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Just replaced my electronic ignition w/ points, yup.

70ChargeDodger

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Hi Folks,
My cobbled together electronic ignition was driving me crazy, my car was dying when it got warm/hot.
Tried the ICM, the alternator, the coil, the ballast and the regulator, all to no avail.
Only thing I didn't replace was the distributor p/u and reluctor, (been waiting 3 weeks for a parts delivery) so I said, F this. Rebuilt an old points distributor I had lying around and now the world is a beautiful place and I can trust my car again.
I understand points, I used to ride a BSA, I don't get things that can't be tested or fixed on the side of the road.
 
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My 68 never had anything but points since new. A po put an Accel dual point unit in back in the 70's but a stock single point has been in there since '87.
 
I have one with points and one with electronic.
The condensor failed once and it took all weekened to figure it out. Now I know. I keep a known good condensor in the car.
Recently the distibutor pickup failed on the electronic one. I could drive the car to work and drive back home, but if I stopped at a store once I was near home the car would not start for a couple of hours. Apparently the distributor pickup can get hot and fail, and then cool down and work, much like the coil.
Points are just fine for normal driving. Dead reliable and simple. They just require more maintenance. Factory electronic is good too. In all the 32 years driving these cars I've never had a distributor pickup fail, until about a month ago.
I feel no need to change either one.
 
I support this. I personally have always run 70's style electronic ignition. Ive converted 60's points up to it and 80's lean burn down to it, with no problems. However i like the idea of having less electrical in my engine bay. Also ive had too many chinese pick up coils with the adjustment hole drilled wrong. Have to drill em myself right outta the box.
 
Points Nation baby!

Been running them in at least one vehicle for the past three and a half decades.

Points build character.
 
Dual points here. No use for MSD for which I think the SD in it stands for Sudden Death.
 
Most likely it was the magnetic pick up in the electronic dizzy. My daughters 88 Aries K-car with a 2.5L motor would run perfectly until it hit a certain temperature and then just turn off like someone switch off the key. Took me forever to figure out that it was the HAL sensor in the dizzy, which was a "new" unit I had installed with a tune up, and had maybe a couple hundred miles on it, tossed in the 32 year old OEM part and has been flawless ever since.
 
Yup

Capture+_2020-06-12-17-43-51.png
 
My most resent car project has a point distributor and a carb.
OLD SCHOOL RULES !
 
I do not often get the support for points ignition as this post shows. My RS23VOA****** GTX still has the original Prestolite dual point distributor (recurved). The engine can spin up to 6000 RPM without any issues. I still use NOS Mopar points, condenser, rotor and cap, Mopar coil. Simplicity has its own rewards.....
Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON
 
I had a Volare wagon some years back and the electronic ignition would crap out seemingly at random. Seller told me about it when I bought the car. Like you I tried everything. There was no rhyme or reason to when it would quit. Some days it wouldn't even start. Other days it would run perfectly. I put a points distributor in and the darn thing actually ran better and never let me down.
 
Kind of hard to put points in any thing made in the last 45 years or so. Must have been a reason. Keep your parts with you , might be hard to find on the road. They still work...
 
I keep a points distributor ready to go in the garage, same reasons. As for electronic, factory stuff works well, aftermarket is much more a roll of the dice, especially the crappy points replacement modules. A simple ‘75 New Yorker distributor with module and 4 wires is super easy, works great and is very reliable. Even the new “licensed” electronic Mopar distributors are crappy by comparison.

Ever watch how steady the timing marks are with a timing light? The best points jump around, good EI is super steady. If you’re on the edge of pinging, those random more advanced sparks will bring it on, the steady ones from an electronic unit will keep it away.
 
Dual points here. No use for MSD for which I think the SD in it stands for Sudden Death.

I use a hidden MSD 6AL (older analog version). Triggered from my original Prestolite dual point. Best of both worlds. Appears stock, with the MSD benefits to the Hemi. Points last forever as they are not carrying any current to speak of. If the 6AL packs it in, just move a couple of plugs and you are on your way with the stock ignition.
 
I keep a points distributor ready to go in the garage, same reasons. As for electronic, factory stuff works well, aftermarket is much more a roll of the dice, especially the crappy points replacement modules. A simple ‘75 New Yorker distributor with module and 4 wires is super easy, works great and is very reliable. Even the new “licensed” electronic Mopar distributors are crappy by comparison.

Ever watch how steady the timing marks are with a timing light? The best points jump around, good EI is super steady. If you’re on the edge of pinging, those random more advanced sparks will bring it on, the steady ones from an electronic unit will keep it away.

HOW is done??? If the spark occurs randomly as you suggest, and if the rotor is between wire terminals when this occurs, no spark will be introduced to the plugs to inniate premature ignition.
The points and condenser (NOS Mopar) in my origional Prestolite dual point distributor do not exhibit this phenomenon....from idle thru 6000 RPM. Which "best points" are you referring to? Perhaps the Chinese variety? The Chinese control modules have been known to falsely trigger which may exhibit the "bouncing" of the timing light indications. "Pinging" or detonation is usually csused by too much spark advance for the compression ratio and/or low octane fuel (ethanol blended) for the same conditions.
BOB RENTON
 
I keep a points distributor ready to go in the garage, same reasons. As for electronic, factory stuff works well, aftermarket is much more a roll of the dice, especially the crappy points replacement modules. A simple ‘75 New Yorker distributor with module and 4 wires is super easy, works great and is very reliable. Even the new “licensed” electronic Mopar distributors are crappy by comparison.

Ever watch how steady the timing marks are with a timing light? The best points jump around, good EI is super steady. If you’re on the edge of pinging, those random more advanced sparks will bring it on, the steady ones from an electronic unit will keep it away.
I've seen the timing bounce around even on electronic ignition stuff. If the EI is good, then the timing chain could be stretched out or the dizzy shaft has too much play.....a number of things can make the timing bounce around but anyways, I had trouble with parts house EI part replacements even in the 70's. If you wanted good parts, the stealership was the place to go to but wrecking yards were MUCH cheaper lol. I still like points systems though. They do take more maintenance but they work and usually the points will give you warning when the gap is getting too close.
 
Always a great debate Points or Electronic igntion Regarding reliability.​

I'm also still running Points.​
 
Always a great debate Points or Electronic igntion Regarding reliability.​

I'm also still running Points.​
My drag car had a Mopar EI system in it and it was fine. The car was consistent as the sun coming up everyday too but for an everyday street car, the points was ok. Even my 340 Cuda still had the points setup in it when I sold the car around 2004 or so. Heck, my /6 Belvedere ran points and everyone knows how hard those are to swap out but it's easier if you just pull the dizzy out. That car was also consistent on the 1/4 mile.....
 
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