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 Posted: 05-14-2018 05:49 am
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Esprit2

 

Joined: 05-01-2005
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
Posts: 572
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Is the Pertronix the basic Ignitor, or the Ignitor II? The original Ignitor is current sensitive and can fry in short order if the ignition switch is left on for more than a few minutes without the engine running. If you plan to do any diagnostics, then get your ducks in a row, switch on, do what you must do, then switch off right away.

If enough current went through the coil wire to melt the insulation off, then it's very possible that a basic Ignitor is already fried due to the heat.

Is your JH a roadster or GT?

In the GT, the last bit of wire going to the coil is KW (pinK-White), and the insulation is a woven strand. That's a Ni-Chrome resistive wire, and the wire 'is' the ballast resistor. If that is what is present, then do not add a coil with an internal ballast resistor. That would be two resistors in series, and the coil wouldn't put out enough spark to be of any use.

The roadster has a White wire to a separate, discrete ballast resistor, then a WY (White-Yellow) wire from the resistor to the coil's (+) terminal. If you install a coil with an internal ballast resistor, then delete the discrete resistor... whichever kind it is. It would be easier so simply use a coil without an internal ballast resistor.

In either case, a second WY wire also goes to the (+) terminal. It comes from the starter solenoid, and is a direct feed that bypasses either stock ballast resistor, and delivers full system voltage to the coil for a hotter spark during starting.

With the ignition switch turned to the 'Run' position, is there (+) voltage in the naked wire? Switch off right after checking. There should be full system voltage before the ballast resistor, and around +8 volts at the coil (after the resistor). If there's no voltage, that's the circuit problem. Find out what is wrong and fix it.

If there is voltage at the coil's (+) terminal, then what is the voltage at the (-) terminal? If there's no voltage, then the coil is dead, replace it.

If there is voltage, it will be something less than at the (+) terminal due to resistance loss through the coil's primary windings. If there's voltage at the (-) terminal, and in the wire to the distributor, yet there's no spark, then the problem may be (most likely is) in the Pertronix's amplifier. Clean all Pertronix wiring connections, then check for security and continuity. If everything checks out, and there's still no spark, then it's a good bet the Ignitor's amp is fried. Replace it.

Regards,
Tim Engel