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Vain attempt: electronic ign. conversion

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tleed View Drop Down
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    Posted: August-23-2005 at 3:33am
I tried to buy the mechanical parts to convert my inferior '69 Chrysler 318 Prestolite single point ignition system to electronic. Sorry. No such luck.

Starting backwards, the Bosch Platinum plugs are slightly longer than the previous Autolite plugs. And the primo new Accel plug wires have a much longer boot at the plug that holds the wire firmly against the manifold. No good.

The expensive Blue Streak cap doesn't fit right on the 1975 Plymouth Duster electronic distributor I bought. Not to worry. The shoulder of the dizzy is slightly different, such that it doesn't sit down into the hole at the same height. It doesn't go down in the block all the way. And so the Blue Streak cap doesn't very well with the new rotor that came with it as a matched set. My old dizzy has this on a tag on the side: "Chrysler 244983, IBM-4109A 278". That help match the new to the old?

Incidentally, the brand new Prestolite-style rotor was whacking the new Prestolite-style cap as it spun, shearing off little tiny shavings of metal, which are well-distributed under the cap. No wonder the boat got more sluggish as I ran it Sunday.

Back I go tomorrow to try again.

Anybody tell me what year, make, and model to tell the counter guy to look up to wind up with the right parts?

Thomas
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jim_In_Houston Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-23-2005 at 1:27pm
I always have to tell the counter guy I have a 1967 Ford Mustang.

Try telling him you have a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda with a 318 2 barrel and see what happens. Doesn't Petronix sell an electronic conversion for your original distributor? 318s are pretty popular I would be surprised if they don't.
Happy owner of a '66 and a '68 Mustang
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tleed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-23-2005 at 2:02pm
If you say 1969 Dodge Coronet, you wind up with points-type ignition parts. And apparently marine Chrysler used Prestolite ignition components, not regular Mopar parts. So the cap and rotor and other things are different.

Last week I did change the cap and rotor before I decided to convert to electronic, and last night, after running the boat a couple of hours Sunday, I took off the cap. There are little shavings of metal all inside the cap where the rotor was whacking the cap pickups and shearing off the metal. Yikes! What is that? No wonder it didn't seem to be running as well the last 15 minutes.

Does the fact that this distributor will run backwards matter with the vacuum advance? My mechanic says we might have to modify the advance plate. The original has no vacuum advance. It's mechanical.

Also, I got a dizzy for a 1975 Plymouth Duster 318 and it didn't fit the same as the original 1969 dizzy. The '75 had an o-ring the original doesn't have, and the '75 didn't seem to sit down in the block as far because the inner shoulder is longer. So I'm not sure it's engaging properly. Is that a problem?

Does someone somewhere make a retrofit dizzy for this motor that's problem-free for fitting?

Thomas
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 79nautique Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-23-2005 at 2:26pm
I would suggest you pay someone to do it correctly for you. It doesn't sound like you have the skills to get the job done.

example 1 , primo accel plug wire boots are too long.

Any mechanic knows that all you have to do is slide the boot up onto the wire more. This is common with any brand of plug wires. Or the other issue could be that you bought a set of wires that are not for you application i.e. boot style, (stright, angled, 90 degree) is incorrect and the boot lays against the manifold.

example 2 Your distributor doesn't sit down into the block correctly and the cap doesn't fit the distributor and the rotor is hitting the cap.

It makes no difference if you by high quality parts or cheap parts if you do not know how to install them correctly, they are not going to work and if they are not designed for your application they will not work.

Why would you even consider going out and jepordize your life and your passengers lives, are you trying to blow up the boat. With the cap not completely sealed or sitting proberly on the base the spark can and will ignite the gas fumes in the engine compartment. Could you not hear the rotor hitting inside of the cap, could you not see that it was not in the block correctly. It makes no sense to me, knowing things are wrong and still using it as, is very very foolish. You have destroyed the parts and now there is no way you can get your money back or exchange them for the correct pieces for you set up.

Please do yourself a favor and get a professional mechnaic to do the work before your kill yourself.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 79nautique Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-23-2005 at 2:30pm
Also if you are using a vaccum advance distributor it is completely wrong for this application. Also a distributor from a car will not work. First it is not marine approved and secondly it will not have the correct gear and rotation. Pay someone that knows what they are doing before you kill someone
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Lake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-24-2005 at 12:31am
I put an electronic ignition kit from Petronix in our SN with a 318 this past May. Part #1581, I'm sorry I can't remember who I got it from, but the boat runs good with it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 882001 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-24-2005 at 1:39am
www.vintageperformance.com will know
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stang72 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-24-2005 at 2:31am
79 Nautique is right and is offering good advice...Get it done right and stick with marine parts when it come to marine engines!Some auto parts work...but the distibutor is not one!
Good luck!
stang



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tleed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-25-2005 at 7:44pm
79 Nautique, I appreciate your concern, but you've jumped to a few unwarranted conclusions.

