So....Which is better?

C

CrashBob

Well-known member
I have been reading until my eyes cross about Duraspark and Pertronix and still haven't been convinced about which is the better perfomer on a stock IL6 200 in a '65 Mustang. As I understand it, the Duraspark is a little more expensive. Other than expense, what is the difference? Also, what is a DUI? (besides driving under influence). I'm working on the Mustang for my son and want a dependable "set and forget" ignition.

My wrenching skills are 8 on an ascending scale of 1-10. All opinions will be considered.

Thanks,

CrashBob
 
Your '65 will have a load-o-matic distributor that requires a carburator with a SCV (Spark Control Valve) in order to work properly, it also has old rubber parts (diaphrams/hoses) in it that should be rebuilt/replaced if you haven't already done so. If you ever wanted to go with a newer carb ('68 or newer) you will lose the SCV and you will have to upgrade your distributor at that time. If you think you will ever upgrade you should be looking into a few options at this time

All of the following distributors are 'dual advance' meaning they use vacuum signal from your intake (log) and not the distributor and will work fine with your current carburator, you should upgrade your coil to a 12V unit.
1968 or newer 200/250 points style distributor with a Petronix to make it electronic ignition
Both of the next 2 will require a Duraspark ignition box, GM HEI, or some other aftermarket ignition module like MSD or Jacobs.
1973 (guess) Duraspark distributor, Ford's first publicly available electronic distributor, it looks like a '68 with small cap
1975 and newer Duraspark II it has electronic ignition and a larger cap to help prevent 'cross firing' and was used until 1983 (when ford quit making 200's)
the Classic Inlines
DUI utilizes GM HEI ignition module, has the 12v coil built onto it, connect the vacuum to your intake (log) and a 12v feed from your ignition switch, set the advance and forget it. You can use it with your current carb, or upgrade to a newer style 1bbl, or even a 2bbl without needing to update your distributor.

I have a buddy that his '66 originally had a load-o-matic and we upgraded him to a junk yard DII with blue strain ford module then finally to a DUI and he said the DUI is the greatest update ever. According to him the DII with ford module was nicer then points but the DUI is the cat's meow.

If I had to make this decision (and didn't have any other parts to start with) and could afford it I'd go with the DUI.

-ron
 
Which is a DS-II with GM module driving the coil. You'll still find a few bob in this setup, by the time everything is renewed.
 
ah yes, like the lyrics in a Stone Temple Pilots song....

"I'm half the man I used to be..."
 
'That' was also a line from a popular Beatles song...... :P :wink: . And yeah,that $400 price tag IS a bit...... :shockin: :shockin: :shockin: :shockin: :shockin: :shockin: ...but hey,that's how the Mouse got the Cheese :wink: . ~OO6.
 
I recently did the Duraspark II swap. It was rediculously easy. The most difficult part was deciding how I wanted to wire the ICM in and actually running the wires and soldering the connections. After that, swapping out the distributor and plugging everything up took less than 30 minutes.

Rebuilt DSII distributor, $60.
Both halves of the cap, $20.
Rotor $7.
DSII ICM $25
New spark plug wires, $35
Various wiring & connectors, $20
Bump starts, priceless.

I had a Pertronix I and it was a marked improvement over the points... but my distributor was suffering from 40+ years of wear and a PO installed a carb that did not have an SCV (a necessity for a load-o-matic distributor)... so the Pertronix was operating at a disadvantage.

IMHO, if you have any questions about the integrity of your distributor, a DSII setup is pretty dang close to "set and forget."

If your distributor is in good shape (and assuming it's a load-o-matic) is matched to a properly operating carb with an scv, the Pertronix would provide the same reliability.

(Note - I've read many posts about the UN-reliability of the Pertronix II... few have used one without failures... go with the Pertronix I... heck, buy mine if you want!)
 
fb71":2b34fs9n said:
I have a PX II in my Mustang, and have had no trouble with it in 3 years and 10k miles.
Click to expand...
ludwig":2b34fs9n said:
I'll see your 3 and raise it to 5. Plus double the milage. No probs at all.
Click to expand...

I know that there are folks out there that have PII's that have run flawlessly... but when I was researching the Pertronix units I found an uncomfortable number of posts at the VMF forums about PII's having an unusually high failure rate. For myself, I didn't want to buy a problem. YMMV.

Whether you get a PI or PII, it's a good idea to keep a spare condenser and points in the glove box... just in case!
 
i bought a pertronix 2 system and used it for about a month before throwing it away it worked alright for the first few weeks and smoothed out the idle i didnt have the flame coil i used my stock 12v which was fine but after a while of driving the car it would stop firing on 2 cylinders no matterhow i adjusted it replaced coils or took ohm readings it always went back to the ignitor i now just rely on simple points and they have great for a while now.
 
My 2 cents.....

Petronix:
I would only concider something like the petronix if there was no electronic ignition system made for the engine in question. I have heard mixed things about them. There does seem to be a bunch of them out there and they have been dooing it the longest.

Duraspark:
Can be very cheap if you want to ebay or junkyard. Tend to be very reliable and easy to find parts for. Can be done with all Genuine Ford parts (if you care). Downside is that they have not been made for a new car since the early 80's so many of the orignals are worn out and the rebuild quality these days is kinda hit and miss so you could end up doing a lot of tweaking to get the right curves.

DUI:
Have only heard good things about their quality and set up but you pay more for it. If you want set and forget this is most likely going to give you the best chance of getting that out of the box. Some people dont like the fact that its mostly interchangable with GM hei but the good part is that the normal wear parts are easy to come by.
 
:D Quite a few years ago,I converted a 1974 F100 to DS2 from points,had a 302 in it.Got the dizzy and controll box from a friend for FREE.Came out of a Lincoln with a 302.The unit had almost 100K miles on it when I got it.I put almost 100K on it myself.NEVER had any problems with it.
Leo
 
My current 289 DII + GM module setup came from a 302 sitting in Dad's barn and a $12.99 module. The module and 3 relays from AutoZoon are bolted to a piece of scrap aluminum (heat sink), I bought the cheapest wires AZ had also, probably cost me less then $50 including everything except paying myself for the time and troubleshooting. It can be done cheap but then you have to ask yourself how involved you want to be in the installation and maintenance of the parts versus opening up the wallet, dropping in a new part and hooking up 2 wires.

Also FWIW I had to replace my 'free' DII once to the tune of $39.99 so my total costs have increased a bit since initial installation.

-ron
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Ignition System with mild cam and Weber 2V swap
Replies
7
Views
3K
chad
chad
A
duraspark vs. pertronix
Replies
11
Views
2K
PutPut6
PutPut6
B
  • Locked
Idiot's guide to turbocharging the falcon 6
2
Replies
22
Views
29K
AngryEyes
A
Back
Top