Electronic Ignition is not for everyone and it certainly should not be used on a show jeep. But for those of us that are more interested in driving the jeep then in showing it, electronic ignition is a modern wonder. No longer will you have to worry about burned out points or the correct gap, in fact, there are not points! The condenser is also removed. It’s a very simple system that installs in about 10 minutes. The good news is you can reinstall the old system in about the same amount of time (be sure to check you point gap though!)
These are the only parts you need to remove from your distributor! They come out fast and go into a baggy for future use…should that ever be required or for the show.
Here is a shot of the parts installed. Basically, it is a new base plate with the “brain” on board in the little sensor module marked 41V-V4. You will continue to use the original distributor cap and rotor. Notice the magnetic marker collar that slips over the distributor and allows the rotor to fit ontop of it.
This is the magnetic collar that the module uses to sense when to fire the sparks. It is very slick.
The eletronic ignition parts used for the L4-134 with 12 volt distributors marked IAD-4008A, IAD-4041 are (Ignitor I )1541 or (Ignitor II) 91541. My distributor was marked Prestolite IAD-4041 4N and I was already running 12 volts in Frankenjeep(tm). I called ( (909)599-5955 ) Pertronix located at 440 East Arrow Highway, San Dimas, CA 91773 to find out the exact part number and where I could purchase the item. They have a website at www.pertronix.com.
NOTE: I received a notice from Paul G. that the coil I used was not correct according to Pertronix and would lead to failure of the ignition system. The correct part to use is coil part number 40511 for 4 cylinders. It has 3.0 ohms resistance. Apparently using a coil of 1.5 ohms would void the warranty. This certainly explains the failure of my jeep several years later. It suddenly stopped running and would not start. I figure the original distro had failed. I never suspected the electronic ignition. Now I realize I must have cooked the ignition system. I subsequently went back to the original points as I was able to purchase a NOS distributor from Joel Gopan. Joel even set it up so that all I had to do was install the part. The jeep fired up on the first start.
While not absolutely necessary for the Pertronix ignition, I used the Pertronix Flamethrower coil, part number 40011 (oil filled with internal resistor 1.5 ohms).
If you are a diehard 6 volt fan, you can cheat just as well. According to the Pertronix Catalog, the 1541 unit is available as 1541N6 (which means it works with 6 volt negative ground!). You might have to special order it from the factory.
I decided to order the part from Summit Racing (www.summitracing.com) at (800)230-3030. Their matching part number was PNX-1541 and described as “Electronic Conv. Kit Misc. 4 cyl. Industrial Eng.” for $76.39. At the time I wanted to purchase the item it was back ordered so plan accordingly, if you need one.
While not for the purist as I said, it does make an excellent and dependable ignition system, never having to worry about the points or the gap.