Electronic Ignition Conversion?

[WhiffyWinnie68]

Sent: 7/30/2006 11:36 AM

Maybe someone can help us!  On our last trip out with Winnie, (1968 6 cylinder 300 Cubic inch Ford motor), we drove about 45 miles and then it began to back fire, loose power and heat up.  After pulling over and just creeping along, it would stop, but then after a few more miles it would do it again?   My husband had new points put in, but doesn't think the mechanic knew how to set them properly.  Anyway, when talking with a friend (pretty knowledgable on ford motors), he suggested converting to electronic ignition.  Has anyone had any success with this, and how expensive would it be?  Other answer is I guess take it to different mechanic and get it tuned up properly???  Or any other ideas??  My husband blamed it on old gas, but it did it even after we filled up.  Everytime we have trouble, my husband wants to light a match to Winnie and I keep begging him to hang in there!!!  Love my Winnie!!  Thanks!!!   

[denisondc]

Sent: 7/30/2006 1:30 PM

Our Ford expert will have better advice for you, but in the meantime…..
I am confident your original ignition system would be fine; if it were in original condition. The main advantage to a new electronic ignition system would be its â€"newness-, not its being electronic. Other than having the points set improperly or being dirty, the old ignition system could have a bad condenser, or a bad coil, a bad distributor cap or rotor (damp or dirty inside). I don’t know if there was an external ignition resistor, or if it was built into the ignition coil â€" but that resistor can go bad, most commonly with age.
If the distributor is like the ones on the dodge V8s, there is a small wire that runs from the â€"swivel plate- where the points are screwed onto, and which connects to the metal case of the distributor. This is the ground wire for the points, and it sees a lot of vibration and movement from a running engine.
Some other things you might want to check that would cause similar symptoms: Fuel starvation from an old fuel pump, a clogged fuel filter, a clogged pickup tube in the gas tank, a buildup of crud in the carburetor, old rubber fuel lines allowing air to be sucked in, or a combination of these age related maladies. Also a sticking centrifugal advance inside the distributor can cause irritating problems. A badly worn bushing on the distributor is possible, but usually not resulting in the symptoms you described.
Unless you have had the fuel tank(s) off for cleaning, they will have interior rust working loose as the fuel sloshes around in them â€" and then being pulled into the fuel lines by the pump. It’s a normal condition. I carry extra fuel filters, the clear plastic kind I can see into. That way I can check how much reddish silty crud is in the filter. I have the filter located in-line between the fuel pump and the fuel line from the tank(s), where I can easily reach it to change it.
Changing to an electronic ignition system would involve advantages (better firing when the engine is cold for instance) and some disadvantages: Where do you get parts for the electronic system when it is no longer new and no longer the current model? When the engine begins to run poorly in the future, how do you trouble-shoot the electronic system to learn if the ignition electronics is the problem, or if it is something else?
If you were going to change to an electronic ignition system, I would also advise having new plugs, plug wires, distributor cap and rotor â€" basically replacing anything else left over from the original system.

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 7/30/2006 2:22 PM

first,
Setting points is easy. you can do it in minutes, with a feeler gauge or a dwell meter.
Setting points has decome somewhat of a lost art, but pretty much you can set them onece and forget them for 20,000 miles or a year, whichever comes first.

Cleaning points is a bad Idea. the points are so cheap to replace new that, if you sand them down, you create an uneven contact surface, and change the dwell . Most of the time, it's unnoticeable, but will cause the points to burn over time, when the surface is rough, there are more various areas to pit and burn.

Second,
Converting to electronic ignition is a good idea, but in your case, it doesn't sound like the problem you have is all ignition, or just points. I would look closely at fuel delivery, carb, filter,lines, tank etc... then check the coil, condenser, cap, rotor, wires, plugs (tune up stuff).

Electronic ignition is pretty simple to convert to, even on a 300 6 cyl ford, but the distibutor has to be changed out. there are kits from MSD, Mallory, Ford, Accel, and others. All require a minimal effort, but some basic knowledge of tune up procedures, changing the distributor and simple wiring.

Is it worth the change? Absolutely. Is it "original vintage"? NO. but the performance, MPG, and reliability of electronic ignition far outweighs the "non original" condition....
More or less, if you can do it, it's worht doing.
If you want an "all original" motorhome for show or asthetics, stay with points.

Tom

[Oz]

Sent: 7/31/2006 9:23 AM

My Dodge rig was originally equipped with electronic ignition, but the PO of the "PhÃ¥rÃ¥oh's Chariot" didn't trust EI and was an expert in points systems and didn't trust EI for reliability so he converted it to points (note that preference between points and EI seems to be a matter of personal opinion from what I've read over the years). 

I prefer EI so I got the distributor, coil, ignition module, and ballast resistor for EI (You will also need plug ends for the module wiring) and Dave Bailey made the converstion back for me.  It really was simple.  Even I could follow the simple wiring changes in the schematic.

What I like about EI is that I don't have to learn how to set points (even though I hear it's really easy).  If somehting outside of the distributor goes wrong, I just unplug one thing and install a new one... "plug and play"

[WhiffyWinnie68]

Sent: 7/31/2006 2:39 PM

Thanks so much you guys!!  I have printed all the info and turned it over to my husband.  It may be a few days before he takes a look at it since the heat index here in Missouri is 111!!  Don't think we will be planning any trips until cooler weather.  I love that old Winnie, but the thought of breaking down during this heat with our two dogs is more than I can imagine!!!  I'll keep you posted!!  You are great!!  Happy camping to those of you who are able to fix something on the fly if you break down!! 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 9/6/2006 8:33 AM

You can clean your points safely the old fashioned way...with a plain white business card!  Make sure its not laminated, just plain paper.  Run in through the points contacts several times...it will shine them right up as long as they aren't pitted.  If they are pitted at all, as Tom said, they are cheap, so just replace them.  The advantage to the busines card is that if they look OK, you don't have to remove the points or reset them if the gap is OK.  Just stick a corner of the business card in between the contacts just where they are in the distributor, let them close on the card, and pull the card through them several times.

Kev