oil vs epoxy coils?, ...and other questions Options

[boxsterfan]

I am looking at the Pertonix Ignitor II for my 74 2.0L. Pelican also lists the Flame Thrower II coil as recommended for this ignition.

However, they come in epoxy and oil filled forms? What's the difference?

Also, I heard that if you switch to a Pertronix setup then you can not have your key in the on position and not starting the car (say to listen to the radio) for an extended period of time as this can burn out the coil. Is that true with the Ignitor II or was that true only with the Ignitor I?

TIA...learning tons here.

[eyesright]

Hmmmm, Pertronics II...

1400 mile trip to Michigan last month with my Taiwanese points closing. Raining and cold in late afternoon, I coasted under a gas station awning. No more adjustment room in the points to open the gap and the car won't start. I had lots of tools but no small round file I could have used to make room for more points adjustment. I had brought along a Pertronics II and coil which I planned to change while in Michigan, still 3 hours away. Late Sunday afternoon and no town mearby, my only choice is to change out the ignition. Okay, no problem, a bit of a chore and inconvience, but I'll be on my way soon, just a different timetable.

It fires up STRONG and I have to adjust my idle way down. I connect my 20 year dependable Craftsman timing light...which all of a sudden doesn't work! But, what the heck, it sounds and runs good, its getting dark and cold, and only 3 hours to go.

It pulls out STRONG in first, but then sputters a little...then more and more...and 10 miles down the road I'm coasting, hoping I can get to an underpass up ahead. Getting dark, cold , rainy, no motel in sight, trucks roaring past, my only choice is to retry the points. I bend the points with a needlenose so they will have a little more gap, readjust the idle a few turns, throw the tools in the trunk and the Pertronics and coil on top--I figure I'll only have one chance to get going, it probably won't idle and I don't want to take time to gather stuff and close trunks and lids,... and crank...and crank...and crank. Finally it lights off and I pull out. It will run pretty well @3000rpm but it sputters and no power below that. So I'm running 70 mph on 2 lane roads in the rain and pitch dark with deer warning signs every mile. This is Michigan and it is DARK at night up there. Not like Oklahoma where you can see the horizen.

I finally make Lake Huron at midnight. And it won't start in the morning. A little bit of help from friends and from NAPA..."Nooo, we don't have those points in stock but they will be here at 1:30 this afternoon."...I have the distributer apart on the roof of the car when my buddy shows up and ten minutes later, my 914 purrs again.

I make Oklahoma a week later after a 4000 mile trip. Pelican says try the coil by itself with the points. When I go to install it, I notice a film of oil around the top and think...this is not good...and of course it sputters and dies. So I sent sent the pertonics II and coil back and have another supposedly coming. When I talked to Kenny at Pelican he muttered that they have been getting a few of these back and wondered why.

I thought I'd try the hotter coil just because of the description in the 3-5000 rpm range...highway speeds. Looking back I should have just replaced the coil with my old one when I was under the bridge,...getting wet... in the fading light,... in order to isolate the problem. Maybe the ignition was fine and the coil the only problem.

Sorry to hijack the thread but I thought this might now be entertaining. It wasn't at the time. I have no clue regarding oil vs. epoxy filled coils. I ordered the oil filled one because it was cheaper and my understanding is that oil filled is more the norm. Its true I have seen most coils mounted upright on other cars but sideways is the norm on these engines...Maybe Kenny/Pelican can help.

Post your results. I will too.