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Forum Rules (Click Here) -> Ontario Rodders -> General Car Talk -> The ongoing saga of how to keep this hot rod of mine running
Post Info TOPIC: The ongoing saga of how to keep this hot rod of mine running
Ragtop


BELLE RIVER, ONT

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The ongoing saga of how to keep this hot rod of mine running
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I've built a lot of Hot Rods in the last 50+ years and never, ever have I had trouble get a car running and keeping it running right like I've had with this T coupe of mine. I won't go into all the various problems that have come up but nothing has been because of something I have personally done wrong. Let me assure you though that the list is long - right Rochie? A few weeks ago I fired the car up and took it to the alignment shop for a toe in adjustment. When I went to leave the engine wouldn't start. Jumping the battery right to the starter allowed it to fire up and I got home OK but it hasn't started since. I was pissed with it and let it sit all through the holidays and got back on it today. the distributer was an Allstar electronic one. I checked everything I could think of and could not get the motor to start. On checking it, I found I would get one spark and then nothing - no matter how long it was cranked. The battery was fully charged (two batteries actually) and the starter is a small hi torque deal so it doesn't crank quite as fast maybe as a stock starter but I've used these in street rods for years without any problem. So I dropped in a stock distributer that had been converted to Pertronix - still no spark. With a stock point distributer the car would fire right up so I started checking the Allstar distributer on the bench and found if I spun the shaft slowly, I would get the one spark and then nothing but if it was spun very quickly there was all kinds of spark. Reinstalled in the engine the same situation occurred so I removed the plugs so the engine would spin faster and I once again got a great spark. Allstar has agreed to replace the distributer and I'll probably use it because the longer housing, which raises the cap etc. and it makes it easier to get at everything and has more adjustment for the vacuum advance due to a high rise intake but I'm carrying a spare distributer with me from now on. I guess that's to be expected with all the offshore crap that we get these days. I also checked out the Pertonix unit and the first thing I noticed was that it smelled burnt, so it looks like I need to replace the unit in it as well if I want to keep it as a spare. I'm thinking I should put a set of points and a condenser in the old stock distributer and run it. Call me pissed off. This took me 4 hours today and I'll need to make a trip to Blenhiem tomorrow to get my replacement distributer.

Ragtop
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Fast Elvis


LONDON, ONTARIO

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Hang in there Mike......you'll get her straighten out and I know the coupe will look outstanding in Detroit in a few months....can't wait.

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Torquewar


DORCHESTER, ONT

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Hey ragtop ....i can relate to the bull%^%#*& you are going through.
I decided to go with a aftermarket unit 2 summers ago (MSD) 2 weeks and 2 units later finally got one that worked.
You are right on the money with your comment OFF SHORE crap. Quality units are a hit and miss.???
All the manufactures have lowered the standards with regards to quality so ....whats a person to do.
The stock OEM units worked but good replacement modules coils etc are hard to find.
If you can stick to your original parts then do so and if oem stuff is available then buy it up and keep it for spares etc.
I had ignition issues last year again (COIL) and got standed......Tow trucks arent a good way of getting your ride home.Oh well just smile and deal with it.
Dont know what your working on but a good company ive heard about is Davis unified ignitions.
Your blood pressure will peak but It will work out.

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Ragtop


BELLE RIVER, ONT

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I have a couple of old Mallorys, a complete MSD setup, the Pertronix and the Allstar and I've had trouble with all of them. I think I'm going back to a point distributer

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pint and a pound


GTA

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It sucks when new stuff isn't worth the box it came in. I run a factory HEI and keep a spare in the trunk ... never had a problem.

Put aftermarket coils on a done up Kawasaki, years ago .... if it didn't start in one revolution, it wasn't going to (seems the coils were killing the battery somehow). Put the factory coils back on, no problems at all.

I'm pretty much done with the "latest and greatest" crap that's out there.

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77


BARRIE, ONTARIO

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on the pertronix , if you leave the key on ie the ignition box on , it will burn out the module . it says if you are working on the car and need the key in on position to unhook power to the pertronix ..
maybe at the alignment shop , if they left the key on for 5 ,, 10 ,,, 15 minutes , that mighta or probably cooked the unit right there .
I took my 70 Pont strato chief to a local frt end / frame shop for a little tweak , stock delco dist with points , when I picked it up , it started but would barely run , could only make maybe 15 mph on way home , no power at all .
got it home did some checking , points were burnt . They left the key in the on position while working on it .
I,ve had several friends with msd boxes on drag and modified cars , that if battery goes weak or dies an you boost start the vehicle the msd is now junk ..77.


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Ragtop


BELLE RIVER, ONT

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This car is pretty basic - no radio - nothing. I've never left the key on for any length of time and the alignment shop didn't either. The Allstar distributer was in there when it was in the shop and it's never been in any other shop so I don't know why the Pertronix deal burned up but I'm sure it did. No spark and it smells real bad. I think it's the magic smoke thing. You know everything runs on magic smoke and when you let the smoke out it doesn't work any more.

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427CARL


CLINTON, ONT

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Ragtop wrote:

I have a couple of old Mallorys, a complete MSD setup, the Pertronix and the Allstar and I've had trouble with all of them.

 

 

I think I'm going back to a point distributer    handshake.gif

         I think you are correct     



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Gazoo


BADEN, ONT

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Have you tried a Mopar?

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427CARL


CLINTON, ONT

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Gazoo wrote:

Have you tried a Mopar?

         you funny guy       will a mopar start in the rain?  

