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Distributors

Your old Chris-Craft electrical system can be a challenge. If it runs on "juice" pose your questions and offer your advice here.

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joanroy
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Distributors

Post by joanroy » Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:04 pm

I've diagnosed and solved the intermittent stalling problem on the old Joan Roy with MPI 350's. My Pertronics Distributors are shot. They heat up and lose spark. I opened the caps for the first time and I'm not impressed. The rotor screws were rusted in and the bottom plate had a good coating of rust as well. Leeds me the believe the supposed marine quality of the distributors and the steel used is not the best. Doubt if their made in the USA.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I'm replacing the distributors and I'm thinking Delco HEI or Mallory this time. I know the Delcos tend to be bulletproof in automotive applications. Any thoughts or opinions on which is most reliable?

Thanks

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mfine
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Re: Distributors

Post by mfine » Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:35 pm

The marine rating is for spark safety, not survival in a inhospitable environment. I would strongly suggest you stick with a marine distributor. There is a Delco HEI version for marine use that also has a solid state advance (no springs to rust or automotive vacuum). I don't know what Mallory is offering these days.

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drrot
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Re: Distributors

Post by drrot » Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:27 am

Jim Staib
www.finewoodboats.com


1947 Penn Yan 12' Cartopper WXH474611
1950 Chris-Craft 22' Sportsman U-22-1532
1957 Chris-Craft 26' Sea Skiff SK-26-515
1968 Century 17' Resorter FG-68-174

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tkhersom
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Re: Distributors

Post by tkhersom » Wed Aug 31, 2016 4:21 pm

joanroy wrote:...... I opened the caps for the first time and I'm not impressed. The rotor screws were rusted in and the bottom plate had a good coating of rust as well. ..................

Thanks
Wait, are you saying you have never ever taken off your dist. cap? Distributors need preventive maintenance just like everything else on the boat, especially in a salt water environment. I like to spray the guts of mine with storage oil every fall. I usually use CRC brand, but is a little thick for the distributors. Napa fogging oil is quite thin, good for this, but pretty useless for fogging IMHO. If nothing more spray them with WD40, which is actually a Water Dispersant, but that is another conversation.
Troy in ANE - Former President CCABC

1957 CC 21' Continental "Yorktown" (Mom's boat)
https://www.chris-craft.org/boats/22625/
1985 Formula 242LS "Gottago"
1991 Formula 36PC "Band Aids"

Life Is Too Short To Own An Ugly Boat

joanroy
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Re: Distributors

Post by joanroy » Wed Aug 31, 2016 6:23 pm

I changed out my distributors 7 years ago. Started having the intermittent stall problem a couple of years ago.I never thought to open the caps because their Pertronics and I figured they'd be maintenance free. I know that old points distributor need regular maintenance, but there's nothing inside a Pertronics except a rotor and some kind of optic gadget.. I know of a lot of boats with Delco electronic distributors that still perform fine after many many years without distributor maintenance. What is the recommended maintenance for electronic distributors???

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tkhersom
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Re: Distributors

Post by tkhersom » Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:05 am

My concern for maintenance is more about the counter weights and springs then it is the electronics, if a distributor has Pertronix in it. I do agree that it would be nice if they offered a kit with a stainless mounting plate, but I think spraying the plate on occasion with some storage oil should give years of trouble free service. I will let you know since I just installed Pertronix this year. :D
Troy in ANE - Former President CCABC

1957 CC 21' Continental "Yorktown" (Mom's boat)
https://www.chris-craft.org/boats/22625/
1985 Formula 242LS "Gottago"
1991 Formula 36PC "Band Aids"

Life Is Too Short To Own An Ugly Boat

jim g
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Re: Distributors

Post by jim g » Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:16 am

I think he is talking about the complete marine dist. pertronix makes for the chevy engine.

Unfortunately, When MSD bought out Mallory and Mallory marine being sold to Sierra. The Mallory product line is gone. The best place to look for Mallory is on ebay.

joanroy
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Re: Distributors

Post by joanroy » Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:51 am

Yes, I am talking about complete distributors, not just a conversion. They heat up and lose spark. I've lost confidence in the Pertronix so I'm pulling them out and replacing with Delco Marine. After being towed in last Tuesday I'm done with Pertronix after market distributors.

srlittin
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Re: Distributors

Post by srlittin » Mon Sep 05, 2016 9:14 am

It seems I have had a similar issue. Heat may be a common problem with the newer Pertronix distributor conversions. When I purchased our Constellation in 2014, the boat was fitted with Pertronix distributors on the M engines. During the '14 boating season, no issues.
While rebuilding the engines last year, the distributors were found to be needing the mechanical advance mechanisms rebuilt. This was done by a very professional company with no issues. New modules were fitted at this time along with new caps, rotors wires etc.

