Re: Installing a Pertronix 1146a and Flame Thrower Coil on a '82 Merc 470 2bbl.
Try not to confuse Ignitor voltage with coil voltage... they may be same... or they may not be same, since each are on separate sides of the system.
If the coil requires a full 12 vdc (some refer to these as "internally resisted") then no ballast resistor is required.
If the coil requires external resistance, then the correct ballast resistor must be used.
Let your Pertronix installation instructions determine the Pertronix Ignitor voltage.
Note: Some look to the Pertronix conversion kit to solve problems that are not solvable by the conversion alone.
Progressive spark advance or worn shaft issues for example.
So make sure that your previous points system problem was NOT due to worn or malfunctioning components.
If your shaft is worn (causing a slight wobble that may have created a change to dwell), and/or your advancing system is not doing what it's suppose to be doing, you'll first want to have this corrected.
The kit alone will not fix this.
I say this because all too often I see guys installing the Pertronix kit thinking that this will solve an issue that is actually an issue with the shaft or advancing system.
A shaft wobble will create a dwell change, or fluxuation to dwell, with the Hall Effect units.
Also, if the mechanical flyweights are not working correctly, the new Ignitor will not do much to improve performance.
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Last edited by RicardoMarine; 01-15-2012 at 09:23 PM.
Rick ... aka Ricardo..... AQ series Volvo Penta repair
Portland, Oregon
28' SDN F/B w/ twin Volvo Penta 5.7L DP's
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