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Points or CDI? If you had the choice...

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bigtime_mcalpine

Regular Contributor
I’ve got two disassembled 70’s era 9.9’s in my backyard. One I’ll keep and the other, once assembled, i will sell. When I took them apart I eventually noticed that one is the older points style ignition system and the other is the more “advanced” CDI type

I was going to just keep things simple and keep the points ignition for the motor I’m keeping but now I’m second guessing myself. Any experience or thoughts on v1 of the CDI ignition system? Should I be rethinking my plan or just keep it simple?
 
There are pros & cons to both. Where you boat might make a difference.
CDI is no moving parts, no maintenance, very reliable, BUT, if a single component shorts/cooks/dies, you are dead in the water, with no recourse to a bush fix.
Being a North of 60 guy, I grew up with points, both in boat motors & our cars. They are simple to set up, very reliable, & easy to fix if they do crap out.
When I lived in the NWT, a good number of outpost camps used motors with points. These camps could be hundreds of miles from any other human being, or phone. Only access was via boat or float plane. Everyone kept a spare condenser & points, along with a few wrenches. A dead ignition system could be fixed rather easy.
That said, the vast majority of us are never out of cellphone range & a dead kicker is not a serious issue, you don’t have grizzly Or polar bears wandering the shores.
I have a 15HP & a 6HP from the 70’s with points. Never had an ignition issue with either. I also have a 9.9 & two 8’s that are CDI, & have had no problems.
I would keep the motor that is best internally. Lowest hours and/or best compression, bottom end etc.
 
Agree with both you guys.....but it depends on where your boating. Ed.....been there lived that....still living it....remote camps in NW Ontario. I prefer points. They NEVER EVER will fail without adequate warning. They may fail from storage, but this is an easy fix. CDI is reliable but will fail without so much as a seconds warning. I have bet my life on breaker/mags in -50 weather with old Ski Doos.......in no man's land. With guys in their 70's and 80's counting on me. The decision is yours, but carry a spare CDI in your bag or tackle box.....if your out all alone with no help. Gator, I have some incredible CDI failures that almost cost the trip, but I usually run twin tillers. Love em.....but CDI's can bite you too. Mercury is full of too much technology and changes....try to avoid them....in a way,they can be considered "over engineered". In the bush, Ed knows the ropes. Thanks guys....your both right.....just don't hit a rock pile....eh? Man, have I got a story for you on that one...
 
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bigtime_mcalpine said:
I’ve got two disassembled 70’s era 9.9’s in my backyard. One I’ll keep and the other, once assembled, i will sell. When I took them apart I eventually noticed that one is the older points style ignition system and the other is the more “advanced” CDI type

I was going to just keep things simple and keep the points ignition for the motor I’m keeping but now I’m second guessing myself. Any experience or thoughts on v1 of the CDI ignition system? Should I be rethinking my plan or just keep it simple?
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Keep the CDI ignition! should not even be a conversation about which one to keep. The 9.9 with points is not the universal magneto Evinrude used in earlier models. It is the troublesome low tension magneto that was a disaster from the beginning. I personally would take it and get together with timguy and find some poor sucker to buy it for $1500.
 
The question was directed at the 9.9hp motors. That said, you guys in the Canada Northland live in a whole different world (literally) than we do down here on the Gulf coast. Those 1974-76 9.9's should have been painted lemon yellow. People bought them for use as sailboat auxiliaries and they wouldn't run one weekend, fresh out of the box. Don't blame me for not being able to fix them---the factory couldn't make them run either.
 
Well...if 1 degree of spark timing error is the difference between a win or a holed piston ya need an electronic ignition. Otherwise its probably cheaper these days to produce the electronic option rather than manufacturing points ignition and paying to set then up correctly..even by cheap labor.

The energy transfer system has been used on so many vintage snowmobiles and airplanes without issue. I have the energy transfer system on my 15 and have never had it even cough. Its really all about pulling the wheel that gives points bad taste.

The issue with the early ones were a function of carburation and a poor throttle cam shape...not type of ignition.
 
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Ha...Mr. Scott, your a blast. Still love that one about the pressurized tanks. If you ever left the forum....I think I'd quit. Usually can't wait to read your posts.
Yes....I've been pretty lucky with the points with low/high coils. Not sure why, but they just never failed me. But yes.....I guess I'm talking point ignitions in general....so simple so reliable.
 
