Looking at new distributors, recommendations?

SadbutTrue · Jul 1, 2008

Being that I dont want to spend $50-120 on a new distributor gear (see other thread), and I need a new distributor cap and rotor anyway, I'm thinking abotu a new distributor.

I want something thats about $200. There are a number of distributors on summit that qualify from Mallory, Summit and Proform... some with points & others with magnetic pickups, some with mechanical advance, others with vacuum advance, and others with both (huh?).

I really have no idea what is desirable for my application (parts in sig below, except with the Trick Flow heads, Comp XE274H, Stealth and Holley 670 listed at the bottom in the place of their current counterparts). It will be used as a daily driver-ish street/strip car. Want something reliable mostly.

In particular the Mallory 85 HEI distributors and the Proform HEI sound good (the Proform would look good with the blue cap, I think, too).

Questions:
1) Anyone have experience with any of these mid-grade distributors?
2) Do i want points (which I assume I could use my pertronix unit with) or should I go with magnetic pickups?
3) Which advance type (mechanical, vacuum, both) is most reliable and easy to adjust?

Thanks in advance, i'll run out of questions sooner or later

Decurion · Jul 1, 2008

The vacuum advance is arguable, I never seem to have very good luck with them, however your stock distributor has both. Im not sure Ive ever seen one with just a vac adv and no mech adv. If you do get one with a vac adv, it will help you get better mileage in light load conditions, particularly freeway driving. Any of the distributors you mentioned should do just fine with your combination since it isnt that crazy. You could even cheap out and get a rebuilt points distributor from your local parts store and use the Pertronix you already have, or use a Duraspark distributor. When mounted out of the heat, Durasparks are reliable and stupic cheap, and still have a hot enough spark to keep your combination running strong. One thing thats for sure is that points are yesterdays news and unless youre doing a full on stock resto for shows, magnetic pickup distributors are so cheap and easy to find there is absolutely no reason to use a distributor with points.

blown65 · Jul 1, 2008

Remember that most will still have the wrong dist gear on them if your running a roller cam.

SadbutTrue · Jul 1, 2008

blown65 said:
Remember that most will still have the wrong dist gear on them if your running a roller cam.

I'm running a hydraulic flat tappet, the gear that comes with them shoudl work right?

How do you adjust the mechanical advance? Is it easy? I like easy.

blown65 · Jul 1, 2008

SadbutTrue said:
I'm running a hydraulic flat tappet, the gear that comes with them shoudl work right?

How do you adjust the mechanical advance? Is it easy? I like easy.

yup, should be fine.

its springs and different eccentrics on the MSD ones.

D.Hearne · Jul 1, 2008

Just me, but I'd take the points distributor down to the local parts house and use it as trade in fodder for a fresh reman points unit. Then take it home and replace the points with your Pertronix unit. Swap the small cap and rotor for a large post type cap (also from the parts house, Standard/Blue Streak has all three pieces in a set...cap rotor and cap adapter) Run a hotter coil and Ford Racing 9mm wires. You'll have a simple cheap and reliable setup, good to 7500 rpms.

HookandLadder · Jul 2, 2008

Mr Hearne has the set up.....otherwise you could go with an MSD 2 wire vacuum advance unit. Matches with your 6A and you can always deep six the vacuum and use the block off plate included to just have mechanical advance. Don't get the 3 wire as some have had trouble with the internal powered board (Me & others) and it is a pain to diagnose and fix.

69gmachine · Jul 2, 2008

You can make the factory cast housing every bit as reliable and accurate as a billet housing by having a one piece bronze bushing installed. Any number of machine shops can do the operation, but BR Motorsports specializes in it. You can send any junkyard Duraspark dizzy to them and they will return it ready to install with new guts and bushing with the vacuum advance and mechanical curves set up for your engine. Of course you'll need to let them know what mods you've made to the engine. You can also send them a points distributor with an adjustable vacuum advance and have them convert it to Duraspark, or just send the advance can along with the Duraspark distributor. Lots of choices.

brianj5600 · Jul 2, 2008

Why would someone not run vacuum advance with gas prices the way they are. Vacuum advance will give you better mileage and not have any effect on WOT power. I like my duraspark. Set it and forget it. It is a little harder to set mechanical advance than most aftermarkets though. If you have a mig and a grinder it is not too hard.

HookandLadder · Jul 3, 2008

Mech's because the car is slower at the track and harder to tune with the nitrous and vacuums secondaries. And yes....I drive it there and back too. Just keep your foot out of it unless you need to move in a hurry.

Looking at new distributors, recommendations?

SadbutTrue

Decurion

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blown65

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D.Hearne

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HookandLadder

69gmachine

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