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Compu-fire electronic ignition
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crvc
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:06 am    Post subject: Compu-fire electronic ignition Reply with quote

While searching I see there's been a lot of discussions about electronic ignition. Some like them, others hate them. I like the idea of not needing to set points or dwell angle since I don't have a meter.

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The rotor doesn't fit deep enough to engage the notch. Also it doesn't fit deep enough to clip the cap on. From what I've read, if I grind off the bottom quarter inch, this thing should work?

I'm at the end of a 1967 body-off restoration. A while ago while putting in a new wiring harness I had problems with the fact that the wiring harness was for a 10-fuse car and my '67 had just eight fuses. I ended up popping the fusable link a dozen times. I assume it fried my points sometime during that period.

I have replacement points and coil but I'm curious if the compufire will do a decent job.

crvc
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interex87
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

yes just cut it but i have to tell you i had the same compu fire and it was not that great...........it was awesome at idle but any thing over 3000rpm
and it would run like crap.

and you dont have to set points any more but you are going to have to cut every rotor from now on is it really a time saver?
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oldskoolbug
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 11:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

interex87 wrote:
yes just cut it but i have to tell you i had the same compu fire and it was not that great...........it was awesome at idle but any thing over 3000rpm
and it would run like crap.

and you dont have to set points any more but you are going to have to cut every rotor from now on is it really a time saver?


I purchased a Pertronix Ignitor II module and Coil, and not only was the install easy and straight forward, but it's been working great thus far!
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VW Habit
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Does anybody know what the symptoms are when the Compu-Fire ignitions go bad or start to go bad?
The car went from running crappy, to running good to now not starting.
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Hammarlund
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This has been done to death, but a recap may be in order at this point. The advantage of an electonic ignition is that you do not have to do as much maintainance.

The disadvantage is that electronic ignitions generally have to be treated like a "black box" during troubleshooting. That is, the only test is often substituion, and the only repair is generally to replace.

Many experienced VW mechanics who run electronic ignitions keep a set of points handy. When their car starts running rough, They substitute in the points. Problem goes away? Replace the ignition module. Problem stays? Look elsewhere.

This is much cheaper than keeping a spare electronic ignition module on hand for substitution.
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slalombuggy
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It funny how VW guys put so little faith in electronic ignitions, yet every summer I drop Pertronix kits into all sorts of muscle cars and none of them carry around points and condensors to get them home "if" they fail. Haven't had a car come back on a hook ever. Not starting a fight, just making a statement.

I will say the cheap copies that a couple of buddies tried are pieces of shite, but we've never had a problem with Pertronix or in VW's Comp-u-fire.

brad
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modockid
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

slalombuggy wrote:
It funny how VW guys put so little faith in electronic ignitions, yet every summer I drop Pertronix kits into all sorts of muscle cars and none of them carry around points and condensors to get them home "if" they fail. Haven't had a car come back on a hook ever. Not starting a fight, just making a statement.

I will say the cheap copies that a couple of buddies tried are pieces of shite, but we've never had a problem with Pertronix or in VW's Comp-u-fire.

brad

gee i'm glad you've had good results so far with electronic ignitions ,
i'm a biker and a vw fan (my kid brother has an old bay bus )
all the harley guys i run around with say use the ol style points, easy to fix , simple to use ect ect , .. i always ran /run points on my vws , kid brother just had an engine built (cause he didn't have the time , and he was to far away from me ) so he had this guy "install" petronix ignition that was about 100 $ so they replace the fuel pump push rod cause the bus would die and just not run did all kinds of diinaustics on it , new ignition swith ect ect , well kid brother lives with me now , went to school last week (college) bus died 10 blocks away from my house , crap here we go again ,got it home he took tahoe to school for the day , I finally realize it was electronic ignition , i dont like em at all not on harleys not on vws and not on chevys no way no how , so i ask him if he bought compufire and he said no , he had done research and specificlly asked for petronix caus compufire is crap, needless to say he went back to points and condincor ( he carries 2 of each plus 2 fuel filters clutch cable throttle ect ect (cause he learned frome me , "carry at least one of everything with you (except brake drums and big stuff like that ) and have at least one but preferible 2 at home ,and there are about 5 different style vw dizzys out there so make sure condincor is the right one for the year
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modockid
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

oh at it cost me a rotor and a fuel pump push rod and gasket ,for some one elses bs and pulling a fast one on my brother !
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 6:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

slalombuggy wrote:
It funny how VW guys put so little faith in electronic ignitions, yet every summer I drop Pertronix kits into all sorts of muscle cars and none of them carry around points and condensors to get them home "if" they fail. Haven't had a car come back on a hook ever. Not starting a fight, just making a statement.



