Has anyone stuck with their old points style distributor instead of going electronic? how well dose your car run with it and is it that much of a hastle to adjust points?
I ran a Mallory dual point with my last engine. Never had any problems, have to make sure and lube the rubbing block. Many will say points are junk
Search for PERTRONIX All the easy of using your stock distributor without the hassle of points...........
points only has one advantage over electronic ignition. cost. at least at first. after you change points enough times you will have spent more with points. also you need to purchase a dewell meter. that will quickly make the cost a wash. yes they can be a hassle to adjust. you have to set them with a feeler gauge with the car off. then check them with the dewell meter with the car running. then you have to shut the car off if the dewell is wrong to readjust the points and try again. then you need to readjust the timing also.
And be prepared to have "carb issues" when you use points. Points getting out of adjustment are where many carb issues stemmed from. They singlehandely were responsible for giving multiple carb setups their bad rep. The only upside to using points is if someone "pops a nuke" in the atmosphere and fry's all the electronics with the EMP burst.
Points to me in this day an age is like having a coal fired heating system in ur house "a big hassle". I agree w/ those who advocate "electronic". I wud never go back to either one.
they are a pita,and yes they have to be ajusted every once and awhile but if the modual goes out on your mallory its another $80.00 to fix.{been there ,done that}.if you have a spare set of points,your back on the road in under 10 minutes.
points are easy to trouble shoot if you like to tinker on your car run points carry a spare set very cheap if you run electronics carry a spare module expensive setting points is becoming a lost art pass it on to younger hot rodders not every old car has the option of electronic ignition I love point ignitions its just something to fool with after the project is complete
I never had trouble running points back in the day. I never carried an extra set with me either. You could use a match book cover to set the points to get you back home. But finding a book of matches today is not that easy...it's like finding a TV repair shop, there not on every corner anymore.
"The only upside to using points is if someone "pops a nuke" in the atmosphere and fry's all the electronics with the EMP burst." Baddad457 Solar flares can also cause damage to electronic modules and are much more likely than a nuke (fingers crossed). Believing the Boy Scouts moto of "Always be prepared" is just common sense, I run a Pertronix module but keep a complete, adjusted points plate in my trunk just in case.
I use the breaker point ignitions in all three cars. I tune the cars every two years and have no trouble at all. If you want absolute accuracy with points or have to rev your engine to 5-8000 rpm then all you need is a dwell extender. (You can make it for under $30)
never had any problems with them either if it backfires through the carb sand them down set them with a matchbook as far as dwell thats just how long the points stay open hardly ever fool with it after setting it once on startup I always carry spare everything I hate tow truck fees but i do not like dual point distributors they are a hassle simple cheap easy to troubleshoot and in this economy everyone needs to save a buck
Never had a Pertronix(neither I or II) take a dump from anything, not in the past ten years I've used em. Points ? Dealt with those for thirty years in both single and dual points, they need to be adjusted at least twice a year to maintain a healthy tune, sometimes more often than that. Especially if you're running heavy tension points for higher rpm operation (no dwell extender needed, just a better set of points)
