Installing Pertronix Electronic Ignition, the FiTech Fight Continues
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- čas přidán 15. 08. 2021
- We are still battling here at Montana Garage. In this video we continue trying to chase down the issue with the FiTech. We try a few small things, then try and improve the ignition system via a Pertronix Electronic Ignition conversion kit. It seems to be a pretty straight forward install. Check the video out, and see for yourself just how it went.
One thing I do know, if you install or even just mess with one of these EFI systems, you're going to need a good digital multimeter for checking voltage and resistance. Here is a link to a brand I trust over on Amazon. amzn.to/2Ue9qhD
Click through if you're looking for a good multimeter to help you with your EFI struggles, or other general electrical testing. Don't forget, you can use the link to click through and do any of your everyday household or car project shopping over on Amazon, and we'll earn a small commission on your purchases that will go right back into the projects over here at Montana Garage. Thanks for all the support.
Also, send me an email if you do make any Amazon purchases through my links, and I'll be sure you get on the list for FREE Montana Garage stickers once they become available. (while supplies last, quantities limited so don't miss out!)
Don't forget to visit us over on Instagram @montana_garage where I post many short updates about all of the various projects we are working on.
Send me an email with your questions, comments, or content ideas to montanagarage55@gmail.com
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As always, thanks for watching! - Auta a dopravní prostředky
This is one example of why I enjoy your content, you actually show and discuss what you are doing or attempting. Most just say it, and then return after everything is done, LOL. I may be in the minority, by as a guy looking for knowledge I appreciate the details down to the roots. Thank you again, and yes, I know this is an old video folks, just paying compliments.
Thanks for he kind words. I appreciate you watching!
Man the struggle is real i feel bad for you
Thanks man. Been frustrating for sure.
I believe that tach signal is the key. find out which wire on the fi tech is tach feed and it probably hooks up to the neg { dist side } if it can't read the rpm it won't run. good luck!!!
Yep, no tach signal, no startey start. Tach signal was a little weird with the Pertronix. Waiting on a replacement to see if that helps...
@@MontanaGarage
You have a 12V hot-in-start and hot-in-run lead to the Pertronix unit? Friend of mine made the mistake of only having a hot-in-run wire run to it and the motor wouldn't start. It's got to be both hot-in-start and hot-in-run to work.
I think you poured your soul into this FiTech , if it was me I would replace the points and place a carburetor back on and go over the wiring as it came from the factory. If it was me I would be more then happy to ship FiTech back, great informative video. Keep them coming
Thanks Lester. I appreciate you watching. It may go back to a carb...
Always a good video when there's a Moose on the loose! Thumbs up!👍
Thanks man. Moose appreciates that.
I ran a Pertronix ignition conversion in my '55 Chevy with a big block and it ran great. The only issue I ever had with it was accidentally shorting out the ignition module during a tune up and having to replace the module. It's been on the car trouble free ever since for more than 20 years.
Good to know man. Thanks for the input. Hopefully I can make it work.
Follow the wiring diagram that was shipped with the unit. It says to connect the white wire to a keyed 12 volt source not coil positive. If FiTech wanted the white wire on coil positive they would’ve mentioned that in the instruction manual.
You’re a better man than I am! I’d have gotten rid of that FiTech system by now. We’re going to be converting an old Camaro to fuel injection and I can assure you that we’re not going to buy the FiTech brand! Hopefully the Holley setup is better than this one. Keep up the good job and keep the videos coming!
I've heard they are good when they work. Hopefully I an make it work, or hopefully FiTech will stand behind it if it is a ECU issue.
Hang in there Brad. I hope you figure it out just so you can say you beat that thing. Your giving it a heck of a try. Also I like your helper Moose he does a good job😂😂😂 Be safe we will see you on the next one👍😎✌️
Man I want to beat it. Thanks for watching.
carb + points + condenser = running car
Sounds legit.
What a struggle!! Nightmare in Montana!! I do think you're heading in the right direction. Keep plugging?? Cheers!! 😎
Still plugging away. Thanks.
Pertronix is good stuff. I've been running it since 2006, and no problems yet.
