I have a birthday coming up in a few days and I am thinking of celebrating by spending some money on the Speedster. What do you guys know about a Pertronix billet distributor? The link on CIP1 is: http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PER%2DD180810

I don't know what I have now, but I'll bet it's a Bosch 009 with an optical pickup. How can I tell? Would replacing it with something like the Pertronix be of any benefit?

Lane,

Yes, you have a Bosch 009 with a compufire electronic pick-up.

I happened upon one on Ebay last year and snagged it. Really nice unit that allows you to adjust the advance curve. I got it to help minimize my pinging problems.

~WB

If you are going to spend that much on a distributor you might consider a Mallory from aircooled.net. You can have John set the advance curve based on your engine specs.

Michael is correct, the Mallory is a fine unit but costs about $175.00 more than the unit you're looking at.

Why not get hammered!? Oh.... and Happy Bday!

I will, Mike, I will.

Does something like the Pertronix make a noticeable difference, or is it just engine bling? Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Lane,
After replacing the 009 with the Pertronix, my engine runs much smoother, no hesitation anywhere in the curve and it runs a bit cooler. The plug wires are a bitch to set up but I'm happy with the switch. They are larger than the Bosch, so if you're running a large oil pressure sending unit you'll have to add a bit of line and set up the sending unit elsewhere.

Shoot the wad and get a crankfire system. Can probably pick up a used set of coils and a trigger on Ebay pretty cheap (the ricers like them) then get a trigger wheel like part # 72401 from here http://www.clewett.com/ (click on catalog and scroll down) and Bob's your uncle. (or Robert's your mother's brother...)

Probably be some screwing around as there always seems to be with these cars.

Lane, why not just leave it alone and buy yourself a case of OBAN.

I can't leave it alone, John. It's an addiction. When it's truly "finished" I'll have to get another one.

geeze - for 200 beans*, you could get a full programable ignition system (EDIS).


* that's if you sourced the EDIS parts from a wrecked car and picked up a megajolt ignition system.

food for thought.

Lane,

lane,

lane........

Get what Danny P is running.

Or get the Pertronics thingie......

But the Danny P. thingie is (a.) more exotic, (b.) Way cooler looking, (c.) slightly more expensive and (d.) provides better spark advance control than a Pertronics.

And you would be the only guy in SC to have one.......

Or....you could celebrate Father's Day by buying ME something!

And......Vince has not posted on your behalf ...I would stand by Lane I am sure that Vince is working on a doosey! ~Alan

.................H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y !

Ok, Danny, show me what you got.

I'm waiting, Vince.

Lane, why are you monkeying around with that thing?
No half-measures, my man.
Buy yourself a recip saw and a Type IV. And a lot of orange paint.

And get rid of the windshield and top 'cuz they're for wimps, right?

Gord - I'm running Mega jolt too, so lane - you'd be #2. I'll help you through the install / config if you do go down that path

It's pretty slick.

What wrong with the one you got . Spark is spark If it aint broke don't mess withit simplicity rules

"MORE POWER!!!! Bwah hah hah hahhhhhhhh!!!!

"Mega Jolt" Rules!!

Here's what CB Performance sells

http://www.off-road.com/offroad/vw/CB-Performance/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/299965

http://www.cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=337

Now there's an interesting alternative. Cheaper, too. Hmmm...

Lane:

I'm running the Magna Spark.

Works fine, last a long time.....

The improvements I would suggest are: Get away from the 009 distributor base and get something with a better, more stable advance curve. The 009 advance curve isn't the best in the world as they tend to have less advance at lower RPMs than you might want (which causes that mid-range hesitation) unless you mess with it and other platforms are easier to adjust.

Also, get a true, HEI distributor cap, HEI rotor (no resistor) and a set of HEI, 8mm plug wires with the plug boots installed (Taylor makes a nice set). If you use the stock disti cover and rotor from CB you'll burn through it in a year or two. Same for stock plug wires - this thing has one hell of a spark! IMO, The 10mm plug wires are overkill, even for a Magna Spark. Also either get a longer coil to disti secondary wire or make one up yourself with HEI ends. That way, you can mount the coil and electronics on the inner fender liner, away from the engine heat.

If I were doing it again (and had sufficient funding) I would still lean towards a Mega Jolt, just for the stability and adjustability of the advance curve and attack.

Lane.... I have to agree with Gordon.....I've been running a Magnaspark in a 009, since day one. Love the module...Not wild about the 009.....I modified one and ran it to the 08 Carlisle show and it ran well....However it's life span was some thing less than short.....

I'm currently looking at the billet dizzys offered by Pertronics and others......If anyone knows...Are these units all basicly the same???

Are they HEI units??? Any experience/data would be appreciated...

Lane, drool should begin to flow now:

http://www.autosportlabs.org/viewtopic.php?t=1753

Thanks, Gordon. Are you trying to create another monster?

BTW, Megajolt2 should be out by the end of this year. This requires a VR sensor, coilpack, and NEW Megajolt unit. No more EDIS brain to get. My whole setup cost $160, with a bit of junkyard picking and a good connection with a machinist friend. I "borrowed" his lathe for a little while and fitted my pulley with the trigger wheel. I went with TPS(throttle position sensor) for load sensing. A MAP(manifold air pressure) sensor is actually easier unless you have Webers, which need a smooth vacuum signal. This would need a fitting drilled and tapped into each manifold runner. Not too hard to do but I did TPS.

Leon, the biggest advantage to the Pertronix or Mallory distributors is the adjustability and reliability. Different springs change the curve to your motor's liking. The included(usually) electronic pickup removes points from the equation, increasing performance slightly and removing wear from points. The larger diameter of the dizzy increases the distance between posts allowing a hotter spark with less chance of misfire/crossfire.

Pete, distributorless allows a VERY accurate spark, plus a hotter one, which will make more power and torque, making it more drivable. My engine now pulls without complaint from 1500 all the way up with no hiccups or complaints, like a modern EFI, except I have carbs. My system is accurate to 1/10 of a degree in 360, try that with ANY distributor. Two coils allows better "dwell", all the way up to redline. My coils are working as hard at 6000 rpm as a one coil system at 3000 rpm. My curve totally eliminates flat spotting off idle, plus actually allows retard at the upper end, which my engine really likes. My plug gap is opened up to .050", I wouldn't try that with an 009. Spark is not just spark, it is very important to get the fattest, hottest, and most accurate spark you can.

Lane, Happy Bday! Mine is Saturday.

I forgot to say I have version 3 of the Megajolt, version 4 is the current one. They both use a serial port to the laptop, the M2 will finally have a USB, should make comm issues a thing of the past.

Leon:

I've heard (mostly on STF) that both the Mallory and Pertronics base units are quite good, the edge going to the Pertronics for ease of set-up/change. No direct experience, though, although that (a new base) may be on the list this Summer. Bill Drayer got the Pertronics and loves it.

On the HEI part, the base unit doesn't care. You will need, however, really beefy plug wires, cap and rotor that can take the sauce of a far healthier spark. Silicone wires, special HEI nubs on the cap and a rotor without that pesky resistor (what's up with THAT, anyway?) are all preferred. Are they absolutely necessary? No, but you'll be swapping them out every other year or so, depending on mileage until you upgade to the "good stuff".

As an aside, if I've been running for a while, stop the engine and then just turn the key to "on", sometimes, before I even hit the starter it'll "catch" and turn a 1/8 turn or so as everything wakes up. Plus, if it's been sitting a bit and if I don't hit the gas first and temporarily flood it, it'll usually start on the first crank 1/2 turn.