1st gen q-jet problems, Pertronix ignition question

[gaspass]

I'm having trouble with the choke sticking shut. After a good cleaning it hasn't improved. It all started with the thing staying at high idle as I pulled up to a stop, and I would have to tap the trottle to get rpm's down. Then it would kind of idle rough. Any ideas or suggestions? Also, has anyone ever installed a Pertronix Ignitor ignition in their 1st gen? A friend of mine put one on his 1966 GMC truck (V-6) and said it made a world of difference. It supposedly fits under the stock distributor cap and replaces the points and condenser with a little electrinic box so you never have to change these parts again and never have to adjust it. It's supposed to be like installing an electronic ignition, but only takes like a half hour to do. Plus my friend got his off E-bay for like $42. I checked at the local parts store to see if they had one for my 72 and they are about $90 retail.Has anyone ever done this or heard of it? How does it perform?

 

[Burt4x4]

If I was to use Pertronix I would get the whole distributer. Check Summit. I have heard good things but never used there stuff.

There is a small spring that controls the tension of your top flap on your carb. You will see it on the pass side. You have to put a small flat head screwdriver on the set screw, holding the spring tension, then loosen the keeper nut and adjust acordingly. If it runs ruff with the choke open then you may have a vacume leak. Use carb cleaner and while the engine is running spray the cleaner around the base of the carb. If/when you engine RPM rises you have fond the location of your Vac leak.
Good luck

 

[arq]

i got one

i did the pertronix conversion. I am glad i did it. took some time to get it all installed though. avoids the setting of points, plugs, dwel, etc. that's a pain. i can now run 40k+ volts to my plugs, burns gas a bit better now just make sure you run 12V strait to the coil, don't use the pink resistor wire.

If you are carring the old points around as a spare think twice about it. you'll have to take the distributor apart, I mean completely. it's not going to be a simple swap. you'll have to remove the dist from the engine and take the gear out, then slide the shaft out and slap in your points. just buy two sents of pertronix kits. it may be expensive but beats messing with the points and taking your dist out of your engine.

ARQ.

 

[gaspass]

Thanks for the tips. Good to know I wasn't the only one to try this. It hadn't occured to me to carry a spare kit. A guy at the local parts store made it sound like I should never have any trouble with it. So far so good for about a year now. I didn't run the wire through the base of the distributer as the directions said to. I just filed a notch at the bottom of the distributor cap and ran the wire out the side. Also, I didn't bother with any of the measuring and gapping. I just put it on and made sure nothing hit before turning it over. Do you think I'm headed for trouble?

 

[arq]

I did go through all the trouble of measuring and gapping stuff. It's time consuming. if the gap is too wide it may start missing at acceleration or deceleration. but who knows untill you try it. I've been running mine for about 6mo out of the year i've had it.

as for the wires, i did run them through the bottom, the less holes/openings into your dist the less chances you have of it getting wet or stuff in there.

ARQ.