I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

[Paul L.]

And let you know how things work out. As well as Accell 8-mm wires up-top. I know this is not NCRS but it is a tech section.

*Edit*- Sometimes I wish you can take back the mistakes in the title. Apologies.

[Erv M.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

Installed a few weeks ago, runs like a dream. What I like about it is the stealth look. Without removing the distributor cap it appears stock.

Just a tip. Mark your rotor cap when removing. During the installation the indexing stubs on the bottom of the rotor cap are removed. This way you will not install your rotor 180 degrees out.

Everything elese in the installation is straight forward.

[Paul L.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

Thanks for that tip.

[Jack H.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

You shouldn't have to mill off/remove the rotor's keying stub! It should sit smooth/flush within the mating hole of the distributor's overhead arm.

Unless, there's been a change in the installation phamphlet, the only 'mod' that's called for is enlarging the attaching screw holes in the rotor and that's only necessary when the rotor is non-original (later era Delco service replacement and/or aftermarket). Why?

Factory original Delco Remy rotors used non-captive attaching screws. These are typically black Bakelite. Later service replacement rotors + aftermarket supplier parts were 'improved' to make the rotor's attaching screws captive to thwart accidental drop/loss during installation/removal (typically white or blue colored plastic). That changed the effective ID of the rotor's screw holes.

The design team at M&H Electric who created the Breakerless SE went by the 'book' using original GM drawings to design the special attaching screws used to secure the Breakerless SE's Hall effect vanes to the distributor's overhead arm. They didn't know about early vs. late vs. aftermarket rotor geometry differences.

I can assure you that IF you just happen to have an original Delco rotor, the Breakerless SE kit will install with NO modification! Been there, done that more than once...

[Paul L.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

You shouldn't have to mill off/remove the rotor's keying stub! It should sit smooth/flush within the mating hole of the distributor's overhead arm.

Unless, there's been a change in the installation phamphlet, the only 'mod' that's called for is enlarging the attaching screw holes in the rotor and that's only necessary when the rotor is non-original (later era Delco service replacement and/or aftermarket). Why?

Factory original Delco Remy rotors used non-captive attaching screws. These are typically black Bakelite. Later service replacement rotors + aftermarket supplier parts were 'improved' to make the rotor's attaching screws captive to thwart accidental drop/loss during installation/removal (typically white or blue colored plastic). That changed the effective ID of the rotor's screw holes.

The design team at M&H Electric who created the Breakerless SE went by the 'book' using original GM drawings to design the special attaching screws used to secure the Breakerless SE's Hall effect vanes to the distributor's overhead arm. They didn't know about early vs. late vs. aftermarket rotor geometry differences.

I can assure you that IF you just happen to have an original Delco rotor, the Breakerless SE kit will install with NO modification! Been there, done that more than once...

Thanks Jack. This is the candidate for the transplant. I don't have an original rotor; I believe this one is NAPA. So I may have to do some mods.

[Timothy B.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

I installed the Breakerless SE on my 67 small block and I am very happy with the performance of the car. You will not regret the decision to do away with points. Stock coil with breakerless and good secondary parts and the car will run great.


My friend has a Petronics 3 and I still can't figure out how to time the engine. I thought it was me but also have another friend with Oldsmobile and Petronics 3, same issues. I still have not figured out what's so great about them..

[Paul L.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

I had the original Pertronix in my 1967 and it worked fine. The new ones I am not familiar with. I am comforted by Jack's comments that the designers at M&H studied GM specs when developing the product.

[Jack H.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

Most are more familiar with Lectric Limited than they are with M&H and that's because LL caters to the Corvette community while M&H relies primarily on its distribution channel to serve end users. Both are GM licensees. M&H makes wiring products for almost all American muscle cars. The two treat each other as OEM's and 'trade' parts.

In the case of the Breakerless SE, it's an M&H product that's sold to LL in bulk for LL to repackage. You get the same basic product from either source, but M&H is in control of the design and major component assembly.

