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MG TD TF 1500 - Experience with Pertronix distributor ?

The time has come to rebuild my distributor. Advance will charge me around $110. So I am considering the pertronix positive grnd distributor at $160.

Has anyone had any experience with their (equivalent) 45D for the TD/TF? - http://www.pertronix.com/prod/ig/flame/dist/british.aspx

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

I quizzed Jeff about them when I shipped the TD and TF distributors off to him last winter. He didn't have anything good to say about them. Made in China and the quality was not so good. No first hand knowledge myself.
LaVerne

I had Jeff build my Dist. a couple of years ago, pertronix installed. Been delighted with it. Starts right up, no problems. I did leave it so that I can use points if something ever goes wrong.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

Maybe I'll just buy their 40,000v coil. I've just bought some bumble bee wire and so, I guess I'll just stick to the tried and trusted.

Thanks.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

Gord,
I echo Tom's remarks. I had Jeff rebuild mine with the Pertronix I installed. It's been over six months and I am delighted with the performance. I did shave a bit off the bottom of the rotor as Bud suggested.
Mort
Mort (50 TD "Mobius")

I also fitted a Pertronix - but to my old distributor to replace the points- not a whole new distributor.

Found it very good.

Not sure but reading between the lines that is what most of the guys have done - rather than replace the whole lot...

The pertronix ignitor is ~$100

http://www.vintageperformance.com/retrorockets/mg.htm

I bought from theses guys twice (for my jag also) . Web only but cheap and it arrived.

Make sure to get the right one - they are specific to the type on cam/lobes on the distributor head where the rotar arm sits...


Dave
Dave Moore

Gordon,

Do you have a direct link to their 45D for the TD? All the British distributors I found there were for the BMC A series engines...and they were all around $240, not $160.

Best,
Gene

Gene Gillam

Just to clarify, jeff rebuilt my dist. I added the pertronix myself after I got it back. Jeff does a great , job. One of my fellow club members rigged it so that I can go back to Points if somehow the petronix folds. So far, it isone of the best things I have done to the car.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

My original dist had been repaired once by john twist for a loose bucket on the shaft and failed a second time in the same way. UI had Jeff build me up a new one (mechanical advance MGB dist) curved to match Len's Roller cam. I run the Lucas sport coil with a larger gap and find it delightful! I had him build it up with points as I like the field servicability of points over electronic ignition. Starts right up on the first pull every time. Very pleased with his work.

Alex
Alex Waugh

Jeff says that pertronix will cover a lot of problems with a worn, non-rebuilt distributor. But with one of his distributors rebuilt to better than new tolerances and the extra bushing on the shaft, points will actually out preform the pertronix.

I run points on everything, because one sad day the pertronix PO installed wiring shorted out on the distributor base plate and took out the ignition wire from the switch, through the tach, to the coil... on our B.

warmly,
dave


Dave Braun

I have tens of thousands of miles with Pertronix type electronic ignition in old vehicles. Never failed me or anyone else I know, so they must be fairly stable stuff. I still carry points as part of mye emergency rescue scheme though, just in case...

Regards,

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

Gene,

The $160 figure came from a club member who bought the complete distributor for his TF. He says it works well, but the acid test comes over time, and being made in China, I am being cautious, hence this thread.

I have a fellow TC owner who was the Canadian President of a well-know bearing company. He says the Chinese bearings look great and are usually built to spec, but they tend to cut corners, using poorer quality metals, and any problems, take a while to appear.

So I've pretty well decided to go with the Advance rebuild, and add a Pertronix 40,000 volt coil (I already have the ignition).

Thanks all, for your valued input.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

This thread was discussed between 03/07/2012 and 04/07/2012

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.