Re: ignition reliability

[Doug Rasmussen <76075.2276@domain.elided>]

John Landry wrote:
>If I had to do it all over again, at this point I would have skipped the
MSD box and gone straight to the Pertronix Ignitor.  Heck, for *less* than
the cost of the MSD system (and *way* less than the Jacobs), you can get
two Pertronix Ignitors and ditch having to use points in your "primary"
ignition system (and toss them in your glove box for your "backup"
system).<

OK John,

  I've heard nothing but good things about the Pertronix, but it's going to
go out some day, right?  And when it goes, it's probably going to be a
catastrophic failure, working one minute,   dead the next.
  Having a set of points in your glove box for redundancy isn't going to
help much when you're half way home on I-5 in a cold rain storm in the
middle of winter.  I think I'll stick with my Mallory point dist.   At
least when the points go it's usually a gradual thing.  My idea of
redundancy is to be able to switch a few wires to get back to basics,. . .
. points, coil, etc.

  In my original message I forgot to mention a benefit I got from my
Jacobs.  The engine I first installed it on was a plug fouling oil burner. 
After the Jacobs, it was still an oil burner, just didn't foul the plugs
anymore.  Come to think of it, that was quite a benefit.

Doug, who is still weighing the cost factors of electronic ignitions.