New distributor? 123 or Pertronix?

[Vegard]

I think my dads car deserves a new dizzy. At least I'd like to get it a Lumenition or similar setup.

I've been considering the 123 option, but the cheapest I could find, at least on Ebaym was ?425.

I then found this:

http://www.coolcatcorp.com/Merchant5/me ... ry_Code=IC

It does seem like a very good piece of kit for the price.

Has anyone got any experience on what I should go for, any pros and/or cons?

Cheers

[stef]

I got the Pertronix from CoolCat a couple of months ago.

I hate filing and setting the points and then having to do the timing, just to have to do it again and again. I also liked the idea of getting a new distributor
which has no wear or stickiness. Hopefully it will be a long time before I have to fiddle with it again.

[christopher storey]

The Pertronix is all very well, but whether it is the correct advance curve for an E is very doubtful. A distributor which "fits all XK engines" is unlikely to have the correct curve, since the difference between the curves for e.g. automatic XJ6 cars and that for an E was quite substantial. The 123, on the other hand, can now be tailored to fit your particular engine whilst the car is in motion using the USB link ( operated by your passenger of course )

[Heuer]

Just make sure you buy the 123 that specifically mentions the Jaguar engine and you need the 123/Tune if you want to set it up on the run. They aren't cheap though (?360) so you might want to consider an alternative one from Simon BBC at ?77 complete with 25D6/45D6 distributor or ?40 for just the Powerspark unit. http://www.simonbbc.com/ Very good units and no need to muck about with advance curves.

[Dave K]

I've ran the Pertronix with the flamethrower coil for the past 6 years and it's been faultless.
I must add that I bought the one that fits inside your original dizzy and not the Coolcat version.
It might not have the correct curve or whatever but it starts first time, runs and the car sounds great and for around ?50 got to be a best buy.
I would have changed when the 123 came out but I know I would be constantly fiddling with it, changing curves and never be happy and besides why change something that is working perfectly well.
I am now changing my car from +ve earth to -ve earth after hearing so many good things about the Megajolt ignition system and have got one of the last production batch from Ray Livingston.

Dave

[KingRichard]

Hi,

I recently bought the 123/TUNE, after reading a lot on the matter and curves (mostly based on RAY's Edis threads).I had before a Simon BCC 45D, which works good, but now knowing the importance of the right curves I choice the 123/TUNE. I also replaced my HT leads and conduit with the Rob Beere separator and Morosso leads. The coil is the DLB105 Lucas.

Together it works great. You can monitor the 123/TUNE during driving on a laptop (2 person job!!). Instantly starts on a cold engine. So I think a great package. The Simon BCC also works good, but you don't known the curves is being used. Therefore if you choice the 123\JAG-6-R-V or the The 123\GB-6-R-V you know the curves, but the 123\JAG-6-R-V are the wrong curves for standard cars. They are too agressive. With the 123/TUNE you can make you own curves.

I made them based on data from the manual. You can see them on my website:
http://www.richardbrand.nl/images/83.jpg
http://www.richardbrand.nl/images/84.jpg

Hope this helps making a choice.
Regards,
Richard van den Brand

[adv_rider]

I just installed the triple Webbers on my 4.2.. And i'm interestelar in the 123/tune. How easy is to make your own tune?

[abowie]

Very good units and no need to muck about with advance curves.

While others may have had positive experiences with the SimonBBC units sadly I did not The unit sent to me 18 months ago as specific for my 4.2 was a totally different advance curve and the electronics burnt out within a few minutes of installation. In retrospect it seems that the coil provided with the distributor was faulty causing the damage to both that unit and also a Pertronix unit I had fitted to the car.
The general build quality of the unit appears poor and the caps are not the same as the Lucas ones. Finally, the leads supplied with the unit were fragile; one broke the first time I tried to remove it from the cap.
As the cost to return it to the seller turned out to be about half the cost of the unit new I posted it in the bin.
My approach with my 3.8 distributor has been to get it professionally overhauled and use points in the interim. Once I have the car on the road I intend to fit a Pertronix electronic unit into the existing distributor.

[adv_rider]

Richard, I just received my 123/TUNE and Im struggling to understand about curves. Can you please point me in the direction of more information about the curves? What do you mean by based on the data from the manual? .. I didn't get any manual.

[KingRichard]

Hi,

Well as I said there is a lot in the EDIS thread on curves. With the manuals I mean the original Jaguar series 1 and 2 manuals pages P.11, QY.s.5, PY.s.3 and P.X.s.1. You can find distributor test data. I made my curves based on that information for my original distributor. Hope this helps.

Regards,
Richard

[adv_rider]

Hi,

Well as I said there is a lot in the EDIS thread on curves. With the manuals I mean the original Jaguar series 1 and 2 manuals pages P.11, QY.s.5, PY.s.3 and P.X.s.1. You can find distributor test data. I made my curves based on that information for my original distributor. Hope this helps.

Regards,
Richard

Thanks.

[charlycupa]

you know i bought a pertronix ignitor and flame thrower coil to replace the points on an original lucas distributor, runs great but the alternator stop chargin, and when i change the wire diagram, car doesn´t start... a mechanic told me it was a great solution for the points, but for some electrical reason i cant make it work. I didn't buy a complete pertronix distributor cause i have positive ground and doesnt fits.

maybe help you to decide?

regards, charlie

[Sarthe72]

I bought the XKSS 18 years ago already fitted with Lumenition, my first experience of such. In 28,000 miles it has performed impeccably except for one unnerving thing; on a rare occasion just turning on the ignition will start the engine! Obviously the engine stopped just at the top of the ignition cycle and there was fuel there but it is startling. Being on Webers may have something to do with it because it has never happened with the E-type. Like the OP rheumatic hands meant that points were becoming a nuisance, especially in the spring when the car came out of hibernation, so a 123 was fitted five years ago. Again, never a hint of a problem. O joy! In respect of one comment above the E-type is positive earth and the XKSS negative.

[Tbob]

I've ran the Pertronix with the flamethrower coil for the past 6 years and it's been faultless.
I must add that I bought the one that fits inside your original dizzy and not the Coolcat version

Dave

I did this, too, and I am very happy with it.