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MG MGB Technical - Flame Thrower III with dodgy OP?

All, and special thanks to Peter, for the help with the oil pressure issues I suddenly started having.

While not properly addressed which would call for pulling the lump, it has been temporarily solved by adding an uprated relief spring, Peter's mod plus raising the idle closer to 1K from 800.

As my favorite points are NLA I've been looking at finally giving over to electronic. The new Flame Thrower III looks quite interesting. I was advised I would also need their stronger coil.

My concern is: will it have an adverse effect on my oil pressure? In some ways I feel like let sleeping dogs lie. On the other, buring the gas better might be better?

Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Max71

Get high quality points from Jeff at:

http://advanceddistributors.com/wordpress1/

The Flame Thrower is Chinese junk.

If you insist on getting an electronic ignition, install the Crane XR700 optical system in your existing distributor.
Steven Rechter

I guess that's the coil name. Its Pertonix Ignitor III. Does that make any difference?
Max71

So you have jacked up your oil pressure to cover up the fact your engine is getting worn out as other people told you about the oil pressure in your car when telling you about the OPRV and how you can get higher pressure with a different spring. Several people before Peter. whatever.

Now you claim you want electronic ig cuz you can no longer find "your favorite points"? What points might those be? Why not try a new brand of points or ask for suggestions for new points? Never heard much anybody with "favorite points." whatever Sounds soo much like a typical scam mgexp posting dont it?

The cheap pertronix and quite similar accu-spark offering barely work and when they fail you will be trying to figure out what's wrong for a long time before you figure out it is the cheap points/cond replacement. If your distributor bushings are as worn as the rest of your engine then try the XR700 as suggested, there's quite a bit of room for wobble inthere, and much less likely to leave you by the side of the road scratching your head. Guess you are getting this can of worms ready to sell?
S Cole

Wow. I never expected such a post on this site. You're right its more of a mgexp response which is why I never post on that forum.

Firstly, if you re-read the original post I thanks everyone or ALL. I added an additional for Peter. So I was keenly aware and thankful to everyone whom I already thanked months ago.

That's fine. It was just a question. The answer could easily been a dismissal. I held out because I do know of the drawbacks and never was interested. However with the new version I wondered aloud.

The best points I've run on the car, by far, were the Blue Streak. They never needed adjusting. I had always run Lucas which always needed to be adjusted regularly, especially on trips. No my dizzy is not bad. It was rebuilt and recurved to the cam. Runs great no slop or bearing slack.

No, I have no intention of selling the car I've had for the last 43 years and just restorted it 5 years ago....when the engine was completely rebuilt. It far from worn although its obviously something has gone wrong which at this point means an engine teardown and inspection which I don't have the means to do at this juncture.

HTH.

Max71

Hey Steve - Dizzy is a Jeff rebuild. He's the one who turned me onto Blue Streak (with the lube pad). He can't get them either...
Max71

Gee Max71 I cant find any post from you on oil pressure. You know Echlin points? Better than blue streak. Napa brand just like blue streak bought by Echlin (NAPA) 8 years ago. What your oil pressure now with stiffer spirng?
Ben Stevens

Max. The points in my 79 B kept collapsing, so I went to Lumitronix. It has been trouble free for the 15 years since its installation.

Cheers

Gary
79 MGB
gary hansen

Max, getting better, consistent, properly timed ignition will have no detrimental effect on your oil pressure. Which was the question I believe!
Allan Reeling

" will have no detrimental effect on your oil pressure"

No effect at all! Although I say that as someone who will only be dragged kicking and screaming to install any kind of electronic ignition. Points and condenser have never failed me in over 40 years ... and yes I do change the points occasionally when they finally drift out of dwell spec, which is usually significantly after the recommended replacement point.

I wish this had been added to the original thread, I'd like to be reminded what the original problem was, as well as what the pressure is now.

"So you have jacked up your oil pressure to cover up the fact your engine is getting worn out"

Given that the relief valve only opens at 70psi, modifying the spring 'to jack up the pressure' would only be a valid criticism if the pressure is now significantly over that, and who would want it to be?
paulh4

Max, Jeff will also tell you to stay away from Pertronix.