Thanks for the input. Hope I can make it work!
That is one Kool Cat,I Love it,Give Moose a treat for me Please and keep up the Good Work,I also Love your Show
Will do Kevin. Thanks for watching and for the kind words! Tell a friend. Let's make Moose famous! Haha
My IGNIGITER KIT had a rotor cap with a cup that fit down between a slot in the red thing on the plate. The cap had slots cut in it for a lazer to flash thru.. Lazer accuracy...& magic!
I think they have different versions. This is a "lobe sensing kit" so no magnets or anything are required. So yeah, this on is just magic. Well, it would be magic if it worked...
@@MontanaGarage the one I had was in the early 90's.. I'm pretty sure there wasn't any magnets... It had a lazer eye and a plastic rotor cup with slots cut in it.. I don't know how the hell it worked.. But it worked awsome every time I turned the 🔑
EFI is great when it works but a nightmare to debug when it doesn't. Good luck. Don't burn it. Be safe and stay well.
A nightmare indeed. I probably won't have any fires just yet...
You’re a good dad. I was hoping the car would start. SOB!
Thanks man. You and me both...
Always had good results with Pertyronix!
Good to know. Thanks for the feedback.
Moose has the instincts, just watch and learn! Maybe you can hire him out? "Moostana Garage" 🤣👍
Haha. Thanks Andy.
@@MontanaGarage think about it. What all adds up? You checked the battery voltage it reads one thing. The fitech monitor reads voltage all over the place. What does a voltage regulator do? It sends the correct voltage where it is needed. To much voltage and you have a disaster, not enough and you have a no start. Since Dan at DD Speedshop changed a lot under the hood, you might have three different possibilities on regulators. If he took the voltage regulator off the firewall, he might have used a different alternator that has a alternator voltage regulator, or it could be the ignition voltage regulator. Either way your voltage is not being disbursed or regulated properly, that can also cause dash gauges not to work, lights acting up or blowing, car not starting or running and idling rough. Just check your regulator it's a cheap and easy fix. The guy that you talked to at fitech is a real einstein, your voltage tells you everything. Sometimes the hardest things is the most simplistic.
@@porkscrewcustomguitars1573 It could be the voltage regulator. But, I've hooked the FiTech to a completely separate battery at 12+V, both Fitech wires direct to that isolated battery, with the starter, ignition switch, etc hooked up as normal. The seperate battery and wires will read 11+ at cranking, the dashboard screen still shows the low volts. I would think I had the voltage regulator isolated out of the equation there, and the voltage drop is still happening. To me it gas to be something inside the FiTech, but who knows. Maybe this new fangled ignition will fix it once I get that working.
@@MontanaGarage - When you unraveled the black tape and found useless wires going nowhere, that makes one think the whole wiring system should be gone thru again and get tested. Obviously owners before Dan have messed with the electrical, so it's got some gremlins...You did good adding extra ground connections from the engine block to the frame. Even tho Dan did some good wiring as well, it's a mystery why it's not running proper now. I hope you got the FiTech instructions/manuals with the 57?
Good Luck with fixing your car sir, hope you get it running tops!
czcams.com/video/3D-nEciDw3E/video.html
Petronix set ups work well, i have installed a Cpl over the years and they worked great. If all else fails a good ol carb will do the job. I've been considering efi on my Pontiac 455 but after reading alot of different issues with both fitec and holleys I may just stick with my trustee holley 850 dbl pumper. Hopefully a new unit will fix it, I feel ur pain. Best of luck with it and scritch ol moose for me!!
Thanks for the input man, I appreciate it....scratch, scratch....done!
Make sure there is a ground strap from motor to chassis due to rubber motor mounts and put grounds to a grounding block and use proper gage wire to allow on voltage drop
Thanks Dave. I have added a couple ground straps, and grinded clean their mounting points.
Man what a pain the 57 is giving you. Hope you get it figured out.
Any way love the big block kings sticker looks killer.
