Re: Electronic ignition

Posted by DavidPackard On 2023/9/10 19:42:22

Totally agree with comments made by HH56 and HPH. I know none of this was part of the original Packard design, and the cars worked just fine without electronic ignition, but if one wants to add such, then it should be with both eyes open.

I think the response to RICZ1953’s question should be “Yes, but the health/configuration of the rest of the starting system will determine your success rate. Experience suggests that the voltage available at the ignition module during cranking is the key characteristic of using a Pertronix module (note that ignition brand was not initial specified). An electronic ignition system will not likely cure existing starter system deficiencies, and the addition of an electronic ignition system may be detrimental to successful starting when paired with existing starter system deficiencies.”

I’m currently searching on whether a flooded cell battery would have more starting voltage droop when compared to an Optima AGM. So far I’ve found “AGM batteries also respond to loading better than flooded lead acid or gel batteries. They handle large power demands so well that they’re the go-to lead acid variety for start-stop vehicles.” I also found a site that explained a batteries’ aging process and a characteristic they called ‘voltage delay’, which results in less and delayed voltage at constant load. Still no hard numbers! With respect to the Pertronix question, if one battery design is better than another that information could be added to the collective tribal knowledge.

I’m thinking of running a test or two with an auxiliary battery powering the ignition only during starting. Right now, I have a pretty good idea on how my cars respond to being awoken from several weeks of rest. If adding 20 – 25% more spark energy makes any difference, I’ll report the findings. Remember during the transition from 6 to 12 volts the ballast resistor was not electrically in the starting circuit. . . that should tell us when it comes to starting ignition voltage ‘more is better’.

Dp