Pertronix: Won't rev past 4-4.5k

[Cutlass372]

5500 is on the tach in the car, not an external one. I wouldn't think that that would make such a big difference tho, since the break up is still happening at some RPM. What sort of workshop are you talking about alhbln? Could any local mechanic do it or do you need a specialist to do it. How far away should the magnet be from the pickup? Right now I think that it's at about .028 to .030. It says that some don't need to be adjusted, but others do. Should I try to make the pickup and magnet closer? Maybe the shaft is wobbling? ( it has a little play, but nothing excessive). Let me know what you think I should do.

Thanks, Elliot

[alhbln]

Elliot,

posting #100, congratulations 028 to .030 is perfect. If the sleeve has some play it might start to vibrate at higher speeds, leading to erraneous ignition impulses. So make sure its bomb proof (i have used a thin copper shim for my installation and then epoxy glue to fix it on the axle just to be sure). If the shaft is wobbling then that might have a similar effect.

A workshop handling classic cars or doing distributor rebuilds should have a distributor tester. I guess that there must be several workshops in NJ, NY or Philadelphia, Google maps listed several classic car services around your area.

Another quick test to check out if its an advance or shaft/axle problem. Have a friend rev the engine up to the the problem spot (5,5K), hold it there and manually advance/retard the distributor by turning it. If you can find a position where the engine runs well, it is most likely a timing problem. If you cannot get the engine running smoothly that way, i would assume its an Ignitor pickup/sleeve/shaft issue.

[Cutlass372]

There is an alternator rebuilding shop near my house so maybe they have something that could test it. I think they do alts and other electrical components, so i'll look into it. The distributor could be a good place to look, because it didn't have this problem before I went to pertronix. Maybe the wobble worked ok for the points but it's too much for the magnet and pickup?

[alhbln]

I would guess that the hall sensor and magnetic sleeve are more prone to timing problems due to a worn distributor shaft/bushings than a points setup. So there is a good chance there were already issues with the distributor which you did not notice while using points.

Another quick check, if you remove the cap and try to move the finger/shaft sideways, does it move?. That would be worn bushings and a possible source of timing/advance issues. If you try to turn it clockwise/anti clockwise and it moves, the gear is most probably worn down.

[Cutlass372]

There is about a 1/16" movement or less side to side and around 2/8" or a little more turning it CCW or CW (Before hitting the advance? It can turn more I believe CCW). I think I am going to try another dizzy and see how that goes. Are the ones from an auto parts store ok or should I look for a nice used one?

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Good question.. depending on how much you want to pay, you can get a nice european curved dizzy from MSA for a reasonable price.

[Cutlass372]

What makes that one better? I don't really see the need to drop $200 on a dizzy where i can get a reman for $75 and a used one for even less.

Edited June 17, 2009 by Cutlass372

[ChrisZ]

Different advance curve.

Have you checked with a external tach ?

Chris

[Cutlass372]

Nah, I dont have one. I don't think that will change much anyway.. I can tell it's having trouble reving up all the way. It might make it not jump as much, but its not going to change how its running.

Edited June 17, 2009 by Cutlass372

[ChrisZ]

You might be right, the reason for me to ask is that i run a Pertronix and my tach isn't showing the correct value, it tops off at 5500ish RPM, but revs higher.

Chris

[alhbln]

There is about a 1/16" movement or less side to side and around 2/8" or a little more turning it CCW or CW (Before hitting the advance? It can turn more I believe CCW). I think I am going to try another dizzy and see how that goes. Are the ones from an auto parts store ok or should I look for a nice used one?

Ok, that looks like you need new bushings , 1/16" is a bit too much for a hall pickup, imho. You don't need a new one, why not get your dist overhauled (new bushing, advance mechanism check), that might fix your symptoms.

[Cutlass372]

Where should I look at getting it rebuilt? or is there anywhere that sells the bushings and stuff that I would need?