Which Pertronix for 37lx180hp 470

"Which Pertronix electronic ig

"Which Pertronix electronic ignition system should I go with?
1) The Pertronix Ignitor (part #1146A) electronic ignition system with the Flame thrower 40,000 volt 3 ohm epoxy coil?
or
2) The Pertronix Ignitor II (part #91146A)electronic ignition system with the Flame Thrower II 45,000 volt epoxy (I think 0.65 ohm) coil?
Does it make much of a difference in the amount of power you would get out of the two choices? The resistance on the two are alot different? I would like to go with the Flamethrower II if possible and as long as it would not damage my engine! But was not sure what direction everyone else who has done the upgrade has gone. I read all of the information about both systems and was trying to get as much power and efficiency for a little more money. The two sites that I found the parts on offered both as an option but the description states that the Ignitor II and Flamethrower II are more for racing engines but can be used for ultimate stock engine performance. (not exact words but close enough) Twice the spark of original points setup,more power, better fuel economy and chip that advances timing as needed at higher rpms. Just wanted to see what you guys are running and why you picked what you picked. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks, Tom"

If there is no difference in p

If there is no difference in price take the second one. You can open the gap on the spark plugs to 0.045". It'll need some good plug wires to go w/it. You'll notice a smoother idle and a slightly better throttle response.

"I've ordered from Carshop

"I've ordered from Carshopinc.com about 5 times, without issue, and is the cheapest I've found.

I've purched a couple of the 91146A's and they've worked great, even starting an engine that was somewhat flooded (over choked) and I wasn't able to get spark from the points set (really pissed me off, and I'm good with points), I haven't used the Pert coils yet, a friend has though and it's worked great for him. the FT II actually. You can use a little more plug gap.. make sure you have really good (new is best) plug wires.

good luck."

"Thanks Guy and Brian for your

"Thanks Guy and Brian for your reassurance!
I was thinking the same way and do plan to use a a set of custom 8mm wires to carry the juice. I have been testing and debugging a rebuild that I finished this year and found that after about 45 minutes to an hour the condensor would start acting up and the engine would start to run really rich (I could see and smell gas vapor coming out the exaust bellows) The motor would run perfectly up until this point so I don't think it is a carb issue. The engine stayed running but smelled like unburned fuel. I only kept the points and condensor so as I could just get it running after the rebuild. They are sheer and utter rubbish at this point. lol Thanks for the heads up Brian on Carshopinc.com and would you believe that is the last and best priced site that I could find on the net. lol (I swear to God) I found the site yesterday afternoon before I posted on this site and was a little happier about the price. The Ignitor II sells for $91.95 and the Flamethrower II coil sells for $34.95 Some of the online stores are over $240.00 for the same setup. I was hoping that either of you would answer because I am pretty sure you guys both run 470 engines from reading some of your posts over the last year or so. I hope I am right! The only problem that I was worried a little bit about was the lower resistance of the Flamethrower II coil. There was a pretty lengthy discussion on breezeworks 470 talk about the use of stock merc. coils and resistor wire off of electric choke and if you used the Flamethrower 3 ohm coil you wouldn't need the resistor wire anymore. The stock coils were heating up pretty good. The guys were saying that you should use a 3 ohm coil so I was wondering how you guys did this with Flamethrower II that has around .065 ohms (I think). Am I overthinking on this one or is this a legitmate concern? thanks, Tom"

This is my second boat that I

This is my second boat that I installed the pertronix kit in. When I bought my current boat (MCM470) I purchased a new 1146A and flamethrower coil in a set off ebay for $110. They work well together and the epoxy filled coil stays cooler when running. Heat is not your friend when it comes to electronic comonents. I didn't notice any power increase but I didn't expect any. I did notice easier starting and smoother idling and better fuel economy. I went from burning 4 gph to 3.5 gph over a long weekend of cruising. I thought that was excellent. Also we have a very wet environment here and moisture gets into places that cause problems for your engine like under the dizzy cap. I have had no runnability problems with that either. I also like the set-and-forget maintenance of the pertronix.

Remember to reset your timing and idle when you install the kit.

I had a few old sports cars when I was younger and in all of them the points/condensors were a constant fiddle or problematic. One car would weld the points together after 6 months! I was replacing P/Cs and "sparking" plugs every 4 months religiously. I wish they had pertronix kits back then.

