Pertronix electronic ignition

[Christiane Hastert]

I am using the 123 ignition in the original looking body from CSP called pacemaker. Works really great. I had never ending issues with original distributor, at the end I identified the advancening plate to make the problems, now is solved.

[Bill Sargent]

Dave,

I was not aware that 123 would install their electronics in a cast iron distributor. If they are truly using an original cast iron distributor body the conversion is not trivial. A totally new shaft is needed ( larger than 10mm) with the magnet plate as part of the shaft. And an internal ring around the inside of the distributor body is needed to mount the electronics plate on. This is what I have had to do in order to retrofit 123 electronics into an original 4 cam distributor body. See CAD screen shots.

Dizzy body with elec mount ring

Dizzy body with elec mount ring + lower shaft

Dizzy body with elec mount ring + lower & Upper shafts

There is however another way to do it, which is what Speedco in the Netherlands has done for 4 cam distributors. Speedco cast and machined distributor bodies that look (mostly) like a 4 cam distributor but are machined internally to take the smaller 10 mm shaft and have the electronics mount ring built into the body. I would be very surprised if 123 has developed a true retrofit kit for original Bosch distributors. I think it more likely that they have altered their current distributor body machining to look like a Bosch unit. But I could be wrong.

[Martin Benade]

Jon, you said the old days of fiddling with the advance. The pertronix doesn’t get you out of that, it still uses the mechanical advance.

[Dave Erickson]

Hi Bill,

nice CAD drawings. Thanks for sharing them.

The person I contacted about having my distributor converted was Henry Hebels, h.hebels@planet.nl. His website has some information, 123ignition-conversions.com.

Henry said:

------------------
We are specialized in converting original distributors with 123TUNE+
electronics or adapting 123distributors.

We can install the electronics of the 123Tune+ into the housing of the
original distributor.
Your old housing will be cleaned and overhauled.
We modify the shaft, when there is a vacuum unit, it will be connected with
a hose to the mini vacuum unit on the 123 PCB,
or we fit a small vacuum pipe.

We advise the TUNE+ ( bluetooth version)

The 123Tune+ is the first fully programmable wireless ignition.
Control your distributor with your iOS/Android smartphone or tablet.
The App makes it possible to adjust the ignition curve and shows an
electronic dashboard.
Main features: Rev-counter, anti theft system by a PIN code, bluetooth 4.0,
real time tuning,
vacuum advance, boost retard, soft cut rev-limiter, etc.


Therefore it is necessary to send your original distributor, a bare housing
will do because we fit another shaft and a new dogdrive

We will programme the right starting curve for your car and
you can always change it.

---------------

I also asked him if the twinspark conversion can be done using a 356 cast iron distributor body, this is his reply:

--------------
We can convert your cast iron distributor with twinspark electronics.
We need the old unrestored housing, and overhaul the housing complete.
The distributor is fitted with a Nissan cap and rotor arm.
Price 949.00 Euro incl the 2 required 123Coils.
As attachment a converted 123housing.

----------------
That was a 2016 quote, so I imagine the price has gone up a bit since then.

-Dave

[Bill Sargent]

Hi Dave,

I had a look at Henry's website. He is doing it the right way! New shaft and magnet plate, adapter ring to mount the electronics board etc. Looks like very nice work. I have done the same thing with the Porsche 4 cam distributor.

What Henry is doing has to cost a several hundred dollars just for the conversion parts. Then there are the 123 electronics. If he has a deal with 123 to purchase only the electronics that will help on the cost. I think Speedco in the Netherlands has a deal to purchase only the electronics. I do so few conversions I end up purchasing a complete 356/912 Tune+ distributor and then using the electronics and magnets in the conversion.

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.

[Steve Proctor]

Down side to the 123 conversion is that you cannot use the vacuum advance. Sometimes you need advance that the centrifugal cannot provide. Makes the car so driveable.

[Bill Sargent]

Hi Steve - the 123 Tune + incorporates a vacuum advance feature and there are provisions in the associated app to set up how the advance functions.

[Steve Proctor]

Bill, I was not clear. I have the 123 cell phone tuneable with vacuum advance. I was speaking in terms of the 123 conversion with electronics in the cast iron Bosch body that ostensibly would have no such provisions. I am thrilled with the way the vacuum advance smooths out the power curve. No bucking with full throttle at 1500 RPMS with BBAB in 4th gear (34mm venturis). Fun to play with the advance curve and monitor engine / environment parameters real time.

[Martin Benade]

I thought I was the only person that might use full throttle at 1500 rpm. It’s not recommended, but I do it occasionally.
It doesn’t accomplish much.

[Steve Proctor]

I thought I was the only person that might use full throttle at 1500 rpm. It’s not recommended, but I do it occasionally.
It doesn’t accomplish much.

Yeah, I don't do it often as I think it is not good for the engine bearings. That said, I use that as a test when I have tuned the engine and it just feels so darn good to have it pull clean.

[Dave Erickson]

Steve, Henry said that he can install a small vacuum tube in the cast iron body, so you can have that feature if you want it. I think if I wanted to go that route, I would get a cheap VW cast iron distributor, install a BR18 name plate from Stoddards, and have no worry about having the distributor body drilled for the vacuum tube. Then the question becomes where to obtain the manifold vacuum. I think there are some 912 aluminum spacer plates for Solexes that have vacuum tubes built in, that might work.

[Steve Proctor]

That is a nice option, Dave, but if I were going to run a cast iron distributor, I'd do so for originality and not add a non-standard fitment. My comments were purely academic, as my # matching engine is dismantled on shelf in the garage and a hot rod 912 is in the car. Cell phone-tunable 123 is mounted with vacuum advance and vacuum pickup from Dellorto carburetors.

[David Jones]

If anyone needs a set of vacuum port adapters for solex manifolds, contact me as. I have a set.

[Mark Pribanic]

Went to the Petronix set up after that huge batch of Turkey made condensors kept crappin out. Took me three years to figure out it was the condensor. I've put 70k+ miles on my car with the Petronix with no problems. Just my experience...

[Juha Vane]

There was some discussion somewhere, here perhaps, about replacing the old style condenser with this:
https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/e ... -ND/789646

I got the impression then that this would be a solution to the failing condenser, but when I switched to 123
distributor, thanks Cliff, I didn't check these further. 123 distributor work fine in my car and the non-original
look don't bother me.