Ignition parts recommended

It seems that the go-to is the CB Magnspark distributor,coil,and wires. Either with or without the black box controller.

Jake Raby has been using the 123ignition and really likes the Bluetooth units that you can tune from your phone with a downloadable app.

http://123ignition.nl

Most plugs today are 12mm thread if using newer heads, the plug holes are relocated to give more meat to the plug and make room for bigger valves. 

You very likely have 14mm plugs.

I have even seen 10mm but as a second plug in a dual plug head.

If you have 12mm, I can recommend NGK DP8EA9. That's what I and a lot of others use. 

For 14mm, I defer to others. We really need to know what's in there in order to make a recommendation.

FWIW, I switched from a Pertronix '009' clone to a Magnaspark II after putting up with spark scatter for years. The engine ran sort of OK - it idled well and pulled well over 3000, but in between it never sounded as smooth as it should have.

I'd always noticed, when setting the max advance with a timing light, that the timing mark sort of disappeared between about 1800 and 2800. It finally occurred to me this was because of spark scatter from the dizzy. When I switched to the Magnaspark, that disappeared. The timing mark is now visible throughout the rev range from idle on up.

At the same time, the engine also smoothed out. I never realized how much of a subtle 'miss' there'd been in the transition range until it was gone. I'm pretty sure this wasn't caused by the Pertronix module itself, but by the crappy Chinese mechanical advance mechanism in the bottom half of the dizzy.

Also, the Magnaspark will work just fine with a traditional coil. CB will tell you this if you read the fine print, but they really want you to buy a coil while you've got your Visa card out, so they hype their 'dry' coil (no internal oil bath). I kept my original Bosch coil and it seems to be fine with the Magnaspark.

And I'm a bit puzzled why you're changing if "everything runs fine right now".

Thanks, Lads. Mitch, we bought the car just over a year ago with about 42,000 km on it. Fresh engine rebuild then by a highly respected engine builder in BC, Canada. No documentation on it really though other than it's a 2332 cc engine. We've now got 55,038 km on it and we drive a lot. I know that electronic ignition can last forever but I also know that it doesn't take much to make one fail and if they fail, it can be complete failure in the middle of nowhere likely without a quick source for replacement. 

I've read with great interest the threads talking about spark scatter, mid range missing, many ignition problems were actually carb problems ( or was it the reverse ? ) etc. My engine has the Pertronix Flamethrower 2 system with an 009 dizzy and fuel via a couple of Weber 38's and it runs well throughout the range. My logic is to simply change out the old for the same new parts for a system that is known to run well while keeping the old parts on board as spares if the need arises. Not knowing any better I ordered the 7 mm wires that Pertronix sells too. What ever plugs are in there will get changed out too. 

David Stroud IM Roadster D posted:

I've read with great interest the threads talking about spark scatter, mid range missing, many ignition problems were actually carb problems ( or was it the reverse ? ) etc.

 It was the other way around.

Weber 38s?

edsnova posted:

Weber 38s?

He meant 48s.

Seems like they ought to be somewhere in between...

He has a pair of 38s and a gun, too.

Dave:  I queued this up this morning but never hit "send".  I hope it is still pertinent to the discussion:

"A new coil could be either oil filled or epoxy filled. Not sure of my existing one but it is mounted horizontally. Any preference / benefits there ? Not sure of my wires either...any recommends there? I haven't seen my plugs...any preference there? "

CB Performance sells a Magna Spark II kit that includes the electronic distributor, the dry-pack coil, Billet coil mount (coil is mounted right behind the distributor), disti mount/clamp and a set of plug wires.  This is the kit I installed:

https://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/2010.htm

It is adjustable (if needed) by getting inside and changing the advance springs and stops - pretty easy with decent instructions.  

The 123ignition system is well over twice the price (at $500) of the Magna Spark kit for just the distributor, but it is adjustable via your smart phone on the fly.  It is becoming popular with the original 356 set.  It also uses traditional (old school) spark plug wires.

https://123ignitionusa.com/por...-aspirated-w-spacer/

A couple of local original 356 guys have them and rave about them, but the cost was not an issue for either of them.

Gordon Nichols posted:

Dave:  I queued this up this morning but never hit "send".  I hope it is still pertinent to the discussion:

"A new coil could be either oil filled or epoxy filled. Not sure of my existing one but it is mounted horizontally. Any preference / benefits there ? Not sure of my wires either...any recommends there? I haven't seen my plugs...any preference there? "

CB Performance sells a Magna Spark II kit that includes the electronic distributor, the dry-pack coil, Billet coil mount (coil is mounted right behind the distributor), disti mount/clamp and a set of plug wires.  This is the kit I installed:

https://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/2010.htm

It is adjustable (if needed) by getting inside and changing the advance springs and stops - pretty easy with decent instructions.  

The 123ignition system is well over twice the price (at $500) of the Magna Spark kit for just the distributor, but it is adjustable via your smart phone on the fly.  It is becoming popular with the original 356 set.  It also uses traditional (old school) spark plug wires.

https://123ignitionusa.com/por...-aspirated-w-spacer/

A couple of local original 356 guys have them and rave about them, but the cost was not an issue for either of them.

Thanks for that, Gordon. I remember you writing about the CB unit and it seems like a nice one. If mine did not work well with my setup, that's the way I would go but I'm not changing things out from what I know works well.