Welcome to club👍
Thanks Chris. I like the sticker as well. 👍
Man o man. That car is being a pain on the electric. You have put sometime in the no fire. Man I wish you all the best on it. Enjoy the evening and catch you the next video 👍
Thanks for watching man.
I run a Pertronix conversion on my 63 Merc 390. Works like a champ and fires right up. Most problems happen when power source is hooked to power side of coil instead of keyed power at fuse box or ignition switch. Follow directions and it works and lasts years.Thunderhead 289 just put up a video on this a week or two ago.
Thanks man. I'll check out Thunderheads video and see if I can learn a thing or two. Much appreciated.
@@MontanaGarage Here's the link - czcams.com/video/c76knXFuXH0/video.html
I give you a big thumbs up and like for the not giving up on it.
Thanks man. Can't give up. Gotta figure something out one way or another even if it comes down to ripping every wire out of that thing...
@@MontanaGarage I've seen & heard of those patronics but never tried any, might check with summit or jegs speedway be a sponsor for a mini distributor be worth it if it works
As much as I'd very much enjoy seeing it fire up with the fitech, I can see a carburetor in the near future. Electronics can be stubborn so I hope somehow you can find a fix
Stubborn indeed. Be cool to figure it out though...
Several things: Those M/T valve covers do not always give a good ground. I like to use a pair of vise grips to put the spark plug in and then run a 12ga. jumper from the vice grips to ground. It seems like you have found one bad connection- I would go thru and check them all. If you keep having funny battery voltages, find where the batt power wire goes into the unit and run a jumper from there to a multimeter and compare the inside indication for batt. voltage to what the multimeter is showing. If there is a difference and you can see no bad connections, the unit is probably having issues. Good luck Moose, this is one of those tests that sometimes we could do without. I'm like you tho', can't get it out of my mind until I find and fix it!
Thanks man. I did ground the plug much like you suggested when checking for spark, just didn't make it on video. I also have done the wire test you suggest also. The white wire can be hooked up to a seperate, solid 12V source that doesn't flucuate, even at cranking, yet the dashboard will fluctuate and get down to like 4V. That is why I believe it is a FiTech ECU issue.
Owned a 57 your voltage drop may be where main harness goes Into fuse panel have some one crank while you ck for heat at harness firewall side. If gets warm poor connection. Also recheck all wiring especially wiring added on.
Thanks for the tip Joe. Still more wiring to check, but I "think" I've checked all the important stuff.
Points worked just fine for 50 years. In 1996 I asked my dad what people did before electronic ignition. His reply was " they changed the points and got where they were going"
I agree, but apparently they won't work with this FiTech, even though they already did....
I was really hoping
You and me both man
I have a pertonix on my 170 slant six. Works great.
Thanks for the input. Hopefully I can get it to work for me too. Currently waiting on a replacement. Thanks for watching.
@@MontanaGarage yours is more involved than mine though with what your trying to do with the fi tech
I am old school i would keep points and dump the fiteck you got more patience than me hope you fgure it out
Thanks Marvin. The patience is running a bit low at this point....
Got to give it to you I would have had to take the whole thing out lol
Still might happen, just trying to make it work
Run it on my 50 chieftain works great !
Cool. Hope I can get the same result eventually. Tanks for the input.
I read all the comments and a couple of guys know what their talking about in this case
I have used 3 or 4 small cap "ready to run" dizzies with a side coil where the engine was not moved forward upon building and also on a old triple carb setup that had no room for the big head - anyway the cost was under a $100 all in - On the bright side when you get back on your 55 everything is going to be so organized it will be a cake walk. What ever that is.
Thanks John.
Back in the day there was a yellow wire that ran from the R terminal at the starter solenioid and went to the positive side of the coil and this wire gave the coil 12 volts will the engine was cranking, now that you switched to electronic ignition it likely does not need this anymore, i do think the problem is with your tach/time signal
for chevys engines with tight firewall clearance
i buy a small cap ready to run hei distributer from ebay they are around $50 ,
you need a seperate hei coil with them .
i put one in my 55 sedan and in my 60 impala convertible .
years ago 1973 my $75 dollar 55 ragtop with points would crank with the key but it would not start . if you pushed it and popped the clutch it would start every time .
on the 55 there is a wire from the second small terminal on the starter that goes to the resistor block or the coil ,
i dont remember witch one it goes to but it gives it power to the coil only when your cranking it .
Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated.
Have you check to see if the distributor is turning like it’s supposed to be while cranking?
Thanks for the tip. Yes, dizzy is spinning.
Make sure u have 12v going to the coil. I always end up sending 12v from the ignition switch.
Thanks. Yep, it has 12V at the coil.
Sounds like you should gut all that old wiring and start from scratch
That's probably a solid plan. I was "hoping" to get away with replacing as little as possible for now, but a full on session of ripping wires out may be on the horizon. Thanks a bunch for stopping by and commenting!
@@MontanaGarage Yeah, I know how that goes. Opening a can of worms by doing that. But the car was likely pretty hacked up before Dan got it, then he did some quick wiring and if you're going to keep the car for any amount of time you'll have some piece of mind knowing it's done right and you can troubleshoot it if need be. I just see all of that electrical tape and insulated connectors and I cringe with that fuel injection! Based on the voltage drop you're seeing there's got to be an issue between the battery and the screen. I appreciate you showing us the process even if you cut out the swearing and the throwing of tools! Good luck!
I been watching you struggle with that distributor and stuff. I seen people try those things that deletes the points but they always have problems with them. I used a billet HEI distributor for southwest performance parts. I got my distributor and coil all together for cheap. I would check them out.
Thanks for the tip man. Just no room for an HEI on this one..
This is a small one. I got one on my 1957 chevy 210. I wanted to go with Electronic ignition myself and the msd and Mallory was way out of my price range but these are good and affordable. If I could I would send you pics. Lol
@@juliuscullum6596 ok cool. When people say HEI I just think of the stock one. I'll look into these. Thanks for the tip!
I haven't had problems with mine. I mean it is on something completely different just a little 170 slant six. But was an easy install , other than dropping the screw that fastened the condenser into the distributor. Lol
@@MontanaGarage no problem. Just glad to help out apart of the tri5 community.
A friend runs a Pertronix unit in his 32 Ford, with a 425 C.I Buick He says it works pretty good. Catch you out on the road.
You may want to check to see if that coil can be run without a Ballast resistor. . Chevy uses the braided wire as a resistor wire. If you need , get a coil that does not use a ballast resistor. Rick
Thanks man. The coil is from Pertronix, designed for this ignition, and they say to remove the resistor. Hope to see you on the road...
Watching because I have a fitech in the box for my 69 C10
Thanks. I think most people love them when they work. Hopefully I can get my issue straightened out and be happy with mine as well. Good luck!
One of the top ballast wires gos down to the starter the other one gos to the key switch.
Thanks
Check for voltage on the ignition switch in the start position and in the run position
Thanks Jimmy. That has been done. I have voltage at the ignition and the coil at both start and run.
We put one in my brother's 70 ls5 Corvette. That's how I know u gota set the timing. VERN....
Thanks again.
Thunderhead 289 had a good video on how to trouble shoot the pertronix installation. My 5 cents worth is maybe its the ECU in the fitech itself thats on the blink. Ive seen that before. If i remember right i think sobering had a lot of issues with that fitech before it came to you. CARBY TIME
Thanks John. I'll check out Thunderhead for the Pertronix vid. I think it is the ECU as well, but can't get that confirmed until I fix this no spark issue, which I am waiting on parts for.
I feel your pain. The FITech unit I bought turned out to be a piece of junk. Two bad Ecms so far. I’ve had it almost a year and managed to put about 500 miles on my truck with it.
Bummer man. I am pretty sure my unit is bad as well, but still waiting on Pertronix parts to verify. Sounds like there is quit a wait for parts from FiTech if that is the case. Hopefully FiTech is right, and it will work with the new ignition. Thanks for watching.
dude if your using yje stock 57 key switch the is no voltage to the coil during cranking as the i wire on the starter provides the power as gm used the starter to provide the 9 volts to the coil in the 50's cars use a jumper wire directly to the coil + and ecu then crank the car over and it will start
It's not a stock switch, and has 12V while cranking. Thanks for trying to help!
