But there is no control module. Just a Pertronix, a coil and the stock dist,
wires+plugs.

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Beierl" <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2000 10:08 AM
Subject: Re: dwell

> At 23:13 5/13/2000, Mark Rokus wrote:
> >Yes, Pertronix are Hall effect based.  A hall sensor turns on based on
the
> >strength of the magnetic field that they see, thus, it is logical to
> >conclude that you can effect the dwell by changing the distance from the
> >collar (with the magnets in it) and the sensor.  ie... the closer the
> >pick-up is to the collar (magnets) , the longer the sensor will see
> >it.  Obviously, if you get too much of a gap, the pulse will be shorter.
>
> It's logical, but it's not so...decreasing the gap will do nothing (until
> you get physical interference), and decreasing it will perhaps make the
> timing a little late -- or a bit mushy (until the thing stops working at
> all).  But the sensor only provides information to the control module; it
> has no direct effect on the output.  Once the control module knows when
the
> spark is wanted, it generates a pulse without further regard for the
> Hall-effect sensor.
>
> david
> David Beierl - Providence, RI
>   http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
> '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
> '85 GL "Poor Relation"