The contacts I've had with M&H have all been Top Drawer with company principal paying close attention to detail when it comes to authenticity, quality control and underlying design verification.

[Paul L.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

Sounds like a pretty solid, well-run company.

I'll configure that unit (with pics) on the weekend and post pics.

Thank you for your off-line info!

[Nick L.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

Hey Paul,

I installed it in both my 66 L-79 and most recently in my 67 L-68 (which is a factory TI car that had been converted to conventional ignition along the way). IMO, it's an extremely high quality product.

Nick

[Paul L.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

The unit arrived today and the installation is done. For some reason my EBay distributor had the ground wire soldered/installed in a location that interfered with the module. I relocated that as per the Lectric pics. And they are not very good. Nor are the instructions. In fact to see blurry pics beyond the instructions you have to go back to the web site. Rather strange for a professional group. The M&H pics are a little better but not by much.

I also ordered a D512R coil that is purportedly compatible with the Breakerless SE for my 1974. But when I read the instuctions I see a D511R coil is?? Yet there is no D511R on the web site??

In any case, the job is done. Yes those white NAPA-type rotors do need the square tip cut back to ~1/8" for the rotor to mount properly. But that is but a one-minute job with a file. The round tip is fine. So...will it work? We shall see in April. But my confidence is a little shaken by their poor literature and the coil matter. Points and condensor on reserve in the back compartment!

BTW, don't try this conversion with the distributor in the car. It was tricky enough on the bench getting those liitle screws in place.

[Randy C.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

I put a Pertronix in my car back in 2003 and it ran great. I switched out to the Lectric Limited version last spring, primarily because of the single wire operation. Again, it worked perfectly and I didn't need to make any mods.

[Timothy B.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

Paul,

I am surprised you had any problem with the installation, can you post a pic of the soldered wire you describe as problematic. The instructions with mine were clear as a bell. Going from memory, there may be a sentence about lifting/bending the soldered ground wire up out of the way so the module sits flat on the contact plate and I don't think I even had to do that. Also, a little clip to hold the ground wire from interfering with the shutter wheel.

I believe the breakerless will work with any stock coil through a ballast resistor or resistor wire like used on your car, where is the problem, get a coil from NAPA and save $$.

Randal, when you installed the breakerless on your car after the Petronics, did the car run any different. I bet not as it only takes so much voltage to jump a spark, the rest is reserve. IMHO the Petronics is HIPED up to much. This multi spark Petronics 3, well lets just say I had problems with setting inital timing.

[Randy C.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

U did not notice any difference in the way the car ran. It ran great with either application. The only reason I shifted to the Lectric Limited system is the single wire - I like the original look!

[Stuart F.]

Re: I'll Try Lectric Limited Breakerless SE This Summerr

Has any one noticed whether the pickup stays perfectly centered or maintains the same gap to the chopper wheel? Reason I ask, long ago I used a Prestolite "Hall Effect" unit conversion kit which had a diecast chopper wheel and the pickup was mounted in a sort of plastic material and was adjustable to center it within the chopper. When you would spin the rotor slowly you could notice the gap vary from one chopper blade to the next. now it may not have meant anything, but it concerned me. To me the Lectric Limited device looks even less substantial than that old Prestolite unit (from Montgomery Wards). The Prestolite was also standard equipment on American Motors V8's in the 70's/80's. It had an Epoxy encapsolated remote electronic unit with two wires. The wires into the distributor were prone to getting stiff and brittle and would hand up the vacuum advance plate. I replaced them with silicone jacketed wires to cure that problem. The external wiring used pin type inline connections which would break internally and shut you down. Hitting it with 12 volts on restart would get you going again until the next bump in the road.

What did I learn; 1) watch what kind of wire(s) are used to the pickup to be certain they are not going to get hard on you in time and hang up your vacuum advance plate. 2) 12 volt input systems (w/o ballast resistor) are more likely to overcome a bad connection than 8 volts, and make sure you have good connections, i.e. well crimped or soldered faston connectors.

The above info is why I chose the Pertronix II for my conversion.

Stu Fox