Run a hot wire directly from the battery to the coil. You are NOT getting the correct voltage when the key is in run position.
Just had another thought if your running points voltage drop after starting need separate voltage source for fuel system oops see your switching to pertronix make sure voltage is correct for system
Thanks. Pertronix has voltage it requires but still no spark...
Moose was right on top of things. I think he knows, but he not telling anyone… lol… thought ya might have success with that. Keep at it she will come around.
Thanks man. If only Moose could talk...
I believe that green wire went to the coil back in the day, maybe tachometer or something.
Probably. It was to notta now so one less wire dangling in there. Thanks for watching.
Do you have an ignition switch you can put in the 57? You may have a switch on the way out
I don't have an extra, but may be something to try. Thanks.
We've haven't had much luck with the Pertronix conversion modules. But we've never had a problem with their complete electronic distributors. Go figure.
Thanks for letting me know. They are sending me out a new one to see if that helps. Or at least they are supposed to, been a while. Hopefully it shows up soon.
Do you have to set the gap like on points?
No..
Chris is correct. No gap to set with this version of Pertronix...
I may be wrong but I think my Holley fuel injection was hooked to the negative side of coil might be different on your setup
Tach signal comes from the neg side.
Sorry man, I don’t have any advice, watching. I love Moose. I’m a cat dad too.
Thanks Tom. Much appreciated.
Is Missing a part inside cap distributor Center ? Check I think I saw a missing piece
The rotor is in place. Thanks for the tip.
I'd be adding Grounds all over just eliminate that. Engine to frame, Engine to body, body to frame and double check all the current ones. Also check where any wire could be pinched or rubbing.
He did all those grounds, might want to check them again tho
Thanks man. I added all the grounds you mention. If it's a bad/pinched wire, I cannot find it. Might have to rip more out if I cannot track it down soon.
@@MontanaGarage oh okay I haven't went back to the last video I missed. Have you ohmed and wiggled all the wires. I wonder if the efi just went bad
@@benjamindavidson632 I have ohmed wires, ohmed grounds, checked voltages at cranking, added a completely seperate battery to power the FiTech. No luck. Always low and fluctuating voltage. I gotta get this ignition issued sorted so I can get back to FiTech if it still doesn't work. I think it's a bad ECU, but hopefully I am wrong and the electronic ignition will allow it to work properly.
Where is the "star wheel" that fits on the centre? The pertronix system needs to know when to fire, so there should be a black ring that fits on the spindle (where the 8 lobes are that would lift the points) the points replacement pickup then senses the signal.
Thanks for watching Bruce. There is no "star wheel" or magnets or anything with this version of Pertronix. It is "lobe sensing". So I guess it somehow senses the lobes in the distributor shaft? I don't know. Like I said, it works off of magic...
U need that 12 volt crank wire down to the starter connected.
I am getting 12V to the coil from the ignition switch.
I saw that you left a part out of the pertronics it's a window that separates the spark on the cam lobe. You can use a HEI it fits just hit the fire wall with heavy ball pin it's the most easy way to do.
Thanks man. There is no other part on this version of Pertronix. It is "lobe sensing" whatever that means... I'd have to do a lot of beating on this one for an HEI...
@@MontanaGarage It's a lot I did on my 57 and a 56 no big deal
Ok...I know zero about this electronic stuff. But after reading all the comments about the voltage dropping could it have something to do with the starter drawing voltage away from the fiteck when you crank on it? Nobody has seemed to mention anything about that. Just a quess ....but hey... who knows. Good luck
Yeah, people have suggested it could be from starter draw. I have hooked the FiTech to a completely separate battery, so the FiTech was connected to a good 12V source not hooked to the starter, ignition, etc. The FiTech still showed low and fluctuating voltage on the dashboard, even though the battery it was hooked to held steady at 12V. So I "think" that should show the problem isn't starter draw, bad ignition switch, etc. but maybe I am wrong and it still could be somehow? Thanks for watching.
