Pertronix Hall effect distributor

Anyone had any experience with these? I have a Mallory electronic distributor that failed and the pertronix is not much more than replacing the ignition module in the Mallory.

Matt

I've had great luck with pertronix ignitions in automobile applications, I've even had them do custom conversions for me on a Flathead 8 Chrysler, a F heaf 4 cylinder Willys, and an early Hemi 331. If you go the pertronix route, I'd be interested in your Mallory, I'd like to have a spare for my Magnum, I have two of them for my twin 408 strokers.

By now I guess you found out Mallory Marine was sold off to Sierra when they MSD bought them...???

What difference do you see btwn the Pentronix...???

Jack

The Pertronix uses a cheesy version of Hall Effect!
Their system is nowhere near as good as Photo-Eye or VR.

Purchase the Mallory module and go enjoy your boat!

I have installed over 100 Pertronix modules over the years. I maintained fleets of forklifts powered by either flathead or slant 6 mopar industrial engines. Installed the pertronix conversions to get rid of the points. Honestly had 2 pertronix failures over a span of 20 plus years.

I'm still on the fence, I appreciate the responses. I will update which route I choose.

Pertronix uses a smaller-than-need-be magnet embedded plastic wheel that serves as the trigger wheel.
Due to the small diameter and cheesy plastic wheel, errors of up to 1.5 to 2 degrees have been reported and by Pertronix themselves.
We will not see this degree of errors with Photo-Eye or VR.





Shown below is a variance of Hall Effect. This system uses a steel trigger wheel.... much like VR.
To some extent, the gap shown controls Dwell Angle.







This is an actual Pertronix Ignitor unit in Retro-Fit form.
You can see the plastic triggering wheel.
For a Retro-Fit, the wheel is placed over the Ketering System cam.
Whereas with a Pertronix distributor system, the wheel is fitted in a much better and permanent fashion.





The VR (variable reluctor) trigger wheel is not much larger in diameter, if any.
However, the reluctor wheel is a precisionally machined part, which equates to more accuracy.


The photo-eye wheel is larger in diameter and is precisionally machined, which also equates to more accuracy.





BTW, the Chrysler Motors Company pioneered VR back in the early 70s, and it has stood the test since then.







.

I am pretty well set with the Chrysler unit, but I have had one Unilite. Worked well 'til the "lite" went out, but a new module fixed it. I put an extra one in the galley drawer.

We started with Pertronix in the 80's. We installed a pair in our Chris-Craft. They worked out great and in the late 80's we became a distributor. Sold hundreds with only a couple of legitimate failures. Most fail due to hooking up backwards with polarity. Great units for the price.

OK..... let me be the Devil's Advocate here.

"Great for the price" does not necessarily represent Good Quality, and Inexpensive or Cheap to purchase typically represents Inexpensively or Cheaply manufactured!


Try this:

Find a shop who owns an old school Sun, Allen or King machine and a person who knows how to operate it.

Set a distributor up on it that just happens to be equipped with a Pertronix unit.

Run the machine and plot out the firing separation angle in degrees...... not the Progressive Advance....... we're speaking about cylinder separation angle!!!!!

Example:
A V-8 Engine ignition system will:
... fire 8 times in 720* of crankshaft revolutions.
... create one spark event every 90* of crankshaft angle!
... create one spark event every 45* of distributor shaft angle!


Now install a VR system or a Photo-Eye system, and do the same test.




OK..... if you love your Pertronix system.... keep it. I'm sure that it will work and will last for years.

However, if you want a more accurate system, and if you are only a few dollars away from a non-Pertronix style system, then go for VR (variable reluctor) or Photo-Eye.

Typically VR is going to be found w/ mechanical advance systems.
Photo-Eye is going to be found with both mechanical advance and EST.

HEI has to do with the secondary high tension voltage..... not necessarily the type of triggering mechanism.





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