Are any of you guys having trouble with the modules in these distributors? I had a second one fail yesterday, first one in 2017. I have a complete Pertronix ignition system in my car, distributor, coil and wires. I'm losing faith in this system, can't rely on it anymore. I replaced all the wiring harnesses when I restored the car and don't see any other reason to cause the failures. Any comments or experience with this? What are others using that have the OEM look other thank Pertronix?

The only time I see failures is when the module is powered of the resistance wire. It needs full battery voltage. The other times is when a tach goes out and prevents the car from starting because its grounding the negative coil terminal.

I have been using a Crane XRi module for many years in a points distributor and I also have a distributor that I bought used that had a Dave Ray HEI conversion done to it. Very happy with both.
FWIW,I do keep a spare module for both. Just in case.
Never used Pertronix so I can't comment on reliability.

Mr. Chevrolet, you are not alone. Common issue with that system.

HEI modules fail when coils begin to layer short inside, and change their values to overwork those modules to failure. Usually, the coils will show no issues when cold, and nobody tests the coil right, on a run tester off the vehicle, to their regular hot operating temperature. Same has occurred with MSD ignition boxes, coil starts to fail, over works the box to failure. A lot of topics on various boards have these situations, with "the (fill in the blank, MSD box, or HEI module) failed for NO apparent reason", only to find after much frustration, and advice that it couldn't possibly be the coil causing the failures, the coil was going away.

Thanks guys, the first failure I was told (from Pertronix) I had the wrong Pertronix coil that may have lead to the failure so I replaced it with the one they recommended and replaced the module. It lasted 2 years (this car is driven maybe 200 miles a year) and last night it never made it out of the garage. I tested the coil and the resistance seemed low so it may be what caused the failure of the module from what you are saying. I ordered a new module but not the coil. I'm going to double check the coil again tonight, I borrowed a better tester.

Don’t know if it helps, I’ve had the Ignitor III for I think 3 years now, no issues at all, haven’t touched it.

Good luck

Only that system is not an HEI, its a Pertronics II points replacement.

"Only that system is not an HEI, its a Pertronics II points replacement." YES, but try to tell that to most people all over the place that firmly believe that ALL electronic ignitions are "HEI".

YOU go try getting people to believe that, the truth, all they want to believe is serious over hype advertising, "lightning bolt plug voltage". The latest is, in the size of an Ignitor PerTronix is telling people they are developing a multiple spark CD system, same size as an Ignitor. NOT A CHANCE.

I am not stupid, I have been doing this stuff for over 4 decades, and have removed more dead Ignitors of all levels than most people could imagine. You should see some of them, blown completely up, hole blown right through the middle, magnets falling out, and being reinstalled with the magnet polarity out of phase, so the timing is altered for that one cylinder, and the biggie, "take that ballast resistor out, it'll make more spark", with "a high perf coil will make that thing just as high output as an HEI, or, MSD".

Checked the coil(s) last night and the one in the car and the spare I had on the shelf checked out ok. Possibly issues when it heats up though? I think I'm going to change the coil anyway just to be safe. Dave, what is a good replacement for this system that has the look of the original?

"Checked the coil(s) last night and the one in the car and the spare I had on the shelf checked out ok" Am I to understand you have an off vehicle electrical run tester in your garage? Yu actually ran both coils off he vehicle and both passed when they got to operating temperature? Please clarify.

If only resistance tests were done to cold coils, THAT AIN'T THE WAY TO DO IT.

PerTronix's answer is typical of them, not many coils don't work on Ignitors. From what I am aware, all their coils work with their Ignitors. Stock GM oil filled round points coil, run with the resistor in place and operational has worked far better than some high perf coil and full volts for more of them than everybody else combined have seen. NAPA IC12 (NOT IC12SB), O'Reilly Master Pro 2-5195, used with NAPA ICR13 resistor is the combo I see work the best and longest.

Hello Dave, just got back to the forum. No, wasn't able to test the coils at operating temperatures, just cold.

When I had issue with my MSD and Dave Ray MSD trigger dist, I popped a Pertronix 3 LS in my old unit, stuck a resistor on a non-hipo coil and it was surprisingly flawless. It is not very precise to set up, I had low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised.

( PS I forgot to regap the plugs down to 035, so they ended up fouling a bit after a while, only noticed when it only ran 108 mph in the 1/4 - embarrassing moment)

Nothing wrong with the stock single points system up to 6000 rpm. Its simplicity and ease of troubleshooting makes it superior to the others.. Running solid copper core wires that last for years is also nice...

They also make an excellent trigger for the MSD box...

The whole premise of full voltage input for a PerTronix came about with at lest two engineers, from decades ago. These systems were first, Per0Lux, farm and industrial use, evolved to cars, then, Prestolite bought the company, and didn't much go any place with it, until Jim Hairston bought it and created PerTronix.

These "engineers" were straight out of the dark ages of drag racing, when to get that last bit of spark, they removed resistors, and ran the systems on "start" voltages, 1/4 mile at a time, and reset point gaps between every run. That is the same totally insane mind set we have with a system that is a fair point replacement system, electronic points, NOT an MSD CD, NOT AN HEI. The systems were never designed to extend the dwell to make more spark energy, they are all points replacement stuff, and, run resistors. They like resistors used, stock plug gaps, stock coils, but a better set if suppression plug wires. More volts, high zoot perf coils, other "do this, it'll make HEI spark" will not make an Ignitor work any harder.

Sorry of that upsets some that refuse to believe that those systems are NOT a performance system, but, that is just the way it really is.

The last thing we have heard of is a CD, multi-spark system, all wrapped up in a standard Ignitor body, and that it isn't working as efficiently as planned, heat and other issues prevail.

On my 68 L79 I initially went with the Pertronix III and matching coil. My aftermarket tach didn't work but the factory tach did. However I was getting erratic misfires and went back to the Pertronix II with matching coil but I also went with the LS series. That's a lobe sensing model that uses the distributor cam lobes and gets rid of that stupid problem prone collar that sits under the rotor. Most people don't know this but all models for Chevy including the Pertronix I were available with the LS series. Try that one out.. I Have only had it for a year so no long term experience although my I's were always reliable. The Pertronix II will run with a resistor wire but it prefers full 12 volts and you will get a much stronger spark as well.