Might should got advanced curve kit while you are in there
Not a bad idea
Frustrating I know...but dont let it beat you. My guess is it is a bad wire somewhere in the harness.
It probably is. Seems odd that both the FiTech AND Pertronix cold be bad. Probably something I'm missing... Thanks for watching.
The ground wire on the extra battery has to be hooked to ground for it to work
Thanks Richard. I did have the extra battery grounded. I tried it grounded directly to the other battery, but then grounded it to the car body. The FiTech was receiving the voltage from the battery.
Did you gap the electronic ignition? And put the roter back in?
No gap adjusts.
Yep, rotor is back in and there is no gap or magnets to adjust on this version of Pertronix. Thanks for the tips!
Yeah wow, this is so sad for you that now the ignition system is not working. No spark. Damn it. Yeah I feel your pain. Question do you need to set the air gap on the pick-up coil in the distributor? Also a worn distributor shaft will give you issue. Good luck keep us posted. OH yeah the 57 i/was known as the DD Speedshop 57 to all those just like yourself. I have no issue with you calling it that. If I won it I would be calling it the same think. Greer's and God bless you and the DD Speedshop 57.
Hopefully it was a bad ignition module and a new one will fix it, but most likely it is still some weird wiring thing I cannot trace down. There is no gap or anything to set on the system. It just work off of magic like I said. Haha, I'm not sure how it works. I have not checked the dizzy shaft, other than it "feels" normal to me. That may be something that gets changed out if the issues continues. Thanks!
Hi Brad, I don't remember, does this car have the updated side motor mounts, or does it have the factory front mounts? The reason I ask is because on my 1st 57 Chevy with factory front motor mounts, I was able to fit a factory Chevy hei distributor in it. That I got straight from my local junkyard. No problem with fitment at all. And I was able to throw out my external coil, ballast resistor and all of the wires associated to the external coil, starter and ballast resistor. Put a new cap, rotor and 8mm sparkplug wires on it. Ran a 12 or 14 millimeter wire straight from the fuse box to the battery terminal on the distributor and the car ran great. If you infact have side motor mounts, sometimes those can be adjusted 3/4" forward, which may give you the room you need for a factory gm hei distributor. You could buy that brand new fairly expensive at autozone. Just tell them that you need a distributor for a 75-79 Camaro with a 350 ci. I have also heard of people having to unbolt their transmissions and jack up the back of them in order to get the hei distributor in. Because their transmissions mount is worn out and the engine is sagging closer to the firewall. And yes I have seen the cheap small style hei distributors on Ebay. But I think they come from China and don't have rave reviews. Good luck. Hope this helps
Thanks David. It uses the front mounts on the block, but has some kinda motor plate in the front, not the stock mounts. And rather than the rear engine/ bell housing mounts, it has a tarnny cross member, so the engine isn't "sagging" it is just tight to the firewall, so no dice on the stock HEI working in this set up. I appreciate all the advice.
check you got live to coil when cranking i think you need live from cranking side of ing swich on them tri5
Thanks man. Yep, it has voltage to the coil at both crank and run.
if its both sides have 12v if not it look like you got some rewire-ing to do make sure your live come's off bat/starter to ing swich
Is the fitteck supposed to be connected to the out put of the coil ?? May have fried it's brain . I have a points distributor to test the coil , first have good points and condenser in the test distributor with rotor and cap on hook a wire on distributor side of coil to test distributor ground the distributor to battery make sure 12 volt is connected to switch side of coil ,spin the test distributor blue sparks should pop out of coil post the big wire that goes to center of distributor cap
I have to double check if FiTech say ok or not to hook to the coil, but while "researching" I find many people have hooked the white wire there with no issues.
Dose it have a crank shaft or cam shaft sensor if so its bad or has a bad ground i know most fuel injection systems require one but not sure about that one
Ive have had this issue with my s10 and it ended up being the camshaft sensor by the rpm jumping around like that it sure seems to be the issue
Works off a tachometer signal on this setup
@@chevyfan82 okay
Yep, what @chevyfan said, no cam or crank sensor, but somehow gets a signal, or is supposed to, get a signal from the tach. Thanks for watching.
