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 Posted: 06-05-2023 10:57 am
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Harkes
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Hi all,

I'm trying to get my car back on the road after some repair work here and there. The car is as good as ready to go apart from the distributor.

The car previously ran with an Pertronix Ignitor II unit. I thought it had died on me, so purchased a new Pertronix Ignitor II unit with the following product code 9LU-143A as sold on many sites like Summit Racing, SJ Sportscars in the UK and specifically for the Jensen Healey and Lotus cars with 43D/45D/59D distributors.

Comparing my older Pertronix II vs the new one, I could immediately see that the new unit is angled almost 45 degrees to the older version.

I marked my 45D4 distributor (no vacuum) with the cap on to indicate the position of CYL 1. In the attached pictures this is the red mark farthest to the right. I then installed my old breaker points and marked the opening point towards CYL 1. This is red mark to the left. The rotor's metal edge is just trailing CYL 1 spark plug in the cap...which seems right.

I then re-installed my old Pertronix Ignitor II unit...eyeballing the opening/closing point (as Tim Engel advised some time ago) with the reluctor vs pickup, the rotor is now just before the breaker points opening point. I marked it blue.

I then installed the new Pertronis Ignitor II unit. The unit can turn to some degree. It comes with a little connector to fix it in position and stop it from moving. Doing so and eyeballing it the exact same way i did with older unit, the estimated opening point now points exactly to CYL 1 in the cap...which can't be good. It seems way out of phase.

Is there another way of installing the new unit? Has anyone ever installed this particular unit? Are my findings with regard to my old breaker-points and old Ignitor II correct? ...or what am I missing?

Attachment: old on left new on right.jpg (Downloaded 58 times)

Last edited on 06-05-2023 10:16 pm by Harkes

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 Posted: 06-05-2023 10:58 am
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Harkes
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Picture of 45D4 with breaker point opening point

Attachment: breakerpoints opening point before CYL1_2_11zon.jpg (Downloaded 60 times)

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 Posted: 06-05-2023 10:59 am
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Harkes
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picture of 45D4 with old pertronix ignitor II unit installed

Attachment: old unit opening point before CYL1_4_11zon.jpg (Downloaded 60 times)

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 Posted: 06-05-2023 11:01 am
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Harkes
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picture of 45D4 with new pertronix II unit installed...opening point is directly over CYL 1 in the cap...

Attachment: new unit opening point on CYL1_3_11zon.jpg (Downloaded 60 times)

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 Posted: 06-05-2023 11:08 am
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Harkes
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Picture of my 45D4 distributor as supplied by Aldon.

Attachment: 45d4 distributor.jpg (Downloaded 60 times)

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 Posted: 06-09-2023 05:14 am
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vnavaret
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The pickup can be installed in any of 4 different positions (each separated by 90o) with absolutely no effect on function. What matters is where the rotor is pointing when you reinstall the dizzy.

If you are able to adjust the timing to 10o BTDC when the rotor is pointing at the #1 plug tower, all is well. It matters not if the pickup is in the #1, #2, #3 or #4 position.

The urban legend of rotor "phasing" is just that, a legend. When you set the timing, you are adjusting the only phase of any concern.

Even if the pickup is not precisely offset by 90o relative to the older pickup, you will be able to correct the shift by setting the timing, assuming that the rotor is pointing to #1 and the engine is at TDC on the compression stroke for the #1 cylinder.

Vance

Last edited on 06-09-2023 05:15 am by vnavaret

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 Posted: 06-09-2023 04:23 pm
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noomg
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Vance,

Did they make you change your handle when you entered the witness protection program?

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 Posted: 06-09-2023 04:55 pm
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vnavaret
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It was the witless protection program, not the witness protection program. And the answer is "yes".

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 Posted: 06-09-2023 08:40 pm
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Harkes
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hi Vance, thank you for your reply. Much appreciated.

With the older Pertronix Ignitor II, the opening point was every time a number of degrees before #1, #2, #3, and #4 whereby the rotor's metal edge would just trail towards the #1 and so on. I could install it in two ways: as shown in the picture or 180 degrees opposite. It would work either way. And the car always ran fine (some years ago).

With the newer Pertronix Ignitor II, the opening point is every time just after #1, #2, #3 and #4. Also this one i can only install in two ways, as in the picture and 180 degrees opposite...but the result is of course the same.

The new version can be turned on its base plate and comes with a chain-like connector to fix it and stop it from turning. With a different length it would perhaps work and I would then be able to turn it such that the pickup and reluctor will fire just before the plugs, but with the one provided it is seriously off. The reluctor of the two pertronix unit is exactly the same, so can't be that either. I find it weird it is being sold as the unit for Jensen healeys and Lotus with 907 engines with 43d/45d/59d distributors and by well respected online stores.

I may have things totally wrong and may not understand it but with the opening point each time just after the plugs I will never get it to start. I was hoping someone had experience something similar or was able to fix it.

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