Packard Forum Index » Modification Discussion

Bottom line: What does a spare control module cost. How long of a wait to get one. Have to order it????

IIRC The Ford TFI is a one wire change if module goes bad. NOT an entire breaker plate assembly change. TFI module bought at ANY auto parts store.

I've never tried the TFI. Did try the GM module tho and it DOES NOT work very well on engines with more than 6 cylinders. However since there was no change to the distribuotr all i used was a toggle sw. to switch back and forth between stock points and GM module. I could switch systems on the fly. IIRC the same switch can be used with the TFI.

carl
the distributor swap will work but you will need to swap the ignition coil too, the pertronix people will help you with that and my reason was to bring the electrical system up from 50 year old technology to 20 year old technology and I never enjoyed setting the gap on points, the MSD 5 sounds like a good way to go too
Buddy from VB

Quote:

Why?

jack vines

jack i was wondering why the pertronix people insisted i swap my coil out when i bought their system a year ago so i called and asked them , they said it didn't matter whether you switch it out or not as long as you have at least 1 and a half ohms. so i was assuming since my pertronix guy insisted i swap it it would be nessesary but apparently it was to enhance a sale sorry for the bad info but the chrome distributor gives an extra 5 or 6 horsepower im sure .

"Put in a MSD-5 instead. It uses stock points, etc and will convert back to stock with merely a jumper wire (supplied). The beauty of the MSD is that it reduces the current through the points to practically zero while providing multiple spark on each firing. I've had one on my 55 Pat for about 10 years and never had a problem.

Craig"

Ditto except mine is a Jacobs multi-spark unit using the points for breakers and it's only been about four years since I started using it. Points should last almost forever in this application and (in my experience) you get a sharper ignition signal than with the sort of wavy Hall Effect (Interrupted magnetic field) signal generated by the Pertronix unit. I also noticed a (perhaps anecdotal) slight fuel efficiency increase over all ranges of driving and conversion back to original configuration, should you need to do so, is as Craig describes.

A modest proposal - when we recommend a modification, might we include at least a cost range?

The Jacobs units may have come down in price, but when I tried one some years back, the cost-to-benefit ratio was way out of my comfort zone and I took advantage of their 30-day-satisfaction-guarantee and returned it.

For me, the $75 Pertronix seemed to be closer to worth what it cost.

jack vines

I will admit that I bought both the Jacobs unit installed in the 55 Pat and the one in my 89 Town Car off the 'net at significantly reduced prices or probably wouldn't have considered them initially. That having been said however, after having used both the Pertronix and Jacobs units in the Packard and knowing what I know now, I'd probably spring for a multi-spark set-up. Anecdotally, I have experienced better cold start, smoother cold engine performance during warm-up and slightly better fuel economy with the multi-spark than I did with the Pertronix unit installed and the engine just seems to perform better, generally.

I'm admittedly a little cheap and it's a personal call but, in my experience now, I'd spend the extra money --- if I couldn't find a deal somewhere.

Not arguing the Jacobs may offer advantages. However, the request still stands - when making a recommendation, give us a ball park estimate. What in today's dollars is is going to cost the average-without-connections Packard V8 owner to install a Jacobs ignition?

jack vines

JV writes:
"...when we recommend a modification, might we include at least a cost range?"

AMEN and AMEN!

I'll agree about the price but also would like to know where a "Jacobs" or "MSD-5" can be bought and what exactly to ask for once I get there.
I have no problem with the original points set up but with the distributor where it is on my '55 Patrician and my back, points are something I really don't want to mess with.
My thanks to Craig, Lloyd, Jack and PackardV8 for the tip about these two products!