Ok thanks, great info. Wouldn’t mind hearing some of these stories actually. Feel free to take-over the thread! I think I’m going to go with the points: no as much because of the tech but because of powerhead health. The one with the points has clearly been taken care of. All bolts are coming out nice, everything is lubed and there are signs of TLC. The other…well, different story. Went out to the sailboat yesterday and (once again) wanted to throw my 4 stroke 2008 mercury into the water. that damned thing is like a machine out of Stephen King Maximum Overdrive. Left the dock, worked fine until I was close to the breakwater. Then it turns off. I yell for help from water taxi, girl comes running out, jumps in boat, heads my way. Just as she arrives the motor decides it’s comfortable starting now. Can’t quite decide whether to set the motor aside and figure out the issue or just sell as is.
 
To heck with that Mercury.....now let's talk about that water taxi. Now I know why you want to fix the '74.
 
Every owner has a different ability and ambition.-----Different budgets too.-----Every motor is a little different.-----But say you were faced with ignition issues on a 1966 model 9.5 Johnson.-----You decide to replace it all as a fix.----You could do it for as little as $100.------Now the same thing / issue / approach on a 1998 Johnson 4 stroke 9.9 would cost about $1500.-----I would rather run the 1966 model 9.5 as it has DUAL ignition and likely will not suffer from total ignition failure..-----Every situation is different.------
 
Timguy, please do tell who made old ski-doo motors with points
Inquiring mind here want's to know. I work on di's 2 stroke, some I work on used position. sensor. To know .where motor is, but that's old school and also using rave valves, motor will run away out of water trying to decarbonizing the piece of crap
 
Mikey N.C. said:
Timguy, please do tell who made old ski-doo motors with points
Inquiring mind here want's to know. I work on di's 2 stroke, some I work on used position. sensor. To know .where motor is, but that's old school and also using rave valves, motor will run away out of water trying to decarbonizing the piece of crap
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Bombardier. Elan, Skandic, Nordic, Olympic, & several others.
Back when I was young, every one of the natives in the Arctic were running 1 lung Elans. They ran them all winter, all spring, & much of the summer. Yes, it was little harder on skis, but they drove them up the dirt road in the village I lived in, there were no ATVs then.
They could be fixed with baling wire & a few basic tools.
They used points. They couldn’t be killed with dynamite.
RAVE valves were not used on the basic 1 lung engines, those were later on, & the purvey of the more powerful engines.
I know this, I still have a ‘95 Seadoo SPI, (587 Rotax engine), the higher powered units used RAVE valves, which as you know need to be cleaned regularly.
 
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I used a 1973 Rotax one lunger...points... for my hovercraft I made for my college project. Yamaha 340 and 440 from early 70's used points. I used Kmart auto universal spark coils on my 340 Yami.

I have owned several point Rotax...ski doo...sleds and never had ignition failure. So many years ago I had a Tohatsu twin that had a Prestolite ignition and went through a couple of spark boxes before I got one that lasted.
 
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Great info from all. Racer.....good question.....you probably know the answer, but the real reliable years began in the late 60's, with German/Austria motors called Rotax. I have maybe a dozen left here....yes, the single cylinder Rotax. This is points/coil ignition with charging coil as well for your headlamp/taillight. I have operated my 1969 12.3 Olympic in -50 degree temps when the Dayco "radial" track wouldn't spin at first unless you rolled the machine on its side first to limber it up. Racer is my mentor, he knows what is brilliant engineering.....that is engineered to work and last, simple to maintain and repair.....not like in today's world where engineers are paid to create future expense and failure, just to get more consumer "beer tokens". They hang gadgets on in order to make the consumer feel all warm and fuzzy.
The Elan uses the same track as the Olympics and even the twin track Alpines. The Elan is only 265 pounds. New sleds are 500 to 700 pounds, that's why we need 100 plus horsepower now. Some are able to run on open water with no special modifications. Trouble is if your gonna troll, it might be a bit fast.
 
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timguy said:
To heck with that Mercury.....now let's talk about that water taxi. Now I know why you want to fix the '74.
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hahah, for the record I did not know WHO would be on taxi duty before setting off!

As an update, the damned (neglected) CDI worked like a charm. Should have installed it on the one I'm keeping, I guess. My bigger beef is that the CDI cover plate has a pee-hole and the cover plate for my motor does not (water apparently exists below the water line). This is not very helpful in make sure water is flowing before heading out.
 
bigtime_mcalpine said:
hahah, for the record I did not know WHO would be on taxi duty before setting off!

As an update, the damned (neglected) CDI worked like a charm. Should have installed it on the one I'm keeping, I guess. My bigger beef is that the CDI cover plate has a pee-hole and the cover plate for my motor does not (water apparently exists below the water line). This is not very helpful in make sure water is flowing before heading out.
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The 74-76 models should have a healthy quanity of water exiting the exhaust relief ports.
 
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