Vintage Newsletter: May-June 2009
Page 3: TUNE-UP: Spark Plugs, Spark Plug Removal Tool, Ignition

One of the more common questions we hear from customers who own pre-1975 B18 or B20 powered Volvos is ‘how do I get rid of my (problematic) ignition points?’  This is usually motivated by two elements: first, these distributors are more than 25 years old and the shafts develop lateral slop that makes adjusting the points to the proper gap difficult, if not impossible.  Second, and regardless of  the condition of the distributor, the points begin to wear as soon as they’re in use; their condition begins to degrade immediately.
 

We use and sell two products that allow the B18 and B20 engined Volvos to run without points and condensor, the Crane-Allison and the Perlux (or ‘Pertronix’).  Of these, the Perlux is the more affordable (around $90), simplest to install (two wires and one screw) and most compact (fits inside the distributor). 
The “black box” unit mounts inside the distributor where the points used to be, with two wires leading out through the distributor.  The black box is triggered by a collar that fits on the distributor shaft just below the rotor.  Inside this collar are 4 magnets, 90 degrees apart.  As each magnet passes the black box, it triggers the coil.  Just like the points would do, but without any mechanical contact and thus, without any component wear.
 

There are two wires on the Pertronix; one red and one black.  Depending on what model you have and how it’s configured, there are several possible ways to connect the wires up.  140 series without tachometers are the simplest: the red wire connects to the + terminal on the coil, and the black wire connects to the - terminal.  122, 544 and early 1800 models that use the armored cable to protect the + wire require slightly more attention, and 1800 models with tachometers are more complicated still.  Even so, installation should not take more than an hour and the end result of never having to deal with worn, pitted, burnt or sloppy points can really make the effort worthwhile.
 

If this is something you’d like to consider but aren’t sure whether the installation process is realistic for you, give us a call and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.