Gen 3 1989 thru 2004
HISTORY
The Gen 3 Perma-Tune was an evolutionary design that took pace with the fast moving transistor technology of the time. New components made new features possible and Perma-Tune led the way in high performance ignition. The older – 400 Volt output design was replaced by a newer, + 400 Volt design that was far more adaptable to new cars. There were many versions of the Gen 3 Perma-Tune, the favorites are listed here.
Three Pin Perma-Tune
The three pin Gen 3 is a replacement part for the Porsche 911 Blue Box ignition module.
Eight Pin Perma-Tune
This part used a universal kind of connector that could accommodate different variations of the Gen 3 design. Electrical pin and harness configurations of the 8 pin connector indicate which cars it was intended for use with.
When only six of the possible eight connector pins was populated, then the module was configured for breaker points distributor operation. This was the most commonly used Perma-Tune to upgrade the 4 and 6 cylinder early Porsche engines including the twin cam 356 motor. It was also used on many VW and BMW race car engines of the day.
When only seven of the possible eight connector pins was populated, then the module was configured for magnetic pulse distributor operation. This configuration was used with Porsche 911SC and Porsche 928 race cars. It was also used for Mercedes Benz Roadsters and Sedans as a repair replacement part.
When all eight connector pins were populated, then the module was configured for turbo operation. This was used mainly on Porsche Turbo conversion race cars and also on some open wheel 4 cylinder race cars.
When only four of the eight pins was populated, then the module was configured for use as an industrial igniter. Most of these igniters were used in oil field equipment to replace engine driven magnetos.
911SC Perma-Tune
This was a seven pin Perma-Tune equipped with a conversion harness that would allow it to be plugged into the 6 pin harness of the Porsche 911SC cars. It was a bolt up, plug in, performance replacement for the Porsche 911SC OE ignition module.