you got it, Brad.... Pertronix makes points replacement modules for damn near anything that came with points, and you don't hear of the rampant dying of them anywhere but here... I used to convert my old BMW's with pertronix long before I ever knew they were available for vw's... I admit, when I first converted my vw I carried extra points and condensor because they were already in the car... later on I carried a setup distributor so swap out would be easy... I haven't carried one for years... I attribute some of the failures in the vw world to the fact that vw's are owned by lots of stereotypical "vw people"... Laughing that and the old wiring systems full of poor connections and the owner's resistence to fix things on their cars, like poor wiring...
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OLD VW NUT
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

modockid wrote:
slalombuggy wrote:
It funny how VW guys put so little faith in electronic ignitions, yet every summer I drop Pertronix kits into all sorts of muscle cars and none of them carry around points and condensors to get them home "if" they fail. Haven't had a car come back on a hook ever. Not starting a fight, just making a statement.

I will say the cheap copies that a couple of buddies tried are pieces of shite, but we've never had a problem with Pertronix or in VW's Comp-u-fire.

brad

gee i'm glad you've had good results so far with electronic ignitions ,
i'm a biker and a vw fan (my kid brother has an old bay bus )
all the harley guys i run around with say use the ol style points, easy to fix , simple to use ect ect , .. i always ran /run points on my vws , kid brother just had an engine built (cause he didn't have the time , and he was to far away from me ) so he had this guy "install" petronix ignition that was about 100 $ so they replace the fuel pump push rod cause the bus would die and just not run did all kinds of diinaustics on it , new ignition swith ect ect , well kid brother lives with me now , went to school last week (college) bus died 10 blocks away from my house , crap here we go again ,got it home he took tahoe to school for the day , I finally realize it was electronic ignition , i dont like em at all not on harleys not on vws and not on chevys no way no how , so i ask him if he bought compufire and he said no , he had done research and specificlly asked for petronix caus compufire is crap, needless to say he went back to points and condincor ( he carries 2 of each plus 2 fuel filters clutch cable throttle ect ect (cause he learned frome me , "carry at least one of everything with you (except brake drums and big stuff like that ) and have at least one but preferible 2 at home ,and there are about 5 different style vw dizzys out there so make sure condincor is the right one for the year


You must be running around with guys with very old Harleys since Harley hasn't put points ignition on a stock Harley since the late 70s Shovelheads. FWIW I'm on my third Harley spanning 20 years and all have had electronic ignition and I've never had a problem and never been stranded because of it. And Chevy (all of GM in fact) all have come with at least the Hall Effect dist since the mid 70s - the Pertronix utilizes the Hall Effect.
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modockid
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 12:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OLD VW NUT wrote:
modockid wrote:
slalombuggy wrote:
It funny how VW guys put so little faith in electronic ignitions, yet every summer I drop Pertronix kits into all sorts of muscle cars and none of them carry around points and condensors to get them home "if" they fail. Haven't had a car come back on a hook ever. Not starting a fight, just making a statement.

I will say the cheap copies that a couple of buddies tried are pieces of shite, but we've never had a problem with Pertronix or in VW's Comp-u-fire.

brad

gee i'm glad you've had good results so far with electronic ignitions ,
i'm a biker and a vw fan (my kid brother has an old bay bus )
all the harley guys i run around with say use the ol style points, easy to fix , simple to use ect ect , .. i always ran /run points on my vws , kid brother just had an engine built (cause he didn't have the time , and he was to far away from me ) so he had this guy "install" petronix ignition that was about 100 $ so they replace the fuel pump push rod cause the bus would die and just not run did all kinds of diinaustics on it , new ignition swith ect ect , well kid brother lives with me now , went to school last week (college) bus died 10 blocks away from my house , crap here we go again ,got it home he took tahoe to school for the day , I finally realize it was electronic ignition , i dont like em at all not on harleys not on vws and not on chevys no way no how , so i ask him if he bought compufire and he said no , he had done research and specificlly asked for petronix caus compufire is crap, needless to say he went back to points and condincor ( he carries 2 of each plus 2 fuel filters clutch cable throttle ect ect (cause he learned frome me , "carry at least one of everything with you (except brake drums and big stuff like that ) and have at least one but preferible 2 at home ,and there are about 5 different style vw dizzys out there so make sure condincor is the right one for the year


