Kenny,
I'm working from memory here, and it's been a long time since I installed a
Pertronix on my BJ8, but with that caveat here goes:
Points switch current to ground, 'downstream' of the coil. The Pertronix
switches current to the coil 'upstream' of the coil (like a light switch). If
you think of this as a flow of water and disregard polarity--in your mind, not
the actual wiring--this analogy works. So, the Pertronix needs a circuit to
ground downstream of the coil. The white with black tracer wire goes to the
battery cutoff switch in the boot. I used this wire for the ground wire for
the Pertronix. The problem is this wire is an open circuit with the cutoff
switch in the 'on' position (a rudimentary anti-theft device since when the
cutoff switch is in the 'off' position the coil is constantly grounded and
cannot produce a spark). I moved the white/black wire to the same terminal on
the cutoff switch that grounds the battery (you'll have to put a large loop
terminal on the wire--solder or crimp--I used a crimp). This way, the
white/black wire provides the necessary ground for the Pertronix and retains
its 'anti-theft' feature. If you choose not to do it this way you'll still
need an alternate wire to ground on the '+' (or 'CB') terminal of the coil and
the white/black wire becomes useless .
You still need a wire from the distributor to the coil, but IIRC it will now
come from the Pertronix (the other wire comes from the ignition switch). I put
spade lugs/clips with on all connectors and left the original wiring
disconnected but tied back with tie wraps in case I need to revert to points
(hasn't happened in over probably 75K+ miles with the Pertronix).
bs
--------------------------------
Bob Spidell - San Jose, CA
Help. I finally purchased the Pertronix electronic ignition to help solve my
timing issues. I looking for positive ground installation help. I am trying
to figure out the wiring. The instructions say to "remove the ignition wire
from the neg terminal on the coil and connect that wire to the black wire from
the Ignitor then connect the blk/wht Ignitor wire to the neg coil terminal" -
sounds easy.
The instuctions continue... "connect an insulated AWG 20 copper straded wire
from the positive coil terminal to the positive battery terminal or chassis."
Here is were I'm a little confussed. There is currently two blk/wht wires on
the positive terminal of my coil. One comes from the distributor and the
other one comes from ? (I think the battery switch - I can't read the small
print of my wiring diagram). I assume the wire from the distributor gets
deleted, the other wire just stays connected to the coil, and the installation
would be done. Right?
Kenny
'61 BT-7
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