pertronix question

[cosmo]

so i biught this pertronix system and installed it. i ran the red wire to a 12 v ignition source off the soleniod because my soleniod ign. source only pushed 3 - 5 vlts. so i got the pertronixs off 12vlts and the coil is running off the solenoid which is 5 and i decided to run my coil off the 12vlts. it is a 12v coil so no harm right. well after i did that i gaped my plugs a little larger to about .040 and the car would not start. it would turn over, just not run. so i took the gap back down, still nothing. gabed my multimeter checked my connetions and all were good. went and bought new spark plug cables and a new coil, still nothing. i went back over every connection from the battery to the soleniod to the ignition to the coil everything. it's all fine and power works everywhere i just dont get a spark. the car will crank it just wont start. is it possible that the unit was falty or what? please help[xx(]

[Roscomacaw]

Well, it's not BEYOND the scope of possibilities that you got a bum unit - out of the box. It DOES happen from time to time and such an experience certainly isn't exclusive to Pertronix units.
I bought a name-brand digital camera awhile back - damned thing was bad, right out of the box! I've had that experience with fuel pumps, auto electrical components and a color TV once.
Have you actualy WATCHED a loose plug wire to see if a spark jumps from it to metal as you're cranking?

That said - just how ARE you powering that red wire for the Pertronix module??? You've said: "to a 12 v ignition source off the soleniod because my soleniod ign. source only pushed 3 - 5 vlts. so i got the pertronixs off 12vlts and the coil is running off the solenoid which is 5 and i decided to run my coil off the 12vlts. it is a 12v coil so no harm right."

This doesn't compute for me.WHERE - exactly - is that red wire attached? If you've hooked it to the only terminal on the "solenoid" (and all I can think of is STARTER solenoid)that's hot with 12volts all the time - you may have fried the module. Just like you can fry a set of ignition points by leaving the key on too long, you can fry one of those modules if left powered (without the engine running, of course)for too long.
Exactly which terminal on the solenoid did you only see 3 to 5 volts on? That "ign" terminal should have 10 to 12 volts on it only when you're cranking the engine. It's just a bypass function of the resistive wire that's incorporated in the car's harness. When the solenoid's not engaged (and the key's on), you're gonna read 3 to 5 volts there because you're reading the voltage drop of that resistive wire - not what's coming from that "ign" terminal.
If you've got straight 12volts to that 12volt coil, chances are it won't last too long. Does it not say on the coil that you have to use a resistor with it? If so, the pink wire of the car's harness serves as that resistance. To defeat it by hooking to a solid 12volts would severly shorten the life of the coil. And certainly so if you had it wired to the terminal of the solenoid that's HOT all the time.

Miscreant at large.

[cosmo]

well you know there is this test on this pertronixs instructions for low voltage test, well at first i had the pertronixs hooked up to the coil like the instructions say to and the car would not start. so i tested to i terminal where my coil was hooked up and saw it was only 5 vlts. so i ran a jumper wire to the positive of the battery and the car started thats when i tested the i terminal again while it was running and say it was only pushing 5 vlts.
so i found a wire that wasnt connected to anything and it only had power when the key was turned and it was 12 vlts. so i connected the coil and the pertronixs to that. and like i said it ran for about aday then when i decided to try to gap my plugs bigger it didnt work. then i took the gap back down. and i think you know the rest.