points crazy 78 spider

[MrBlimp]

This is the second time this occurred. Points were way off.

Last time I was having trouble starting the car and i checked the points - they were not gapped at all.

This time I was driving the car - running tip top - all of a sudden the car started backfiring and losing power - then it would pick up again - then start backfiring and lose power again - after about 6 times the car stopped running.

I checked the points which were no longer showing a gauge.

I adjusted them to 16 degrees and everything worked great again.

Anyone have any insight into this?

Could the problem be the sacrificial foot that rides on the color be wearing out so quickly?

[TwinFast]

The best choice is to install an Electronic Ignition system. The PERTRONIX isn't too expensive (around 100$) and it's really reliable.

[JohnMc]

I really have no insight to your issue - cannot see why the points would wear unless you had a metal burr or something else.
I will say I installed the PERTRONIX with a Flamethrower and just love it. Starts first time!

[JohnMc]

The PERTRONIX does not touch the "cam" on the distributor so it cannot wear.

[MrBlimp]

Does anyone know of a write-up of the procedure to install the electronic ignition?

[TwinFast]

The pertronix came with a written procedure howto

[Zoofly]

You take out the points and condensors. Then you attach the pertronix magnet to the base it comes with and screw in to the same place where the points were. Hook it up and that's it. I knew nothing about cars when I hooked it up. That was my first success and it was super easy. You will need to most likely swap out the ignition coil to the flame thrower they sell.
https://autoricambi.us/collections/igni ... kit-197178

[MrBlimp]

It's been a year since I last visited this issue and it hasn't gotten any better. This past weekend the car died and I had to leave it on the side of the road for 6 hours which was how long it took me to get back to it. I worked on setting the points and even threw in a different condenser before I got it to run well enough to drive it home.

I am going to go with the electronic ignition and buy the autoricambi electronic-ignition-conversion-kit.

I contacted Pertronix and they couldn't tell me the right model without me supplying the numbers off the distributer.

My only concern is given my car is a 78 can I be certain that this product https://autoricambi.us/collections/igni ... kit-197178 is the right model.

[SteinOnkel]

Ditch the points and go with this:

http://www.fiatspider.com/f15/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=38062

Wires up in like...10 minutes. And you don't need to pay AR's ridiculous price for the icm/coil/heatsink combo. I tore apart an old computer power supply and found a perfect heatsink in there.

I don't like Pertronix stuff. Nothing but issues on every car I've tried it on.

Cheers
Steiny