pertronix ignitor #1584

[ghofstetter]

Thanks to everyone, I believe I just solved at least half of my problems with the 1963 R2. The ignitor drops right inside the old distributor. I checked 4 places for prices and availability. The best deal was on EBAY from "nitro3400". $67.90 delivered in the lower 48. Sure enough, their was a place where the other points were supposed to be. It ran, but not very well. One more thing I have learned. The Avanti starts immediatly when the supercharger inlet is removed from the top of the carb. Thanks again to all who helped!

George Hofstetter

[GTtim]

George,
Good going. It's nice to hear that you are on the road to getting your problems worked out. I look at it as a puzzle. Now the business of starting right up with bonnet disconnected, what could that be about? It sounds like maybe the choke is set too lean to me.
One more thing. You don't have to do this right away, but resign yourself to the fact that you need to take the distributor off the car and completely dissassemle it. Most importantly what you need to do is check the condition of the centrifigul advance mechanism. You may need to install new weights or refurbish the top of the distributor shaft where the weights connect or both. The weights on these distributors have been known to wear through where they pivot and fly off. That is not desirable. You can do all the work yourself, but it would probably be good insurance to at least have the distributor checked by a person with a 'distributor machine' when you're done. Also check the breaker plate to make sure it turns smoothly.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Tim K.
'64 R2 GT Hawk

[wagone]

It is my understanding that it is verboten to run the engine with the s'charger not connected to the carb (unless, of course, the s'charger is not being driven by the belts)--don't do it as it is death to the Paxton. I can't see at idle hurting anything but not at higher rpm. Hopefully the experts among us will chime in on this issue. The Paxton needs to "push" against something.

wagone and '63 R2 Avanti

[StudeRich]

George; I want to caution you against buying Studebaker parts from non-Stude. knowledgeable vendors! By saving yourself a couple bucks, you are helping to speed-up the demise of the Studebaker Vendors that we all depend apon to keep our club the: Studebaker "DRIVERS' " Club! in other words, we cannot keep driving them if the wholesale supplier does not get enough orders from us retailers to keep the parts coming!
Limited production parts require LARGE orders to make it profitable to produce the parts. Now I know this part may not be the best example, but you all get my drift!
Also, I happen to know that this vendor and others out there actually sell you the wrong part. [V][:0]As they, not being knowlegeable like our highly reputiable Stude. source: "Fairborn Studebaker" don't know that the Pertonix Avanti dual point unit does NOT fit '62-'64 Prestolite equipped single point Hawks & Larks !!

Peace, George! now I'll get off my soapbox! BUY USA, buy Stude. vendor parts!
Rich. at Studebakers Northwest

quote:Originally posted by ghofstetter

Thanks to everyone, I believe I just solved at least half of my problems with the 1963 R2. The ignitor drops right inside the old distributor. I checked 4 places for prices and availability. The best deal was on EBAY from "nitro3400". $67.90 delivered in the lower 48. Sure enough, their was a place where the other points were supposed to be. It ran, but not very well. One more thing I have learned. The Avanti starts immediatly when the supercharger inlet is removed from the top of the carb. Thanks again to all who helped!

George Hofstetter

StudeRich
Ferndale, WA

[DilloCrafter]

Let me inquire here about the options we Champion Six owners have for electronic ignition to replace points and condenser in our six cylinder motors. What is available for us (from Stude vendors, of course)?

[img=left]http://rocketdillo.com/studebaker/misc/images/Current_Avacar.gif[/img=left] - DilloCrafter


1955 1/2 Ton Pickup
The Red-Headed Amazon

[Chicken Hawk]

Phil Harris (Fairborn Studebaker) has about anything you would need for the Chamption six, 12 or 6 volt.

Ted

[quote]quote:Originally posted by DilloCrafter

Let me inquire here about the options we Champion Six owners have for electronic ignition to replace points and condenser in our six cylinder motors. What is available for us (from Stude vendors, of course)?

[img=left]http://rocketdillo.com/studebaker/misc/images/Current_Avacar.gif[/img=left] - DilloCrafter

Originally posted by DilloCrafter

Let me inquire here about the options we Champion Six owners have for electronic ignition to replace points and condenser in our six cylinder motors. What is available for us (from Stude vendors, of course)?

