Pertronix For My 58

So I was thinking of adding the Pertronix just for simplicity and reliablity. But I guess I have the odd ball distributor. The IAY 4012. In talking to their support, he did say I could go the 'custom' route where I send them in the distributor and they make a kit just for me. The cost is approximately $200-250 for the fitting, R&D, custom testing, etc. Sounds high to me since they already have all the R&D really done, it's just fitting.

 

Was thinking of doing this also. Didn't know I may have a distributor that may not work. I have a 58 too.

 

I have the Pertronix and I have rebuilt the old distributor for my F-134. I bought a new Pertronix coil and even though it states on the coil that it is not to be used with the regular distributor, it works fine with it. I have tried all three combinations, new distributor with new coil, old distributor with new coil, and vice versa and I can't tell any difference in performance one way or another. I guess it's just whatever you like. I plan on putting on the new coil and distributor and carrying the old ones just in case of failure...

 

It's there.

 

Another two cents worth. I run Pertronics in the 3B and points in the Commando. It's been about seven years on each of them and they still run fine.
I do still carry around a set of points for the 3B and have never needed them.

 

Reliability? Points have a hundred years of satisfactory performance to stand on.

I like having systems I can diagnose and fix, even in the boonies. Cheaply, too

 

For me, I'm gonna give the points awhile due to the cost to change. If I have issues, I'll revisit. Just shocked at the cost and that they didn't have one already. Oh well...life moves on.

 

For that price, I would just buy the whole new electronic distributor from KW or elsewhere. That way you also have the old distributor with points intact to sit on the shelf until you feel good about the swap. I had a unit go bad on mine and the whole distributor was replaced for free.

 

The very first Pertronix unit I ever installed in about 1993 is still going strong.

 

Just as a followup on this posting. My intermittent issue turned out to be the little fiber insulator washer for the screw going thru the casingthat holds the wire from coil to points. Is was partially missing and cracked, obviously from age. I talked to several guys that rebuild them and kept getting the answer that these simply fall apart after this many years and they won't sell their supply as they need them for the high dollar rebuilds they do. I guess I could have looked for some sort of 'fix' but I decided to just swallow the pill and do the 'custom' Pertronix. Sent the distributor off and got it back couple weeks later. Cost????? Well the $200-250 ended up being like $95 plus shipping so $115 total. Put back in and it fired right up. No sputtering or anything. Since they returned all the old parts, I will put them all together in a small bag and will keep in the tool box, just in case it ever dies and I have to go back out in the forest. Couple screws and it will be done.

 

I have always had good service with the points/condenser set up. UNTILL I used a set with condenser and caused me several headaches until I removed a condenser from another vehicle and all is well. I say all that to say--Don`t buy a tune-up kit that was imported from China.

 

In the final analysis, mine was obviously spuratically grounding out due to the disentigrating insulator. Probably could have rigged up something, but I'm happy so far with the Pertronix and it turned out to be cost effective.