Yank that distributor out and stick it in the vice to put the Pertronix in. makes things sooooo much easier. :)
You're probably right. I just didn't want to mess with pulling it, etc. Thanks for watching.
I know that this sounds dumb but I had a wire coming from my coil to the distributor and went through the rubber grommet on the side of the distributor. Where it went through, it was broken in the plastic so that you couldn't see it and so it would test it was getting juice to the points but the slightest wiggle and it lost connection and would run stop run a bit.... stop again. Took a while to find that one.... you have driven the car so it does work on points and I think that this distributor has failed in some way
Thanks man. Seems lie a bad Pertronix unit to me, but I could be wrong, currently waiting on a replacement to find out...
did you say you had a Mallory distributor on the other car? could you throw that in and give her a try?
I could, but hate to tear my working car apart. May have to do that if it comes to that. Thanks for the tip.
I would think old school and new school doesn’t mix so I’m guessing this will work
You would think, but nope.
You have to have rpm tach wire from unit to Dist coil
Yep. Black wire from Pertronix and blue tach signal wire from FiTech both to coil -.
GM cars built with points distributors have less than 12 volts sent to them. Check voltage with key on at orange wire, then check voltage turning engine over. I'll bet money you need to wire directly to the starter. Also I think you disconnected the tack wire at the coil ( green wire that went into the firewall.)
Thanks. I do have 12V while cranking, just coming from the switch I guess. That green wire probably was to a tach at some time, but was to nothing now. The old school tach has a different wire to it, and I have actually disconnected it as some say that causes issues with the FiTech.
Didnt it run good when you got it?
It ran, but has never ran good, or consistently. It has had hard/no starting issues since I got it.
There is no way I ever let something beat me at this game. Then came the hei and other types of works from the impulse like those coil over ignition systems they had on iron dukes and for the life of me, I never figured out how a primary and secondary spark ever worked. I know a tac works off the negative side of the coil. I am getting up there in age so have to ask, does the vacuum plate the points bolted to have a ground wire going to the inside of the distributor? They were a wire about three inches long, bare most were, and made sure that the points got a good ground to the engine block. I really don't see oil stopping a ground from going through the bearings in it to that shaft or other as I have no way of explaining what I see in my head but since you have been living under that hood for a few, thought maybe you could work with some of my idea. So at this point, can the distributor come out so you can deal with it. I would want to put a known working distributor in and a carb so you can hear it run for a bit. I and you both heard it run on a distributor and I think something has to have failed in the distributor. They also make HEI distributors that don't have coils in the cap so can you get your hands on one of those?? running short on ideas
Thanks for the tips man. Yes, the little ground wire is present and attached in the distributor. I have ohmed out the ground to the vacuum plate, and it checks good. The dizzy is obviously old, and people have suggested could be some play or it could be worn out. It "feels" normal in the little bit I have wiggled it around etc, but trying another will probably be on my list if the new Pertronix doesn't work.
Brad, take that 57 to a priest and let him to a exorcist on that car and maybe that will work. Good job on all you tried.
Gotta try something I guess. Thanks for watching.
Maybe try a distributor from a TBI Chevy truck engine. Late 80's early 90's.
Are thise electronic, but smaller than an HEI? Something to consider I guess if so.
@@MontanaGarage they are smaller and have an external coil.
The first thing you need to do is get clean power to the efi and the protronics ignition system ie don’t hook them to the coil or any power wire that’s hooked to the coil.
Pertronix says to hook it to the coil. I probably need to hook FiTech up elsewhere, but even if I remove that from the coil, I still get no spark.
You said that a while ago
What, start it on fire? Haha
If all the fitech stuff is on a seperate battery,then can it. I wouldnt drop another minute on it if i was in your shoes. Something is crapping out when injectors try to fire.typical acceptable cranking voltage
Is 10 volts.
Thanks Frank. I have an update coming soon (maybe tomorrow) about what's happening with the FiTech. Thanks for trying to help!
Try flushing the fitech system, clean out the corrosion from the gas tank
Flushed everything I can as far as I know. Thanks!
