Ignition conversion?? How much??

[keegan99usa]

So my 1991 original is OK, but starts hard the first time after sitting a couple days. Starter pauses a bit like a turn, stop, turn, stop, then finally fires. If I pump it a bit it starts ok, but wondering about all the talk about people coverting to electronic ignition. Good? Bad? How much cost? Should I wait til this one goes? Do you think it's already on it's way gone? Should I need to pump it to start? Even if I sit for an hour or so, i need to pump it a couple times to fire good. What to look at first? Did I ask enough questions to really confuse everyone?
Thanks
Dan :???:

[MiracleDriver]

RE: Ignition conversion?? How much??

i converted to electronic and have since gone back to points.

we replaced the distributor completely with a mallory unit I believe from the prestolite.

problem with electronic is a lot of the units are junk and with an older boat they heat soak and can ruin the electronic. you then have to replace the whole unit every few years or even once a year as opposed to a $40 tune up kit (cap, rotor, points, condenser)

with new distributor and points I generally set it once a year and leave it. I do keep a gap gauge in the boat and have yet to adjust it this season (new dist was installed in aug 06). It only takes 15 minutes to adjust the points.

[keegan99usa]

RE: Ignition conversion?? How much??

Thanks for the heads up. I really am interested to hear if my starting issues are normal? I mean after it sits for a couple days it's like it needs to turn over a few times before it has the power to even turn completely over. I hit the key and it starts/stops/starts/stops like 8-10 times without letting up on the key. It seems as though it doesn't have the power to turn over, but then it turns over nice and if i pump it back a couple times it fires right up. I did have to turn the idle up a bit to get it to not "cough" when first going into gear. Before I turned the idle up, it would die when just putting it into gear. It is now at about 1000 RPM and that goes down to 7-800 when in gear. I would rather turn it back down a bit, but then I go back to the dying issue.
Thanks
Dan

[MiracleDriver]

RE: Ignition conversion?? How much??

your starting issues aren't "normal"

it could also be your fuel filter or lines that are clogged and after it sits for a while it gets worse.

not sure what you mean by start/stop/start/stop

you should have to give it a good amount of gas to fire it up cold, so pumping is advised.

its normal to drop a few 100 rpm when you put it in gear.

also, turn up the idle when its in gear, not neutral. when in neutral set the idle speed as low as possible before the engine stalls. then put it in gear and turn it up as necessary.

you could also have a tranny issue, meaning the transmission is not able to keep up with the motor spinning and causes the engine to stall.

Definitely get a tune up kit to replace the points, cap, rotor, condenser.

make sure the points are gapped properly.

I had very similar problems, and replaced the whole distributor.

you can also look at what its gapped at now as that may be your problem.

[bchesley]

RE: Ignition conversion?? How much??

I dont think that the conversions have to be replaced every few seasons? I have 8 years on my conversion and not a single problem. I actually took it out of my mastercrap after a year of use and put it in my 2001. Best money I ever spent. No more adjusting or hard starts.

Brad

[keegan99usa]

RE: Ignition conversion?? How much??

I did do the idle adjust while in gear. I will replace the fuel filter, points, condenser, cap, etc. How much would it cost to do the conversion? What brand(s) are(is) recommended?
Thanks Dan

[boatech]

RE: Ignition conversion?? How much??

if your starter is stopping/ pausing its not because of points or bad elctronic ign. you need to check batt., batt. connections/cables. you need to have the starter itself check to see how many amps it is drawing during crank mode.i install the pcm elce. ign. kits everyday and have only had 1 out of hundreds fail they are a no-brainer IMO.also if you have to pump the crap out of it say more than 3 times then the pump plunger in the carb has shrunk and is not doing its job.