 

 

        I love Mopar   my most reliable vehicle is my 400,000 km 97 mini can (from Texas)



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Gazoo


BADEN, ONT

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427CARL wrote:
Gazoo wrote:

Have you tried a Mopar?

         you funny guy       will a mopar start in the rain?  

 

 

        I love Mopar   my most reliable vehicle is my 400,000 km 97 mini can (from Texas)

 Kinda looks like someone deleted there reply/comment. wink



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henry


CORNWALL, ONT

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Points rule and the did for 60+ years



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427CARL


CLINTON, ONT

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henry wrote:

Points rule and the did for 60+ years

         My 49 year old in the garage runs points  and will start 1st time every time  24/7  biggrin



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dodgy canuck


MILTON, ONT

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I don't know about the allstar distributor, but the pertronix needs to see a certain voltage in order to fire.
I had a no start issue in my Nova with the pertronix. Put the points in and it fired every time.
I found a the battery was dropping to 10.8v under crank which didn't cut it.
I replaced the battery, which didn't help. Turns out the starter was drawing a ton of amperage and dropping the voltage too low. Once I changed the starter, the pertronix worked like a charm!
Point is, check your battery voltage while cranking!

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Ninop69


THORNHILL, ONT

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That's a good point! It makes sense.

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hotrod-steve


PORT ROWAN, ONT

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Ive seen too many aftermarket ign systems crap out. If you are running on the street and don't rev too hi,I would stick to the points or factory HEI. If you run aftermarket you better have CAA.

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studeshaker


BUCKHORN, ONT

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hotrod-steve wrote:

Ive seen too many aftermarket ign systems crap out. If you are running on the street and don't rev too hi,I would stick to the points or factory HEI. If you run aftermarket you better have CAA.

 x2 on the hei. if you're not turning real high rpm, they work great.



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Ragtop


BELLE RIVER, ONT

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Right now the car is running a single 4 barrel, but as soon as everything is dialed in the tripower is going back on so that rules out an HEI and besides... they're just too friggin ugly on a car with no hood. Got to stick with a small distributer.

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Dick Kirkpatrick


MILTON, ONTARIO

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I don't know why you guys are saying "if you don't rev it too high" a stock points type distributor will work fine. In the 50's to 70's before HEI came out, lots of guys with small block chevrolets were revving them to 8 and 9000 rpm. In 1965 I was mechanic for Don Havers' B/FX 1965 Falcon with a 289 cu.in. Ford with roller cam, Crane heads and four 48ida Weber carbs. We used to launch the car at 10,000 rpm and we ran a stock high performance dual point distributor and I never heard it miss etc.

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51 Styline


NIAGARA FALLS, ONT

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Dick Kirkpatrick wrote:

I don't know why you guys are saying "if you don't rev it too high" a stock points type distributor will work fine. In the 50's to 70's before HEI came out, lots of guys with small block chevrolets were revving them to 8 and 9000 rpm. In 1965 I was mechanic for Don Havers' B/FX 1965 Falcon with a 289 cu.in. Ford with roller cam, Crane heads and four 48ida Weber carbs. We used to launch the car at 10,000 rpm and we ran a stock high performance dual point distributor and I never heard it miss etc.

X2. I was running a 283 Chevvy with Jahns 11-1 pistons ,Crane roller cam and dual quads and would launch at 8500 with no problems. The distributor was a Corvette Dual Point unit and it worked just fine.  



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slim


DUNDAS, ONT

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Ragtop wrote:

Right now the car is running a single 4 barrel, but as soon as everything is dialed in the tripower is going back on so that rules out an HEI and besides... they're just too friggin ugly on a car with no hood. Got to stick with a small distributer.

 Did they make a mini version for the 8 like the 6 that was used in the 4.3L. Thats what i run in the 235 coil is not built into the cap  but still uses the HEI 4 pin module.  Its a little taller then the stock unit but more or less bullet-proof.



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bluechev


PICTON, ONT

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When I started racing stock cars, we ran HEI,stock at first then went to aftermarket parts, lots of mystery problems.Changed to points, problems disappeared, ran 6200 to 6500 on a small block chev, 1/2 mile oval. The factory stuff works very well in my opinion.

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henry


CORNWALL, ONT

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Like I say

"the factory spent millions doing research, go original"

except for anything newer with may contain traces of peanuts, gluten or 3rd world parts.

In the old days quality was what brought a return customer....... nowadays lack of quality returns the customer

Today Profit, Profit, Profit, Profit, Profit, Profit, Profit !!!

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teejay99


BELLE RIVER, ONT

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...and having been in retail for 25+ years , you can talk quality and service until you are blue in the face and numerous people will still buy cheap ....guess they think that they will be the lucky ones ! It's their money .


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Rochie


LONDON, ONT

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TJ,
Mike ain't cheap…that's for damn sure!!!

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Ragtop


BELLE RIVER, ONT

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teejay99 wrote:

...and having been in retail for 25+ years , you can talk quality and service until you are blue in the face and numerous people will still buy cheap ....guess they think that they will be the lucky ones ! It's their money .

 This thing wasn't cheap! Over $300.00 for a distributer - you'd think it would last a while.



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My wife wants me to see things from a woman's point of view, so now I spend a lot of time looking out the kitchen window
teejay99


BELLE RIVER, ONT

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I was generalizing , not dissing Mike in any way . Hey , he's my neighbour !

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Rochie


LONDON, ONT

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TJ
Just came off wrong on paper…gotta watch out for the big guy ya know!

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Ragtop


BELLE RIVER, ONT

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No offense TJ. Just wanted to get the point across that nothing seems to be well made anymore.

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