BTW, I recently changed out a set of points purchased from Jeff that lasted 20K miles. They still worked well but I did not want to press my luck.
Steven Rechter

Thanks to you all for much more qualified and interesting points (no pun).

In order. The comment on the Oil Pressure. You would have to search the archives. This was probably 8 months ago. In a quick recap:

I was sitting in traffic and watched my OP suddenly drop from 70 psi to 25 psi! As stated above the engine is not tired nor does it burn any oil. Cylinder psi is high (long story) but fine. Changed rod bearings and the 3 mains I could get to ( 5 main ). No effect. I changed from the stock electrical OP sender to a mechanical so I would eliminate any issues and know the OP shown was correct. Checked loads of other things and was told over and over the relief spring would have no effect. Being desperate and discussing with local mechanic who had no idea as the car runs great and fires immediately he felt it would have to be torn down to find what was happening. In desperation I did change the spring and raised the idle which worked enough to keep the OP around 50 lbs at traffic idle unless its hot out then it starts going toward 25 so I pull the choke just to engage the fast idle just enough.

Back to this thread.

Ben - never heard of Echlin points but I'll check them out.

Gary - truthfully Lumitronix is what I always wanted but became fascinated to see if the Pertronix III was finally something to consider.

Allan - YES that was the orginal question :)

Paul - Having owned the car for all those years I just got so tired of the points collapsing after hundreds of miles - even with rebuilt dizzy etc. I tried the Blue Streak with the follower pad and was amazed even after 3K they hadn't drifted at all.

Backstory - being lazy at one point I decided to take the car to a mechanic down south when I lived there. He insisted I use a Pertronix and waxed on how he's changed xx cars to them. Relunctantly I agreed. An hour of swearing and frustration the mechanic gave up and yelled - "I guess your car doesn't want an electronic ignition!!!" and tore it out.

On runs with a former club the only breakdowns due to ignition were always people using Pertronix or the like.

Again, thanks everyone.
Max71

Ben - couldn't find the Echlin. The blue streak were made by Standard who discontinued the type with the follower pad. One of the local parts suppliers was working with a UK company that claimed they would remanufacture them. A year later the decided there wasn't enough of a market to warrant the work.

Anyway, is the general consensus that the Pertronix III is not worth pursuing?
Max71

Just for reference, the Blue Streak was PN Standard Motor Products LU1617XP Ignition Points




Max71

So MGE has arrived here then?
David k Brenchley

I sure hope not!
Max71

David the MGexp only mentions ever the Crane XR700 electronic or Pertronix. 15 years ago I got a XR3000 for my MGB and went with no ignition ballast. The xr700 is for ballasted only. xr3000 handles battery voltage and has a few other features, but for neg ground only. With the xr3000 you will need a coil designed for no ballast, as in to run on battery voltage. Generally a 3.2 ohm primary resistance coil. Once I got the correct heat range spark plugs figured out, after a thorough carb rebuild and valve adjusment, etc. the car runs like a Swiss watch. A lot of people get these professionally installed, but I found it pretty simple to do myself. Nothing wrong with points/condenser, but somewhat limited in spark intensity. To get a bigger spark with points you will be devouring points which is the opposite intention of the XR3000 system which is more intense spark (depending on your coil selection) and no points/condenser maintenance. Pertronix type conversions generally give a weaker but better timed spark over points.
O Ronson

I changed to the Pertronix Flame Thrower 4 years ago when the condensers were junk, the points were junk and have never had to change or adjust any thing since then. The car starts in a second, shuts down in a second and runs like a modern car - want to drive the car go electronic - want to look at it on the tow truck stay with the Chinese condensers.
Bayard DeNoie

"stay with the Chinese condensers."

We are fortunate in the UK having a couple of ignition component specialists who supply quality parts.
paulh4

As do we in the US with the aforementioned Advanced Distributors.

http://advanceddistributors.com/wordpress1/
Steven Rechter

This thread was discussed between 22/01/2017 and 24/01/2017

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