Points vs. aftermarket kits.

[Xxx]

Points vs. aftermarket kits.

I was wondering what is your thoughts on the aftermarket kits to make a points distributer a so called pointless--- HEI distributer. What's your personal experience with them? Is there a better manufactuer {pertronics} vs other companies. I know with a spare condenser and a set of points and a hot wire I can make a motor run even without a matchbook cover just a good eyeball!! Oh don't forget a spare coil I can make spark to the plugs. Has anyone experienced a failure? We are talking computer type components in a harsh environment. Besides having a spare unit what does one do? Now what's the benefit to this? If you never had any problems with points, better power, fuel consumption, easier starting? My boat fires right up half a revolution and she's purring!! Do you need to retime the motor, does the mechanical advance still play a part of this? Thanks for any feedback or personal experience good or bad!! Thanks PAP

[bottom-feeder]

I put the hot spark in mine 2 yrs ago.....4.3 omc.......best 100.00 I ever spent

[Xxx]

Thanks for the response, what did it do to make you say Best $100 I ever spent??

[skipper19]

If you go with electronic box ignition, be sure it's a potted unit. I'm sure being an alternator guy you know what that means. I can't say anything bad about the box ignition, except for what you already mentioned about failure. You need a spare unit to be safe. My old ford has the ignition control module and when it craps out, it's in the middle of a busy intersection full of impatient rush hour traffic. Not cool! Not to mention making me look like a fool when trying to push a 1 ton truck off the road, and some some dumb bastard yells " Ya know ya gotta put gas in that thing idiot![emoji34][emoji32] So I carry a spare unit and bungee cord the Damn thing to the inner fender cause it craps out often like that. Can't beat the old stuff.. points, condenser, for being able to mcgiver the thing to work. Still even a coil can fail. Just had one do that yesterday. My 1966 cub cadet original Kohler coil just cost me 80 dollars. Damn inflation! Would have cost probably 5 bucks or less in 1966.

cent frum my notso smartphone

[fisherdude]

my boat had points . every spring i put a new set points condenser and rotor to get it started for the season . if the boat sat any length of time back under cap to clean points to get it going again . I had enough with this crap i said put in the hot spark conversion kit in and haven't been under the distributor cap in 6 years now starts up after winter and starts easier then the point ever did . at the time i bought the hot spark kit it was like 50 bucks . save a bunch of time and headaches

Edited March 23, 2017 by fisherdude

[Xxx]

Thanks guys, yea I'm with ya there skipper!! I never had any problems with the points system, hell im going on season #4 with the same set of points, I never had a no start, due to a no electric issue. I've never heard of the hot spark brand? I guess I'll stick to O'l Faithful points. System. I'm not plagued with issues, so don't fix what ain't broke.LOL, I had a 86 Chevy pickup that ate pick up modules about every other month. I always kept a spare in the glove box with the torx bit screwdriver handy, so ya I know where your coming from there Skipper.

[W.W.IV.]

My 89 BaHa had ford V8s in it with points and that made me happy because I could tune them myself.They could sit all winter and start right up in the spring, no trouble at all.Some time in the spring I would change the plugs points condenser and rotator,and set the timing by ear, and they ran like a top. Never had one quite me on the lake. No reason to change anything. If it ain't broke don't fix it..

Edited March 19, 2017 by W.W.IV.
Spelling change.

[AnglingAddict]

I upgraded to a set of Delco EST's last year and it was unbelievable the difference it made.  The motors after the retrofit almost had a new attitude and were so much smoother.  In addition, at the time we did this we also advanced the timing slightly to get smoother performance at idle because 95% of our hours on the motors are spent trolling. 

[Xxx]

1 hour ago, AnglingAddict said:

I upgraded to a set of Delco EST's last year and it was unbelievable the difference it made.  The motors after the retrofit almost had a new attitude and were so much smoother.  In addition, at the time we did this we also advanced the timing slightly to get smoother performance at idle because 95% of our hours on the motors are spent trolling. 

 

What is Delco EST ? Why do you say it made a  "unbelievable" differance??

[AnglingAddict]

Motors literally ran like new, super smooth - fuel consumption dropped by about 5 gallons per trip over the course of the year - I keep track of every gallon that goes in and divide by the number of hours on the hour meters each year.  Over the course of the year about a 15% savings on fuel - I ran almost 2000 gallons of fuel through it last summer so will pay for itself in due time.  Hotter spark so was able to lean it out a bit.  Wasn't the cheapest upgrade, a little over a grand in parts, but definitely worth it in my opinion. 

 

http://www.michiganmotorz.com/delco-voyager-marine-electronic-distributor-p-142.html

 

 

[lakebound88]

I too have the Delco est.. smooth units.

Making your stories, Reel Stories, since 2011!!

[jimski2]

Electronic ignition is in all the cars made today because it works and saves gasoline. I converted my old Dodge 440 to electronics and it started as soon as I touched the key. No more endless cranking waiting for it to start. The spark plugs were opened to a .60 gap also with the higher voltage from the electronic box. Keep the old points on board as insurance if the electronic fails. Mine never failed though.


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[Bozeman Bob]

Wonder why with the Delco you have to buy a new distributor. Its pretty basic, gear on bottom attached to shaft that on top that  "points" to the next plug that is to be fired. Electronic module now picks up the signal and fires it at correct time. I have used the Petronix complete system on several motors with the original distributor, no problems. Didn't notice any increased fuel mileage and with a carb, after sitting for a few days it takes a few cranks to fire. Then its a touch of the key the rest of the day. Its a pain to set the points correctly every couple years. Dwell meter ,vacuum gauge and feeler gauge is the correct way to do it, so carb and points are synched. No ,you do not have to retime the engine.

[L&M]

Just a quick question Bob. Why would you not have to retime or time the engine?

[Bozeman Bob]

The OP. asked if it needed to be retimed. If it was timed correctly to begin with then there should be no reason to time it again. Its not a bad idea to check it every couple years as the timing chain may stretch or distributor gear wear a fraction. I am all for setting it up correctly from the beginning and timing would be part of it in my case, with or without points . It would not be a bad idea to time it and I should of stated it that way, my bad.  

[Xxx]

I don't understand when folks say they time it by ear or if you put a pointless unit in it, anything over 650 ,rpm the mechanical advance will come into play, and you'll be way to advanced after that, I never rely on dash tach. For my rpm ref. Advancing or retarding the time changes rpm. So you have to be constantly adjusting the idle to stay under the mechanical advance.