Which system provides a crisper, more accurate timing signal - Unilite or Pertronix?

NasaGT · Feb 14, 2008

I don't mean to hijack, but since this has turned into a duraspark thread, whats a good donor vehicle for a 351w duraspark setup?

68stang351 · Feb 14, 2008

I've used both Pertronix and Unilite with my Crane Hi6 box, and they've both worked very well, I'm not really sure if I can tell the difference. The only reason I stopped using Pertronix was because I found a good deal on a used Mallory Unilite distributor, which is what I'm currently running.

Of course, my windsor doesn't make any power at high rpms anyway right now, so they probably performed the same on my application.

Hopefully that will change in May when I stick that cam in there.

Pakrat · Feb 14, 2008

htwheelz67 said:
Now say your driving away from home and your pertronix or unilite goes out, can you go to your local auto parts and get a replacement part right away? I dont think so......

Ah but you are assuming that everyone runs out in their car unprepared. In your scenario I still have to hoof it to the parts store. A back up set of points and condensor is just one of many items I keep in my survival bag in the trunk so that in 20 mins I am back on the raod where I belong instead of sitting roadside or shamefully being towed back into town.

bnickel · Feb 14, 2008

Pakrat said:
Ah but you are assuming that everyone runs out in their car unprepared. In your scenario I still have to hoof it to the parts store. A back up set of points and condensor is just one of many items I keep in my survival bag in the trunk so that in 20 mins I am back on the raod where I belong instead of sitting roadside or shamefully being towed back into town.

i can do even better than that, i keep a spare module for my unilite AND a set of points and condensor, plus a rotor for each as well, since my unilite doesn't use the standard ford rotor

mjjj04 · Feb 15, 2008

DURASPARK hands down the best unit IMHO. The duraspark has outperformed my unilite,msd and a generic brand dizzy(302) in the aspects of dependability and tunability. I also prefer the duraspark to the msd I have in my 351 now so I'll wait until the unit fails then go to the duraspark.

RGS0907 · Mar 21, 2008

Best Distributor Options

At the risk of hijacking this thread... What do y'all think is the best distributor for an FE engine, preferably with an adjustable advance and as stock appearing as possible? I want to throw out my old MSD setup & go with something that works well but looks more stock. I know that I need a stronger spark, the 428's run very rich.

bnickel · Mar 21, 2008

RGS0907 said:
At the risk of hijacking this thread... What do y'all think is the best distributor for an FE engine, preferably with an adjustable advance and as stock appearing as possible? I want to throw out my old MSD setup & go with something that works well but looks more stock. I know that I need a stronger spark, the 428's run very rich.

i'd go with the duraspark dizzy and an masd box hidden under the dash. get a duraspark dizzy from a mid 70's ford pickup with the 360 or 390 engine, just make sure it's 75 or newer model

RGS0907 · Mar 22, 2008

bnickel said:
i'd go with the duraspark dizzy and an masd box hidden under the dash. get a duraspark dizzy from a mid 70's ford pickup with the 360 or 390 engine, just make sure it's 75 or newer model

Right now I have an MSD setup on a stock dizzy. I'm torn between making it look as stock as possible and getting something high end like a D.U.I. The DUI may be a better option for me since I'd rather not run wires & hide the box etc. Do you have any experience or heard anything about the DUI?

chepsk8 · Mar 22, 2008

On my 428, I did a very simple system which was basically the same as I outlined originally. I bought a new stock distributor, pulled the points and put in the Unilite Kit. I added the quickest advance springs I could find, and blocked the vacuum advance, but left it there for stock appearance. Top quality cap, 8.5mm all-black wires, a MSD coil painted black to look stock, and new, high quality plugs, and that system was trouble free for the two years I had it in the car before the ex took it. To my knowlege, seven years later, it is still untouched. While I had it, I would check the occasional plug, perfect every time.

I should also add, thay I did ALOT of carb tuning, and that also is critical in getting these motors to sing. It has a Holley 3310 750, and once I got the jetting nailed, it was perfect. Grey exhaust, instant starts, and 13.80's in full street trim.

Work with those two areas, and you'll have it. No high-dollar stuff needed.

mikethebike · Mar 22, 2008

I ran a Unilite in 1975 on the BOSS-302 when you had a seperate box for the electronics. THAT was one of the tings that taught me to NOT BE the '1st on the block' with anything. They work much better 33 years later.
When GM offered the new LT-1 they used an LED trigger..2 of them. I've heard all the high dollar Kraut Kars are using a similar system. That leads me to believe the LED trigger is more accurate. But on a car like these would it ever matter?

Hack · Mar 23, 2008

I've used Pertronix for years in several cars and never had a failure or any problem. My experience was I never had to touch the thing once I put it in, and rotors and caps lasted a lot longer than with points. I've never carried a spare either (knock on wood).

I'm currently running Duraspark in the '70, but if I had it to do again I would run Pertronix. The Duraspark works fine, but it's a lot more wires.

RGS0907 · Mar 24, 2008

chepsk8 said:
On my 428, I did a very simple system which was basically the same as I outlined originally. I bought a new stock distributor, pulled the points and put in the Unilite Kit. I added the quickest advance springs I could find, and blocked the vacuum advance, but left it there for stock appearance. Top quality cap, 8.5mm all-black wires, a MSD coil painted black to look stock, and new, high quality plugs, and that system was trouble free for the two years I had it in the car before the ex took it. To my knowlege, seven years later, it is still untouched. While I had it, I would check the occasional plug, perfect every time.

I should also add, thay I did ALOT of carb tuning, and that also is critical in getting these motors to sing. It has a Holley 3310 750, and once I got the jetting nailed, it was perfect. Grey exhaust, instant starts, and 13.80's in full street trim.

Work with those two areas, and you'll have it. No high-dollar stuff needed.

Hmm. I was thinking about doing just that & then I read how the stock distributors are a weak design with only a single bushing & started looking for a better distributor. I have the factory dual-point distributor, I wonder if they were built any stronger?

Dan; by the way, why did you block the vacuum advance? I thought that it was better for the street to keep it intact?

chepsk8 · Mar 24, 2008

I found that with the vacuum, it backfired alot and was temperamental.

If I had kept the car, I would have gotten a dual-point and pulled off the vacuum canister, locked the plate, so it looked like a classic dual-point with the electronic guts.

Which system provides a crisper, more accurate timing signal - Unilite or Pertronix?

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