Ignition Fun

[ScoutinLaveen]

Alright, two weeks ago the Scout told me off once more. I started it up and within 15 seconds it died. I traced the source of the problem to two different things. The first being the fact that I was using the wrong type of coil for my ignition system, and second being that my distributor decided to die. I obtained the correct coil and ordered a new distributor from napa. Napa ended up ordering it from some place in Pennsylvania, so it took a few days to get in. Only thing was, when it got here it was defective. So when it was placed in the vehicle it ran for a tiny bit, and then it died. I had the distributor checked out and I had to order another new one from napa. I got the second new distributor in, and well I'm worse off than when I was with the first bad distributor. With the first one I was only getting fire to four cylinders, but with the current one I'm not getting fire to any of the cylinders. I'm running a gold box ignition system, and I know the coil is good and the gold box should be good. I don't want to go and drop some load of cash into a new ignition system (either prestolite or petronix) unless I have to, or if it would prove to be more reliable. Is there anything I should check or do, or should I just upgrade and get it over with?

 

[Michael Mayben]

Since you have described your ignition system as a Holley gold box, I really doubt that the issue is the distributor itself. It's far more likely the issue is the actual module or gold box.

The ignition coil itself is nothing special. Any 12vdc coil with a primary resistance between 1.4 and 1.8 ohms is a perfect match. Those were used on hundreds of thousands of v8 engine general motors vehicles over the years, along with all ihc-produced sv (v8) models. The coil for a gold box system is nothing special!

The reman distributor that your napa location ordered came from a-1 cardone, the largest rebuilder in the country and noted for excellent quality product. It's somewhat hard to believe that they shipped a botched unit!

Is this stuff being tested on the in-house "testers" that many napa stores have?? If so in my opinion that is a very suspect methodology for testing these parts!!

The most cost-effective way of dealing with the gold box system when any part of it fails is to simply replace the internal module with a pertronix conversion and then delete the gold box itself.

 

[Rusty Scout]

And don't ever leave the dang key on when the engine is not running. Very hard on the pertronix upgrade as well as the Holley gold box.

 

[Robert Kenney]

the most cost-effective way of dealing with the gold box system when any part of it fails is to simply replace the internal module with a pertronix conversion and then delete the gold box itself.

Absolutely!!!!! All the gold box's component's are simply compacted with technology into the pertronix device. Why screw with old technology. Later on if you want to add an msd box you will be part of the way there.