Pertronix electronic ignition

[Harlan Halsey]

On a 4-cam motor running a 123 distributor in master/slave with twin CD boxes you have it all. Hot spark so no fouled plugs, both distributors firing at exactly the same time, and a perfect advance curve. Not cheap but it does run really well.

Bill,
I am contemplating intake cam driven distributers on one of my Carrera engines. (A 1500cc 547.) Do you know if the 123 conversion does away with the mechanical advance? If so the 123 might be an especially attractive option for cam drive distributers from a reliability point of view.

This 123/4 cam discussion rates a separate thread in the 4 cam forum.

[David Jones]

The 123 relies on rpm measurement for advance determination. There are no springs or weights.

[Jacques Lefriant]

Hi Bill
you just have to extend the length of a standard VW 123 Dizzy for your cam mounted installation you can use 2 or slave one. i don't think the 123 knows which it is turning but the rotor to cap orientation could be off.
j

[Bill Sargent]

Hi Harlan,

The 123 ignition distributor has an electronic advance curve programmable via Bluetooth from your phone. As David says, no weights etc. I can see no problems using it with cam mounted distributors.

We tested a prototype in an original 4 cam distributor body with a 3D printed plastic shaft, magnet plate and electronics mount ring on Jacques distributor machine and everything worked fine. I will be testing a prototype with metal production parts in my car in the next couple of months.

I am using 2 of the Winterburn 12V CD units in a master/slave configuration with a Pertronix 1 now. My plugs are gapped at 0.035” and the system has eliminated all plug fouling and works very well. I actually have Pertronix in both distributors for redundancy. If the pertronix in the master dies, I can quickly convert the other distributor to the master. Once I install the 123 prototype distributor as the master I will still have the pertronix with the original advance mechanism as a backup.

Fred Winterburn specifically says his CD units work with the 123 Ignition.

[James Cronin]

I used a Gammatronix Power Driver instead of a Pertronix. It puts a low voltage across the points into a black box, to fire the coil. I have one on my 912 and my 356C. Still has points, but no wear on the breaker surfaces... yes, still have the cam follower to keep and eye on though.

[David Jones]

I am using a 123 distributor with a permatune CDI.
Plug gaps are 30 thou.