Is it worth it?

[EZDuzIt]

Greeting fellow boat lovers!
I have a 1976 Apollo Tri Star 17' open bow with that good old Mercruiser 165, GM 250 cu in straight six. Just going through my needs and wants list for next year and at the top of that list is electronic ignition. Just curious what y'all think of it and if it's worth doing. I'd think it would definitely make it even more reliable and improve over all performance and fuel economy. Have any of you converted, especially with that engine? Thanks.

 

[nola mike]

Greeting fellow boat lovers!
I have a 1976 Apollo Tri Star 17' open bow with that good old Mercruiser 165, GM 250 cu in straight six. Just going through my needs and wants list for next year and at the top of that list is electronic ignition. Just curious what y'all think of it and if it's worth doing. I'd think it would definitely make it even more reliable and improve over all performance and fuel economy. Have any of you converted, especially with that engine? Thanks.

It won't help performance or economy. It will make maintenance significantly easier. I converted my old engine and it was worth it--there's always plenty of other stuff to fix

 

[Scott06]

I converted a 65 gto to electronic ignition made an unbelievable difference on easy of starting and drivability would recommend it highly.

As per previous post well maintained points are just as good as any ignition system electronic kits makes life easier

 

[kenny nunez]

One thing worth checking is if there is excessive wear in the distributor. Remove the plate and check that the weights, springs and slop in the shaft upper bushing. There is a bushing in the block that supports the lower end of the shaft which wears out. The easy cure is to add a bushing to the lower
end of the distributor along with a new one on top If the rest of the insides are in good condition. With a worn distributor the dwell and timing are constantly moving and not holding the settings.

 

[EZDuzIt]

Thank you all for your input. I think I'll keep the conversion at the top of my to do list for next spring. Sounds like money well spent, especially since I have a couple mechanic buddies who are willing to help. Also going to have the carb gone through. I'm pretty good with mechanical shenanigans but my body is pretty beat up and just can't get down low or into uncomfortable positions for very long. Being 6'7" certainly doesn't help. Thanks again y'all!!

 

[achris]

For my old 165 I built, from scratch including hand winding the transformer, a CDI system.. Easier starts and the engine ran smoother. If I ever had the misfortune to own a points engine again, that would be the first change. Highly recommend.

Chris.