Re: GM HEI coils

[jlandry@domain.elided (John A. Landry)]

In a brilliant stroke of genius, jmbrodsky@domain.elided blurted out:

>        My dad's '79 Corvette which I have been crawling in the hood 
>     for some time, is HEI.  I saw no coil.  Upon question of this, He 
>     (Dad), as well as the manual, state that there is no coil per se, 
>     it's in a module above the disty cap, and clips in on top.

It does have a "coil."  It's on the top of the distributor cap.  There's a
self contained reluctor wheel and Hall effect sensing module / amplifier
under the distributor cap as usual.  The HEI was a great break through in
its day.  The coil is capable of much higher voltage output than typical
system of the day.  By today's standards it's nothing special, but it's
still a very reliable and solid ignition system.  I had one in a '79 Chevy
truck I once bought new and it never gave me any trouble. 

>        So, I told you that, to ask you this:
>     
>     Does the pertronix ignitor only perform the task of a 
>     triggerwheel/reluctor OR points/lobe and that's all?  Two wires 
>     right?  What does the pertronix do, that the original trigger 
>     wheel from the IH doesn't?

Yes... the Pertronix unit is simply a retrofit electronic ignition system.
Two wires... power and coil ground.  You still need an external coil.  It
performs the exact same functions as the Holley gold box system or the
Prestolite ignition system used on IH vehicles.  Advantages over those...
none really except possible greater reliability.  Now it *may* (or may not)
offer some advantage in the way it saturates and fires the coil due to very
modern engineering knowledge and design.

>     Thanks for clearing this up,

Der velcome!

John
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