During the engine rebuilds, I also fitted the engines with thermostats to bring up engine temps as in , 2014 the temp gauges never moved from the stops of low temp.

While Dyno running the engines for 8-10 hours and the first hours of easy running in the boat, no issues until 3/4 to 1 hour into a trip the stbd. Engine would start to misfire and if pushed would stop completely. Swapped the coil with the other engine, and a new coil, same issue.
Refitted a points / condenser distributor to the engine, and problem solved.

However a couple of hours later, the port engine starts the same problem. Dropping shots and misfiring.
Run the boat with the engine cover open and no issues, engine runs fine.

Thinking this could be temperature related, I put heat paint on the distributor bodies and other places under the engine cover. As soon as the distributor temp got above 150 degrees heat soaked, the electronic modules failed. And would come back and work fine when the temp dropped.

To test this further, I removed the engine thermostats and this dropped the engine bay temp to about 125-130 degrees. With water temp barely 120.

So why in 2014 no issues with the Pertronix ignition, engine bay temperature was lower, A, because of no themostats, B, Engines were worn out and would not run above 2200 revs. Not generating the heat.

My fix, put the thermostats back in as engine operating temp with todays oils is more critical, and I have refitted the points/ condenser distributors with resistor coils. Water temp now 150-155 degrees.

With almost 40 hours this season since, no issues with the basics.

Steve

joanroy
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Re: Distributors

Post by joanroy » Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:06 pm

Definitely a overheating problem with the Pertronics. Unfortunately, I didn't save my old points distributors. I don't really want to go back to points anyway and I know folk with Delco Electronics that have been trouble free. I have a pair of the Delcos on order. I'll let you know how it works out.

Glad you solved your problem. Happy Boating!

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evansjw44
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Re: Distributors

Post by evansjw44 » Wed Sep 07, 2016 8:22 pm

That is why my 327Fs still have the original points set up. Also, Pertronix has a problem with low voltage stars.
Jim Evans

Tightline5
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Re: Distributors

Post by Tightline5 » Wed Sep 07, 2016 9:11 pm

After talking to Mike Murley at Murley's Marine, I would never install Pertronics. Call him and he will educate you. One of the two best Hemi guy's out there.
Phil Jones

1948 US Plywood Executive Runabout Hull #1 "WeldWood"
1954 Racing Runabout R-496
1957 Deluxe Runabout D-17-2062
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joanroy
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Re: Distributors

Post by joanroy » Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:04 pm

So, I ordered two new HEI electronic distributors to replace the Pertronics on my MPI 350's. One standard rotation, and one counter rotation. Interestingly enough, although the engines turn opposite, the distributors are geared and turn the same way. In other words, the counter rotating distributor won't drop in because the gear on it is different and the standard rotation fits both engines. I need two standard rotating distributors even though the engines turn opposite. Doesn't make sense. HELP?

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tkhersom
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Re: Distributors

Post by tkhersom » Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:21 pm

Do the engines turn opposite or do the transmissions / reduction gears reverse the rotation of the prop? :?
Troy in ANE - Former President CCABC

1957 CC 21' Continental "Yorktown" (Mom's boat)
https://www.chris-craft.org/boats/22625/
1985 Formula 242LS "Gottago"
1991 Formula 36PC "Band Aids"

Life Is Too Short To Own An Ugly Boat

jim g
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Re: Distributors

Post by jim g » Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:23 pm

On almost all the chevy marine engines the dist. turns clockwise no matter what the engine rotation is. The reason for this is on the opposite rotating engine the cam is driven by a set of helicut gears instead of a chain. By using the gears this cause's the opposite rotating crank to turn the cam in the same rotation as a standard rotating engine.

So the only things that are different inside your chevy based opposite rotating engine from a standard rotating engine are the cam and the cam gears. Everything else is interchangeable. It makes life really simple.

Now if there chevy based Mercrusier engines. Good luck. Mercruiser change everything around.

joanroy
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Re: Distributors

Post by joanroy » Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:59 pm

Jim G

Thanks so much for your explanation. Stupidly I didn't think to ask before I ordered the distributors. The standard one was $300 and change, the special order counter rotator was $700. Hope I can return it for credit, but if not, I'll add it to my collection of dumb stuff I've bought over the years that I didn't really need. Lesson learned. Thanks again!

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