Installing a Prestolite Electronic Dizzy in a '73 T'all

Hi, I have a prestolite electronic distributor, part# 496004-c91, from a '79 Scout II I would like to install in my '73 1110 Travelall. My engine is a 392, 727, 4.10 gears. Is there anything I need to do electrical wise before connecting the wire from the dizzy to the coil, or go ahead hook it all up and drive her down the road? I really appreciate the help on this. I know the brown goes to -, and the red goes to +, what is the white wire for? Just curious. Thanks again.
Steve.
 
The wiring harness on the passenger side of the valve cover contains circuitry for both a breaker point ignition (what your rig had originally), and normally has a separate non-identified black wire that is a switched b+ feed to the coil positive terminal that is "dead-ended". You also have the braided fiberglas "white" resistor wire which connects to the coil + terminal. The black wire on the coil + terminal now (sometimes it's green, color doesn't matter) is a "bypass" that applies b+ to the coil when the switch is in the "start" position only, that is run from the starter solenoid.

So for the prestolight electronic sparker, ya need a switched b+ when the ignition switch is in the "run" position, disconnect the resistor wire and insulate the end, keep it available for the future if ya ever wanna go back to the breaker point system.

Then hook up the positive and negative wires from the distributor to the appropriate coil terminals.

Simply ignore the white wire, that is used on "some" versions of "some" sii and fullsize rigs as part of the emissions system. Just insulate the end of it and tiewrap out of the way.

Later model pickalls that had the prestolight sparker oem, eliminated the "start" feed from the solenoid and had only a switched b+ feed to the coil to power the system. The ignition switches in those rigs also "bridged" internally so that only a single wire run was needed for both "start" and "run".

The wiring harnesses in any of the sii and pickalls May have several wire runs that are/were either deadheaded. Looped, or not connected to anything. Those harnesses were used on IH vehicles built and sold all over the world that had different equipment, or different "standards" to meet.

Don't forget to set the timing, that rig will respond nicely to the "power timing" method! The presto is an outstanding ignition system!!!
 
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Thank michael for your help on this, great info. I'm going install this dizzy tomorrow after work, I'll keep you informed on how it runs. Thanks again I really appreciate it.
 
There is no need to do any modification of the wiring when installing the prestolite distributor in a rig that was originally equipped with points and a resistor wire feeding it. Yes in the original application of the prestolite distributor it didn't have a resistor wire or the bypass wire but the prestolite module only needs ~5v to function and will work perfectly fine with the resistor and bypass. I've got a couple of previously points rigs running the prestolite electronic ignition, and all I did was drop it in hook up the red wire to the coil (+) and the brown to the coil (-) and go.

You'll also need the proper prestolite distributor cap and plug wires with the female distributor end. I get mine from carquest as they are made by prestolite and are high quality wires.
 
I really appreciate the info eric and michael. I installed the the distributor today, runs like a champ. I haven't regapped the plugs yet. I have them set at .030 right now. I'll regap 'em this weekend.
 
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