"Thanks Pugetsounder for the i

"Thanks Pugetsounder for the info! Appeciate you taking the time to answer my questions. I also grew up around alot of late 60s and all through the seventies International Harvester trucks and they could be a pain in the neck especially in wet conditions like you said. Are you in Washinton State or British Columbia? I remember reading a post of yours a ways back with one or the other. I'm from Pennsylvania and we have gotten our share of rain this year. Wettest season I can remember and yes points can be a constant problem adjusting or replacing or simply leaving the key switched on by accident. I have a 470 that I basically took every nut and bolt out of and rebuilt from the ground up. I have the 1988 3.7lx 180hp version with the Rochester Quadrajet four barrel carb. The motor actually produces 190hp at the flywheel but you lose 10hp through the drive to the prop. In 1985 and 1986 I think they called it a 190hp. I guess the extra ten or twenty horse doesn't really matter that much considering the engine is known to be a torque monster in its own right. I just want to do all of the known problem area upgrades like the aftermarket alternator (three wire setup) and the Pertronix electronic ignition system, 8mm custom wires etc... I have already removed the stator components so now all I got is basically a harmonic balancer. I guess I just want to try and make the engine a little more reliable and would enjoy a little savings on the fuel consumption considering I have a four barrel which throws economy out the window. I installed a 40 gallon Moeller belly tank because that was the largest tank I could get that would fit under the floor relatively nicely. I am expecting that I will be able to run 8-10 hours of course hoping that the four barrel starts to open up around 3200-3400 rpm. I guess I will find out soon enough. Thanks again Pugetsounder for your input. greatly appreciated! sincerely, Tom"

"Anytime! I can pass on the th

"Anytime! I can pass on the things I've learned in my own experience and try and learn from other's. Just curious what kind of fuel economy you get with the 4 bbl?

BTW I'm from Washington State, it pretty much rains saltwater around here! But the boating opportunities are endless when you consider you can pretty much go all the way to Alaska in protected waters. "

"I am not sure yet because my

"I am not sure yet because my boat is not finished. Cruising at around 3000rpm I would hope to get 3.5 to 4 gph. (maybe) The boat however is very light and the bottom is as smooth as glass. I think anything over 3300rpm and up you loss all economy! However, I have yet to put it in the water! I started restoration a little over two years ago. I am restoring a 17'6" 1973 Browning v hull. It is really an Aerocraft hull in which Browning Arms bought company in 1969 and got out in 1974. The company was bought out a few more times and lasted until the early 1980s keeping the name Browning-Aerocraft. I have rebuilt stringers,transom,rubrail,new stainless,new high performance rotary steering,new 3/4" oak dashboard,new chrome bezel gauges, two new 800 gph Johnson America bilge pumps,new auto bilge pump switches,new paint on entire boat (Interlux perfection-fighting lady yellow),new aluminum tandem axle 5 star Loadrite trailer, retrofit transom from outboard setup to full I/O Alpha One R/Mr 1:84 ratio drive. I got the engine and drive from a friend of my brother for nothing but previous owner lost interest about 6 years ago and really made a mess of engine. It had to be bored 30 over and I had a heck of a time getting it apart because it sat in salt water at Jersey shore. Installed new main bearings,camshaft,camshaft seals,pistons,rings,rod bearings,machined rod journals 10 over and left mains at standard,all new seal on front cover (water pump and timing cover) new crankshaft timing gear and keyway, remanufactured head from ebasic power in Carolinas, rebuilt quadrajet carb and so on and so on. I guess you got the picture by now!lol $$$
Anyway, it sure has been a labor of love because I would never do a full restoration again especially if the original condition of the boat was as poor as what I had to work with. I pretty much brought this thing back from the dead! lol
But I am proud of what I have accomplished thus far. It is starting to pay off at this point but I still have a good ways to go to get the boat to where I want it. I did all of the work myself and did make mistakes along the way and had to redo a few things a second time to make it right. I used approximately 22 gallons of resin and god knows how much fiberglass cloth and roven. I had the boat in two pieces and had to rebuild edges where rivet had rotted out. Put top and bottom back together with 5200 adhesive and a pile of 1/4 inch rivets. All chips and cracks on gelcoat were repaired with resin and glass. I couldn't even begin to guess how many sheets of orbital sand paper I went through to get her smooth but lets just say it was alot. I still have to install steering cable and throttle shifter control and cable. Oh yeah, I had to build an engine platform for front engine mount to sit on. (that was a son of a gun). Took a sheet of diamond plate aluminum and bent it over top of new transom and bolted it down. I guess I overkilled everything on boat but its built like a Sherman tank but is still very light for the size of it. Plus the engine package is more than enough for a 17 footer. I have gone too far not to finish the boat, if you know what I mean? Can't give up now!
pluggin away, Tom"

WOW! Do post pics if you get t

WOW! Do post pics if you get the chance. Good luck on the rest of the project.