omega_rugal Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 do anybody knows which year these engines got electronic ignition? or they always came OEM with old breaker and cap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 I want to say 81. They went to a Ford Duraspark setup. It might have been a little earlier than that though. Why do you ask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omega_rugal Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 i need one of those for a project... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 I know my '68 Javelins and AMXs had points and condenser, but those were the 290-343-390 engines. I think the 304-360-401 series got electronic distributors before '81. I had a '78 full-size Cherokee with the 360, and I **think** it had a Prestolite or Autolite solid state distributor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 I know my '68 Javelins and AMXs had points and condenser, but those were the 290-343-390 engines. I think the 304-360-401 series got electronic distributors before '81. I had a '78 full-size Cherokee with the 360, and I **think** it had a Prestolite or Autolite solid state distributor. Maybe. My 76 J10 has it, but it was swapped in with an 81 engine, and it definitely was supposed to have a points setup. I don't remember, but 78 sounds reasonably likely. I mean, I could just look it up, but I'm being lazy right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 I believe electronic ignition was federally mandated for 1975 model year, as were catalytic converters. Chrysler started using electronic ignition for most of its vehicles for the 1973 model year. Pretty sure the above is right....I lived through it.... Gene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 I believe electronic ignition was federally mandated for 1975 model year, as were catalytic converters. Chrysler started using electronic ignition for most of its vehicles for the 1973 model year. Pretty sure the above is right....I lived through it.... Gene Yep. 1974. Prestolite. Very problematic but the fix was found and came out in a TSB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Mesa XJ Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 I believe electronic ignition was federally mandated for 1975 model year, as were catalytic converters. Chrysler started using electronic ignition for most of its vehicles for the 1973 model year. Pretty sure the above is right....I lived through it.... Gene interesting, I didn't know when the USA auto makers adopted electronic ignition, they were late adopting it compared to Europe (maybe Japan?) who started in the 1960s. Although I had a 1980 VW Rabbit with points. Awful, PITA to tune. If it got splashed the car was dead on he side of the road. Was so glad the crappy V6 XJ had common a gm module. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Yup, how many other people out there remember the joy of setting point gaps? The plastic rubbing block on the movable point arm would have to be at the high point of the distributor cam. Then a feeler gauge would be used to actually set the point gap. Getting the distributor cam right at the high point could be challenging. A big American V-8 was very difficult to turn over by hand, if there was a fan clutch it became about impossible. So you would have to bump the starter, look to see if you were there, bump it again, bump it again, bump it again… And if the distributor was at the back of the engine (Dodge 318) you would pretty much be crawling into the engine compartment to even see things. And, as either the points or the rubbing block wore, ignition timing would be retarded. On the other hand, a Volkswagen beetle could be done pretty much with your eyes closed in your sleep! Gene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 I'll never forget how happy I was when I got a used Mallory dual point distributor for my 1963 289 R2 Avanti back in the early 70's for Christmas. It didn't improve anything at all but it sure looked impressive in the engine bay with that big red cap. :yes: . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Hi Don, I just had to Google that one… Looks like one sweet ride! :banana: Gene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 It was Gene. Paxton supercharger, 10:1 compression ratio and required high octane Sunoco 260 gas. It got almost 9MPG on a good day. :yes: Was a lot of fun but kept me broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Mesa XJ Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 Had to google that car as well. Seems to be a lot of love out there for that car. IMHO Styling was ahead of the curve for 1963. Looks maneuverable. Must have been a blast to drive. Was 10:1 compression aggressive for 63? I seem to recall quite a few v8 of the 60s had pretty high ratios. When they dropped the compression in the gas crunch 70s the power dropped but the fuel consumption stayed about the same. Also why the American sports car of the 80s sucked, the German and Japanese cars managed their power better. American v8 did stupid things like spark control computers The old watercooled VW were not too hard to set the points on, it just didn't seem to hold the tune for long. Could always tell with that car the vaguest mood changes and knew what it needed. Running right it was a zippy fun car. I think my dad must have had a Duster right before they adopted the electronic ignition, remember him complaining about the points in the distributor and taking it to a shop to be tuned. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omega_rugal Posted June 8, 2017 Author Share Posted June 8, 2017 Was 10:1 compression aggressive for 63? i think the lead made the difference, too bad is poisonous to everything that breathes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 Yes, unleaded gas was just getting introduced around that time, and the only thing that Stude could run well on w/o pinging was Sunoco 260. The octane rating was nearly 100. 'Course I had the timing bumped up a bit too........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottJeep Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 OP check out the FSJ Forums or the CJ Forum on jeepforum.com/forum/f8/ Tons of information regarding Prestolite, Duraspark and converting what you may or may not have distributor-wise into electronic. My early menage 360 V8 for my 75/81 CJ5 actually has a GM points distributor in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omega_rugal Posted June 11, 2017 Author Share Posted June 11, 2017 soo pretty much anything from 80 and up will have electronic ignition already, i won`t have to worry about it then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 soo pretty much anything from 80 and up will have electronic ignition already, i won`t have to worry about it then... 74 and up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 I believe electronic ignition was federally mandated for 1975 model year, as were catalytic converters. Chrysler started using electronic ignition for most of its vehicles for the 1973 model year. Pretty sure the above is right....I lived through it.... Gene Yep. 1974. Prestolite. Very problematic but the fix was found and came out in a TSB. I thought the Prestolite was in 75' but either way, it was the Peugeot BA 10/5 of ignition systems :yes: I liked it, and used it on a few different AMC V8's "back in the day" since they were plentiful in the junkyards, and no one wanted them. I carried a spare control module, but never needed it. To the original poster, I'd say go with the later Motorcraft stuff, or a point distributor + a drop in breakerless conversion. Either way, I'm guessing replacement parts would be easier to find than chasing down Prestolite BID parts. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Does anyone know what the real problem was with intermittent dying and was solved by the service campaign? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Crappy one-of-a-kind ignition module. I remember later AMC junked the Prestolite system entirely for a Ford distributor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 That wasn't the field fix though. It was so simple.. My neighbor got a 75 CJ with the Prestolite ignition and the previous owner had added fender vents and did all sorts of crap to solve the intermittent stalling.Nothing worked. He asked me what I knew about it and I gave him the solution from the "igwire" campaign. Hasn't died since. There are 2 wires where the dizzy plugs into the harness. Cut out the plugs and solder the wires together instead. Doesn't even matter if you swap them. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Interesting - but sounds typical. Why is it that AMC had so many problems with connectors? Seems like most of the sensors' output signals are so weak (mv or less) that the slightest impedance like a connector causes beau coup problems. And age adds corrosion and things get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omega_rugal Posted June 14, 2017 Author Share Posted June 14, 2017 AMC works (or doesn`t) in misterious ways... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Interesting - but sounds typical. Why is it that AMC had so many problems with connectors? Seems like most of the sensors' output signals are so weak (mv or less) that the slightest impedance like a connector causes beau coup problems. And age adds corrosion and things get worse. The problem existed on new rigs. WTF was Prestolite thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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