"Someone that knows what they are doing" doesn't exist in my neck of the woods. Local boat professionals don't have a clue what to do with a boat this old, much less an inboard with a Chrysler V8. I did consider paying a professional to do this work, but when the expertise isn't available, it can't be bought at any price. That's why I'm on this site. And I figure if I pass on my experiences, others can learn from them, even if they don't reflect that well on me.

I never did install the plug wires. The problem was not that the boots needed to be slid one direction or the other more. They were just too long, so the wire that protruded was pushed tight up against the manifold. Since they were obviously wrong for my motor, I took them back and got a set with shorter boots. It was one of those things that isn't real obvious at the store until you try to install it and then realize that little difference really is significant. By then, the parts store was closed. I had to hit up 4 more parts stores before I found a set of wires with shorter boots. Doesn't tenacity count as one of the necessary skills for doing this kind of stuff?

There was no indication the cap & rotor I got were interfering with each other when I put them on. The rotor fit down tight, and the cap also seated straight and tight. And since they were listed for my application, how was I to know? I still don't understand why they don't work, but they obviously don't. They actually didn't interfere by much. Just enough to make some shavings. There was no audible sound that they were contacting at all, and the boat ran OK. Not great, but OK. Only when I got back home and checked the cap to see how everything was could I see the problem. And I don't intend on going back to the water until that's fixed. I'm neither that stupid nor foolish. I picked up a new cap and rotor today.

I also never installed the '75 dizzy, since it was also obviously wrong. Instead I ordered the Pertronix Ignitor II electronic ignition conversion and a coil to match. So I get to keep my original dizzy, which is otherwise fine, and get a much better spark. The Pertronix came today and goes in tonight.

I rebuilt the carb last night, and it goes back in tonight, too.

Cheer up, '79. I'm still alive, and don't intend to kick off (or blow up) any time soon.

Thomas

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jim_In_Houston Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-25-2005 at 11:20pm
You just gotta love 79. He can shur pull your chain, can't he? Just think of the boredom this forum would have without him.

Keep it up 79, I keep awaiting your posts...
Happy owner of a '66 and a '68 Mustang
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jbear Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-26-2005 at 1:46am
J-I-H; Would be very boring here without your dry sense of humor also. Never leave us...jbear
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stang72 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-26-2005 at 1:57am
I agree Jim...I argee Jbear!
Tleed...we do wish you well and hope you get it running great! (safe too)
The Pertronix EI works great for me....good luck!
stang



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 79nautique Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-26-2005 at 12:40pm
tleed,

Have you tried calling discount inboard marine and talking to Vince?

You are going to have a hard time getting wires that are the correct length from an automotive parts store. The main reason is that the exhaust manifolds are different on the marine application and usually require longer leads and 90 degree boots. There are a couple of others on the site that have chrysler engines and maybe able to help you locate a parts supplier that has what you need if SKIDIM can't help but I bet they can. Vince is extremely knowledgable and more than willing to take the time and walk you through step by step anytime you call.

Since the cap and rotor came as a kit it shouldn't have hit, but if the cap wasn't seated correctly on the base or there was exesive play in the shaft then you could have issues. I wish you the best of luck getting the 318 running correctly. You are at a little disadvatage because of the engine but by no means is it a negitive, just it wasn't used on a lot of C.C. so the parts are harder to find. Just take your time and double check everything. I just hate to see someone waiste there money and miss out on a day on the water enjoy these great boats.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jim_In_Houston Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-26-2005 at 1:24pm
I said it before and I say it again, there is absolutely nothing lame about the 273,318,340,360 Mopars. The little 273s and 318s will wind right up. (When I was a kid I would shift my 273 'Cuda at 6500RPM and this was with a stock distributor.) All these engines a easily capable of 1HP/ci. But true, they don't have the parts availability of the SB Fords.
Happy owner of a '66 and a '68 Mustang
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tleed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August-26-2005 at 8:31pm
PerTronix Ignitor II went in last night with the new wires from NAPA. The wires fit fine. Newly rebuilt carb went on last night, too.

Fired up the motor with the water intakes hooked to a bucket. Vroom! Vroom! Nary a stumble! Can't wait to get it on the water.

Checked out the pitot tube. Back at the gas tank it's cut in two with clothespins on the ends. Do you suppose blowing it out with compressed air would correct that? Is this a dangerous condition? Am I going to go kablooey in the middle of the lake if one of the clothespins slips and sparks?

Jim: 1HP/ci? Tell me your secrets. I need to know.

Incidentally, I would like to know where to look for my tach hookup. It works infrequently, and it would be nice to have it back fulltime.

Thomas
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