The 'E' Type Forum

Does anyone on here have experience installing a Pertronix electronic ignition on a S3 V12? Need help...

Hi i fitted pertronix to my s111 roadster 3 years ago only problem i had was tacho reading wrong it has been faultless i needed to fit a resistor to the coil to make the tacho read correct the helpdesk sent me a wiring diagram i left the original opus box next to the distributor for originality its a far better system than the crappy opus system what problems are u having ?

Regards

Hi madjack4 can you post how you installed the pertronix . Did you eliminate the ballast resistor ? And which resistor size did you use to make the tach work ? Any info will be appreciated. thanks

Hi i fitted a diode off ebay item no 111777815515 i bought the middle of the range fitted it next to coil on wire from tacho and left ballast resistor on but picked up a 12v feed before ballast resistor for pertronix unit im away from car for a couple of weeks if u still dont sort it with that i will have a look at my car when i get back dont forget the diode only works one way try it if no good turn it round hope u sort it

Regards

From Jag Lovers.

https://forums.jag-lovers.com/t/pertron ... v12/374403

loads of info in there on this install.

CHeers

I am missing something here

I am familiar with pertronix as I have it fitted to two other cars that were originally points. It works great but you do have to be careful with coil resistance as the pertronix module can easily burn out.

However as the V12 is already fitted with an electronic system, albeit the OPus control unit is its Achilles heel, not so much in its design but its placement on top of the engine (after nearly 50 years mine is still in the valley and still works).

So why not just update the OPus control module or move it away from the engine rather than use a rather cheap and electrically fragile Petronix unit that is prone to burning out more that the Opus system does.

Garry

AussieEtype wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:13 am

It works great but you do have to be careful with coil resistance as the pertronix module can easily burn out.

I believe this statement is correct for the original Ignitor (Ignitor 1). This does NOT apply to Ignitor-2, which has much more intelligence and will not switch the coil- to ground while the engine is stationary and hence will not burn either the Ignitor-2 nor the coil if ignition is on and the engine is stationary(even if facing a lobe directly). This is also the reason why Ignitor-2 is not nearly as fragile as Ignitor.

In fact, I strongly recommend that Ignitor-2 be fitted rather than Ignitor (which is just as UNintelligent as OPUS).

AussieEtype wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:13 am

However as the V12 is already fitted with an electronic system, albeit the OPus control unit is its Achilles heel, not so much in its design but its placement on top of the engine (after nearly 50 years mine is still in the valley and still works).

The principle of operation for OPUS was, for its time, very advanced, but compared to the ignition systems available today, truly backwards and no better than points except for the elimination of the mechanicals.

Location of the OPUS control unit was also a poor choice.

AussieEtype wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:13 am

So why not just update the Opus control module or move it away from the engine rather than use a rather cheap and electrically fragile Petronix unit that is prone to burning out more that the Opus system does.

Because the world has moved on from OPUS and Ignitor. With Ignitor-2, the V12's ignition is brought into the 2020's.

EDIT: I removed comments about Ignitor-3 because it is not suitable for V12.

I just installed the Pertronix ignition on my 1971 s3 and and found it quite simple. Here is how i installed it.
1. remove the cap and remove the timing and ignition rotors.
2. Disconnect the 3 wire connector from the amp
3. Remove the pick up holder and disconnect the VAC ADVANCE /RETARD rod which ever you have.
4. Install the supplied pick up holder and the spring clip .
5. Install the pick up plate with the 3 screws feed the wires through the distributor and ground the White wire to the amplifier hold down screw.
6.Install supplied timing rotor and snap ring . Also the ignition rotor and cap .
7.If using the original coil which is 1.5 ohms attach the red wire to the bottom wire going into the ballast . white and blue. The ignitor pick up gets 12v and the coil gets the 9volt from the resistor wire with the green band that is connected to + coil. The black wire goes to the negative side of the coil.
8. The top wire( white and blue band ) from the resistor is the tach feed , remove it from the connector and run a 10k 5watt resistor in line so that the tach reads correct . Connect this to the negative side of the coil. Some people have used a diode but it did not work for me ? If using The ignitor 2 and different coil wire the coil directly to 12volt everything else is the same. Good luck and hope this helps
John

Jjvflihy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:57 pm

I just installed the Pertronix ignition on my 1971 s3

It sounds like you installed the Ignitor.

Any particular reason why you did not go for the Ignitor-II ?

I installed the regular pertronix only because I did not want to change the coil and thought it to be an easier install but maybe I should have opted for the ignitorII . Maybe next time.
john

jagwit wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 10:45 am

I believe this statement is correct for the original Ignitor (Ignitor 1). This does NOT apply to Ignitor-2, which has much more intelligence and will not switch the coil- to ground while the engine is stationary and hence will not burn either the Ignitor-2 nor the coil if ignition is on and the engine is stationary(even if facing a lobe directly). This is also the reason why Ignitor-2 is not nearly as fragile as Ignitor.

Thanks for your response

Garry