You must be running around with guys with very old Harleys since Harley hasn't put points ignition on a stock Harley since the late 70s Shovelheads. FWIW I'm on my third Harley spanning 20 years and all have had electronic ignition and I've never had a problem and never been stranded because of it. And Chevy (all of GM in fact) all have come with at least the Hall Effect dist since the mid 70s - the Pertronix utilizes the Hall Effect.




nope just older guys with newer bikes trusty ol points for me thank you ! especially after my kid brothers shuck and give by a "professonal enigne builder " who put "petronix " in the dizzy .it really pisses me off that her ordered one thing and got compucrap i mean 60 dollar differance and it says compufire on the little thing that goes in the dizzy ... i mean if an engine builder cant read or better yet "is gonna have the last chuckle " whats this world coming too??? cheating and theiving on paying customers come on!!!!!! i'll stick to points on everything !
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Lettuce
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a compufire module that is at least 15 years old in my car, it works fine...

Rolling Eyes
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lettuce wrote:
I have a compufire module that is at least 15 years old in my car, it works fine...

Rolling Eyes


tell that to my brother who ordered petronix and got compufire .
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

modockid wrote:
Lettuce wrote:
I have a compufire module that is at least 15 years old in my car, it works fine...

Rolling Eyes


tell that to my brother who ordered petronix and got compufire .

What's your point?

Complain to your "professional engine builder" about it.

BTW... i've seen a few Pertronix fail in the past few years.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 1:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenn wrote:
modockid wrote:
Lettuce wrote:
I have a compufire module that is at least 15 years old in my car, it works fine...

Rolling Eyes


tell that to my brother who ordered petronix and got compufire .

What's your point?

Complain to your "professional engine builder" about it.

BTW... i've seen a few Pertronix fail in the past few years.


well for one the research dictates that compufire not so good , spent alot of time on dionaustic work and come to find out it was an inferior part to begin with . i've been involved with the vw aftermarket for 2 decades , i am a home engine builder and i can tell you this , i know my stuff , and i know i dont like compufire .from all the people i have talked they dont like it either ! junk
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Glenn Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They're not as popular as Pertronix but i've seen my share of them and not heard of any problems.

BTW... I use points, never a problem with them.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Points work fine, electronic conversions work slightly better. My major problem with then is that you cant go buy parts for them at major auto parts store. Unit dies on Saturday night and you cant get replacement parts till at least Monday. Carrying extra points and condensor in the car seems like a good idea though.

I recently got a complete aftermarket distributor for a big block Oldsmobile from MSD, uses popular Ford parts for the pick-up and ignition module that every auto parts store stocks so best of both worlds.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dugsgms wrote:
Points work fine, electronic conversions work slightly better. My major problem with then is that you cant go buy parts for them at major auto parts store. Unit dies on Saturday night and you cant get replacement parts till at least Monday. Carrying extra points and condensor in the car seems like a good idea though.

I recently got a complete aftermarket distributor for a big block Oldsmobile from MSD, uses popular Ford parts for the pick-up and ignition module that every auto parts store stocks so best of both worlds.



its getting fishier from there , the points were/are working fine now , brother just called and said the engine overheated and its acting like it blew a spark plug , he had ovals motorsports build the motor first thing that suposedly went wrong was a bad fuel pump pushrod , second was the compufire and now something else, i haven had the opertunity to look at it yet , but now this and the engine is still under warrenty . i'm wondering if the bus is haunted or if the builder didn't build it right /pad parts ?????????????? this engine is six months old !
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wonder if the hotter temperatures of the air cooled engine have anything to do with the failure of the electronic ignitions.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mcelhaney14 wrote:
I wonder if the hotter temperatures of the air cooled engine have anything to do with the failure of the electronic ignitions.

i don't know , the BIG problem is why did a new motor (6 month's old with about 3,000 miles on it ) over heat in 50 degree weather ?
had plenty of oil , was properly broke in and all adjustments and maintence done by the shop that built it . over heat and is probly trash now
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