Hello all,
I have a 1988 Mercruiser 3.7 engine with a Delco distributor. Last September, I replaced the points / coil with an electronic Pertronix Ignitor II (91146A) and Flame Thrower II 0.6 Ohm coil (45111). I installed it per figure 1 in the instructions. The resistor has been removed, and a full 12 volts (actually more like 14 volts when running) is applied to both the positive side of the coil and Ignitor module. (It?s a constant 14 volts too because I installed a new alternator. The old voltage regulator varied from 16+ volts to 9 volts.) It ran great afterwards. After about 10 hours of run time, all of a sudden the engine stopped. No spark. I purchased / installed another Pertronix Ignitor II module, and the engine fired right up. It runs great. Same coil, cap and rotor is still installed. (The cap and rotor were replaced when I installed the Pertronix the first time. Mercruiser brand)
After I removed the old Ignitor module, I noticed the surface facing the pickup magnet is pitted. It's not mechanical damage, but pits. It's almost like it was sparking. The same sort of damage is on the back side of the module facing away from the pickup magnet. I have pictures and will try to post. Reasoning tells me this is related, and there?s some sort of issue going on. The new Pertronix module I just installed may be exposed to the same fate. Obviously, I can?t replace this every 10 hours or so. I was wondering if you guys had any idea? I have not called Pertronix yet, but I?m planning on it. I?m not sure if there?s too much voltage inside the distributor cap. Maybe I should install it per Figure 2? In this scenario, the module still receives 12 volts, but a resistor is used to limit voltage to the coil. It might cut down on voltage inside the distributor? I don?t know, just a thought. Any ideas?
I have a 1988 Mercruiser 3.7 engine with a Delco distributor. Last September, I replaced the points / coil with an electronic Pertronix Ignitor II (91146A) and Flame Thrower II 0.6 Ohm coil (45111). I installed it per figure 1 in the instructions. The resistor has been removed, and a full 12 volts (actually more like 14 volts when running) is applied to both the positive side of the coil and Ignitor module. (It?s a constant 14 volts too because I installed a new alternator. The old voltage regulator varied from 16+ volts to 9 volts.) It ran great afterwards. After about 10 hours of run time, all of a sudden the engine stopped. No spark. I purchased / installed another Pertronix Ignitor II module, and the engine fired right up. It runs great. Same coil, cap and rotor is still installed. (The cap and rotor were replaced when I installed the Pertronix the first time. Mercruiser brand)
After I removed the old Ignitor module, I noticed the surface facing the pickup magnet is pitted. It's not mechanical damage, but pits. It's almost like it was sparking. The same sort of damage is on the back side of the module facing away from the pickup magnet. I have pictures and will try to post. Reasoning tells me this is related, and there?s some sort of issue going on. The new Pertronix module I just installed may be exposed to the same fate. Obviously, I can?t replace this every 10 hours or so. I was wondering if you guys had any idea? I have not called Pertronix yet, but I?m planning on it. I?m not sure if there?s too much voltage inside the distributor cap. Maybe I should install it per Figure 2? In this scenario, the module still receives 12 volts, but a resistor is used to limit voltage to the coil. It might cut down on voltage inside the distributor? I don?t know, just a thought. Any ideas?
