dibbons
Well-Known Member
For my '72 318 single point distributor, I purchased the pointless "ignitor" kit from Pertronix (1381A) listed for Chrysler V8 years 1959-1972. I tried and tried, but could not get the distributor cap clips to snap on to lock down the distributor cap.
Finally, after examining the locating lug/tab inside both the Pertronix rotor and the rotor installed in the distributor, I see the lug is different in two aspects. For one, the Pertronix lug has very square/sharply defined edges and the other rotor has smooth rounded edges. Secondly, the Pertronix tab is just plain larger and won't fit down over the smaller recess in the distributor like the other rotor.
Granted my distributor was not factory original, I picked it up at Pep Boys ( a year earlier) and on the box was written "Made in Taiwan". So I looked up some reviews for the same Pertronix "ignitor" on Summit and found a few other purchasers had the same problem. In fact, in one comment I read the purchaser could only get the rotor installed after having hammered it on! Well, I'm not going to take a hammer to the new Pertronix rotor.
I called Pertronix and a guy took my call after a short one minute wait. He was pleasant but seemed to be completely unaware of any reports of a problem like mine (ours?). He said he would make a note of it or look into it or something like that. I told him I had two other 318 vehicles and I was going to see if the kit would fit on either one of my other two cars (which still run "trouble free" with point-type distributors).
Anyway, I offer this experience for anyone who may run into the same type of installation "glitch".
Finally, after examining the locating lug/tab inside both the Pertronix rotor and the rotor installed in the distributor, I see the lug is different in two aspects. For one, the Pertronix lug has very square/sharply defined edges and the other rotor has smooth rounded edges. Secondly, the Pertronix tab is just plain larger and won't fit down over the smaller recess in the distributor like the other rotor.
Granted my distributor was not factory original, I picked it up at Pep Boys ( a year earlier) and on the box was written "Made in Taiwan". So I looked up some reviews for the same Pertronix "ignitor" on Summit and found a few other purchasers had the same problem. In fact, in one comment I read the purchaser could only get the rotor installed after having hammered it on! Well, I'm not going to take a hammer to the new Pertronix rotor.
I called Pertronix and a guy took my call after a short one minute wait. He was pleasant but seemed to be completely unaware of any reports of a problem like mine (ours?). He said he would make a note of it or look into it or something like that. I told him I had two other 318 vehicles and I was going to see if the kit would fit on either one of my other two cars (which still run "trouble free" with point-type distributors).
Anyway, I offer this experience for anyone who may run into the same type of installation "glitch".