[img=left]http://rocketdillo.com/studebaker/misc/images/Current_Avacar.gif[/img=left] - DilloCrafter


1955 1/2 Ton Pickup
The Red-Headed Amazon

[ddub]

Mac, stop being coy and tell us what you really think!

53 Commander Hardtop
64 Champ 1/2 ton
WA state

[BShaw]

FYI: I have deleted a couple of posts that redirected this thread inappropriately. Let's either talk about pertronix and Studebakers or drop this thread. Thank you for your consideration.

-BShaw
Webmaster
60 Hawk. 49 2R5, 39 Champion

[ghofstetter]

Good News! Pertronix ingnition installed yesterday and R2 Avanti started immediately. This also took care of the problem I mentioned about not starting with the Supercharger hooked up on top of the carb.
Now, for my next problem which I still have. The engine takes forever to warm up before you can put it in gear without killing the engine. Is the answer, to remove the Carter carb and send it to the expert rebuilder which someone mentioned? Can I get a rebuild kit and have my mechanic do it? My mechanic says the carb does not respond to any adjustments which he has tried. "Adjustment screws"

George Hofstetter

[ROADRACELARK]

FYI... Between myself and a close personal friend who is also a long time auto tech., we've replaced at least 4 of the Pertronics Igniter electronic conversions. Note: neither one of us installed these. They were either installed by the vehicle owner or another tech. They are as follows; 67 Corvette 350, 71 Lincoln 460, 69 AMX 390, 63 GT Hawk 289 4bbl not R series. All of these failed with the same sympton. Owner juat driving along, without warning, encountered low power as if it were going to stall... then BOOM!!! A large backfire.. then DRT.(Dead Right There). Worse yet, it exploded the muffler like a cherry bomb in a mail box. Upon diagnosing the problem, a test light showed the pick up in the distributor just stayed on solid while spinning the engine over with the starter..no pulsing at all. Replaced the unit with their next better grade, Igniter II ($110-$120 depending on app.) No more trouble. Again, this is just FYI. I'm not trying to
downgrade Pertronics, I guess cheaper is not better in this case.

Dan Miller
ROADRACELARK

[Mike Van Veghten]

Isn't true that at some point.....EVERYTHING fails?

I used a Mallory Unilite unit on a car for most of about 12 years when almost everyone I talked to said they had or heard of someone that heard of someone that....that failed.

When a company sells hunderds of thousands (or more) of something....some percentage IS going to fail.

I can't tell you how many people I know that have sent MSD box's back for check/rework/nothing wrong here (!) answers (all of the above!). Racers ars SO finicky...!

Digital cameras, computers, etc., etc., heavy on failures of one kind or another.

My street Lark has a Pertronix unit, my hot rod Lark has all MSD stuff (Chevy)...not sure what I'm gonna put into my Conestoga when I put the V-8 between the fenders.

You buy and takes your chances on most everything.

[ROADRACELARK]

Mike,
Point well taken. It just seemed strange to me this happened in less than a 2 year period. Oh well. Thanks Mike.
Dan

[GTtim]

So pertronix is in and the engine starts much better and runs okay when it is cold, but don't try to put it in gear. I believe you must have an automatic, correct?
First things first, now that the engine starts and runs okay, set the timing according to the shop manual. Supercharged cars have special timing instructions. After you have set the timing verify that the centrifical advance mechanism is working okay. It would also be good to verify the operation of the vacuum advance. With these two things proven you can adjust the idle screws on the carb. A vacuum gage is helpful for this. All of the above must be done with the engine hot and the choke completely open, and according to the specs in the manual.
If all the above is too much detail for you to handle right now then try to adjust the choke when the engine is cold. My guess is that it is a little lean. Try moving the choke adjustment one or maybe two marks toward rich. Make sure all the choke linkage is clean and opens and closes freely. There is a little vacuum piston behind the round black cap with the thermostat, sometimes they get gunked up. A can of carb cleaner can work wonders on the small problems like that.
Give it a go and come back with more questions. Remember, we're pulling for you, we're all in this together!

Tim K.
'64 R2 GT Hawk