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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Fitting Pertronix/Ignitor

My pertronix box of fiddly bits arrived today and I have what is probably a stupid question prior to fitting.
looking at my coil (non ballasted, I think!) I have one white wire coming from the positive which according to the Haynes wiring diagram goes to the tacho. I presume I piggy back the red Pertronix wire onto that, but on the negative terminal I have two white and black wires going into the spade connector. The wiring diagram only shows one wire from the points to the negative terminal. what's the other one? Should I just connect the black from the pertronix to the negative terminal and let the spade connector hang free or do I need to piggy back the existing negative connections?
As you can guess I'm not too hot on electrics but I can't trace whre the other white and black goes as it just disappears into the loom.

Secondly in everyone's experience is it easier to pull the dizzy to fit the Pertronix gubbins or more sensible to try and do it in the car? For our colonial cousins remember our steering columns run at just the right distance above the head of the dizzy to make life a sod!
Matt 1275 Bucks

this is how I did mine...

hope you can make sence of it...

prop


Prop

Its really obvious that may have profond carrer as a graphic artist....what do you think???


Man Im good...LOL

prop
Prop

Of coarse if that dosnt pan out, Id be a shoe in as an editior for McGraw-Hill....


prop
Prop

Mark carefully the dizzy first and pull it as you suggest. Quite easy to fit.
Piggy back the ignitor wires from the others.
John
John Collinson

... and don't forget to re-time the ignition to 7 deg BTDC (or your favourite number) when fitted. I use a light-bulb (2.5 or 5W; other lead to earth) on the 'points' side of the coil and move the car forward (plugs out) in 4th and check the timing for when the bulb comes on (points just opened, spark generated in HT system).

A
anthony

So I should piggy back the existing wires on both the positive and negative coil terminals and just leave the connection from the negative to the dizzy dangling(in case I need to revert back to points in the future)?
Still intrigued as to where the second wire from the negative terminal goes. Just to confirm you are all saying I should leave it in place?

Prop, your artwork is truly magnificent. Thanks. The problem as with most abstract modern art there are several interpretations of what its supposed to be!
Matt 1275 Bucks

Matt

Yes - carefully connect the ignitor wires to the coil terminals (get them the right way round!).

The current w/b wire from the coil to the dissy is not needed; you'll see this when you remove the points & capacitor... keep it for later use, along with points, cap, screw, ...

A
Anthony

Matt

It sounds like you have one of the later 1275s with the RVC tacho.

You will have a white feed from the ignition switch to the coil, not via the tacho.

One white/black goes to the dissy, the other to the tacho.

This set-up is less susceptible to the problem of 'erratic tacho syndrome' experienced when fitting electronic ignition to the earlier models.
Dave O'Neill 2

Brilliant guys thanks very much!
I think I'll wait 'til after Spridget 50 to do it though as I won't have time to sort out my inevitable cock ups before then!
Matt 1275 Bucks

Bring it with you and some basic tools, maybe someone there can help yoou install it....only taakes 1/2 hour, and 20 minutes of that is just standing around drinking cold (in your case warm) brews with your buddies shooting the bull.

prop
Prop

This thread was discussed on 16/05/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.