamethrower coil on my 170 a couple a years ago and it was probably the best upgrade I've done to it. What Spare said sounds right, I'll have to look at mine tommorrow. I know you don't need the resistor inline anymore, and watchout when replacing the distributor cap. I almost cut my wires the first time.

Thanks guys. I'll be working on it today.

BC

Oh well
 

Cut open the wiring harness,traced all the wires to figure out where to splice,no big deal. Mounted new flamethrower coil. I took the distributor apart and guess what, the new ignitor mounting plate is1/4 in too big in diameter. I used a 1146a pertronix kit which is for a 470 mercruiser I guess I'll have to pull the distributor to see what I've got. Can't see any numbers on it the way it is. Maybe it's not a delco. Any ideas? Thanks.

BC

should be a delco, post up a pic and I'll see if I can identify it

Thanks Spare, pulled the dist the tag says prestolite IBM 7026A 6J. Contacted Pertronix but won't hear from them untill tommorow or later. Can't find a part in their catalog to match that number. We'll see.

Thanks. BC:bsflag:

somebody swapped that distributor in there, while you have teh point plate out, go ahead and check the weights and springs, make sure the roto will rotate on the advance shaft.

Will do.

Thanks BC

The resistor wire runs from the coil to the electric choke. Do I cut this out and replace? Since the distributor is not origional I'll do a voltage check today. Here is a diagram that might help someone else out.

Thanks again BC

follow the wire from the coil up the harnes, you'll find a point in the wire where it either has a small piece of heat shrink or a hard single starnd wire, you can cut it here adn splice it up side of the resistor, or you can just tie it in anywhree in the harness wheres there is a purple wire and eliminate the resistor wire.

I've cut the whole harness apart and can't find anything! This set up is a 1983 v20 -470 mercruiser, any help?

it would have to been on the purple wire from the coil, it may have been just a short piece of hard wire in the harness

Got it hooked up today and she runs like a champ. Starts instantly,that's what I was looking for. Thanks to everyone. Going out in the morning for some lake Erie walleye.:clap:

BC

Pertronix
 

I installed one in my 74 V 165h.p. I/O Mercruiser when I restored her back in 2001.....one of the best upgrades I ever completed.....glad you got her done! Dave