@@MontanaGarage n/p
i cant say something nice , except good idea starting back on the 55.
Yeah thanks, I agree...
don't leave the ignition on with the engine off, can fry the pertronix unit. try going from the battery right to the coil and cranking it, I think you have ignition switch or connection problems
Thanks Matt. I have jumped from the battery to the coil. No dice. They say leaving the switch on is not an issue with this newer Pertronix unit, but probably still good practice. Thanks for trying to help.
You inherited a real POS money pit there, my advice is to sell it as soon as you get it running
Thanks for watching Tim. I may consider selling it, mostly because I don't have the time I need to do the things I would like to do to it, and still complete my other projects. Time will tell. Thanks for watching.
I'd check the ignition switch it's self
It's a cheap non-stock generic kinda deal, so probably worth looking into. There is almost 12V getting to the coil, so I don't think the switch should be causing the issue.
Hi just wondering does the tach signal have to be analogue or digital. Just that I am sure the fitec system is digital I know this sounds a bit dumb but I am sure it is a stand alone system, basically all engine side electronics have to be wired from it via single feed from a good fuse box, then the tack etc needs to be fitted with digital gauges etc the reason I ask is when you showed the fitec display the temp gauge showed a temp signal of 60 or something like that surely this should read 0 or at least room temperature I have come across stuff like this before because people make a simple error and leave the old sensors etc in and wonder why they have signaling problems. Keep at it I am old school but I believe carbs and points have had there day fuel injection is the way to go so stick with it bud, ddss has made errors on short cutting the wiring of the unit unplug all the fitec harness and just start again and dump the shit wiring job..
Thanks man. I'm not sure about your digita/analog question, but things are hooked up as they should be as far as my little brain knows. The temp of 60 was probably accurate temp at the time.
Wiring loom gloom n doom. Looks like it's time to read the books.
Probably some bad wire somewhere, but I can't find it. I don't want to rip it all out and start over, but it may come to that.
@@MontanaGarage Well you gotta look at it this way, Dan never fixed the wiring b4 he gave it to you, so it's your job to troubleshoot it and get r dun. Don't over worry it, it's a 57 it survived this long, you'll get r working again. it's a basic car the way cars were meant to be.
@@unchained20000000 Yep, back to basics is probably good advice. I'll get it tracked down. Thanks for trying to help.
Might sound stupid but surely it’s not a bad coil wire
Might sound stupid, but that is one thing I haven't changed. I always had spark with the points, so I would think it's still good. I did check the wire ends to make sure I didn't pull them off while swapping coils. Thanks for the tip. I'll switch it out with the one from my '55 just to be sure.
You have to reset the timing . Vern.
Yep, I know, but it should still spark. Once I can get it to spark/fire, timing will be reset. I have moved the dizzy "slightly" in each direction just seeing if it would somehow make a difference. It didn't. Thanks.
HOLLEY CARB !! no computer
Sounds like a good idea...
Does that distributer have worn out bushings? The shaft might be moving around too much causing issues 🤔
It feels tight to me, but wondering if this might actually be a possibility. If I cannot get spark with the new Pertronix module, I will probably have to try a different dizzy. Thanks for the tip.
If all else fails get in touch with DD he did all wiring on that system, hey he might know, just saying.
Thanks for the tip. He's a busy guy, so probably won't bother him with my issues. Thanks for watching!
Hey ohhh ouch don’t give up your so close two steps forward one step back ,
Once you figure out the problem in time you will Laugh about 👊👊
I hope you're right John. Not a lot of laughing currently...
Haha see Dan's doing a convertible 57 no fitech on this one hahahahahaha
Yeah, probably not. Thanks for watching man.
A broken wire wow
Probably a few of those...
You know FiTech is crap since there is a Facebook forum on trouble shooting. People couldn’t get straight answers from FiTech so they have to help each other
I haven't heard much good about there tech service. They did initially try and help, but basically said they couldn't help more until I got rid of the points. Now I'm just trying to get spark again. When the FiTech still doesn't work (which I assume) hopefully the help more.