Is Electronic Ignition Conversion a Good Idea?

Is converting my D17 IV (12V - positive ground) to electronic ignition a good idea?  How do they handle the advance curve?  Do they tend to be finicky in operation?  Also, would I need a new coil, or would the stock 12V coil work ok - and what about ballast resistors? 

The old points/condensor system works ok, but this is one area (like oils) where it seems more modern technology actually is better.  I was wondering what everyones' experience has been, and if there are certain brands that are trouble, etc.

I converted my series II D 17 and my 190 gas both to electronic and am liking it alot. Just a matter of time before I have all of my gas tractors converted to it. Darrel

I have both my gas tractors converted to the Pertronix units. You have to follow the directions and make sure the primary coil resistance is correct. Seems like it's supposed to be 3-4 ohms. Too low and it will blow the brains out of the module. I got the matching Flamethrower coil to go with both of mine to ensure compatibility.

We carry the Pertronix kits in stock along with choice of coils. They work great!
Steve@B&B

I don't think the unit will fit inside the mag body. I've seen what you describe done.

have every one of my 45,s converted to the petronix...love them,,got mine from jim at ok tractor in mounds okla...

the ignitor 3 is basically the hei module and will work with 4 and 6 cylinder engines . the rev limiter function will not operate correctly if used on anything other than a v8 though.

DaveKamp wrote: OP mentioned the advance curve- When you install a Pertronix kit, the advance curve doesn't change- it's still using the mechanical advance located in the distributor base.  All you're really doing is removing the points and condenser, and replacing them functionally with a solid-state magnetic trigger system. I have a Pertronix kit on my D17 Series 1, as well as on a 19' 1954 Century Resorter runabout.  Love it. Up side-  no points... no condenser, so no way they'll ever get 'marginal' or fail.  Down side, is that they CAN fail, and when they do, you'll hafta replace the whole unit.  Up-side is that if you have the original points and condenser, you can drop those back in and be operational... or if you have a spare unit, drop it in with no worries (timing won't be affected) and continue on. Down side, is that if they fail, they're another hundred bucks or so, and you can kill 'em by accidentally hooking 'em up backwards.

or not cutting the voltage down enough when using alow resistance high energy race type coil

This topic is like  'which is better Ford or Chevy' ! Both my D-14s and the Gleaner A  are 50+ years old and have points. Cheap, reliable,easy to fix. Yes, electronic ignitions may work better(if setup correctly), but as others have said, when the magic smoke comes out it's $100 or more to fix.That's an expensive spare part to have on the shelf compared to $10 set of points.You best have a spare because the one in the tractor will fail ,late Saturday afternoon  ,1/3 way through haying or some other time sensistive task.

The 6V Pertronix units work just as nice as the 12V version. Have a 6V unit in my B for probably going on 9 years now. Never had a problem. Starts right up everytime. There is a little delay on the 6V version mainly because you need 4V at the module in order for it to fire. When cranking the engine, most of the power in the 6V system is directed to the starter motor. When you let go of the starter rod, that split second sends 6V's to the module and lights the motor. Normal characteristic on the 6V versions. Doesn't hurt a thing.
One thing you do have to be aware of with any E.I., is if you're charging the Battery, either disconnect the Battery from the Tractor, or take it out of the Tractor BEFORE you hook your charger up. If the key switch is left on, hooking a charger to the Battery without disconnecting the Battery post(s) can spike the electronic Ignition's module. It will now be toast.... You just have to be careful around it and use common sence....
Steve@B&B