Your thoughts on Dist. points or not

[JASTECH]

My 73' Scout does have hotter sparks. It uses Comp. 9000 dist. (dual 10k points)>> Taylor Custom wires >>MSD 6 >>Mallory coil>>Split Fire plugs. I think of converting to electronic ign. Is there a kit to do this? Or change dist. to a ? Is it worth it?

 

[NC-Fordguy]

Electronic ignition will aid in engine performance as more voltage will be getting to the plugs. A big plus is you don't have to change points and condenser every few months.

If you do go to electronic ignition open up the plug gaps

I run a DUI (based on GM HEI) distributer on my 66 bronco(resto-driver) and msd on my 1974 trail rig bronco.

 

[ddawg16]

Points? Dude....your way over due to step into the 19th century....

There are kits to convert....but for those engines.....the mechanical portion has not really changed....so I would just swap out the whole dist....chances are your original one is pretty tired anyway...worn dist gears can cause inconsitant timing....

Not sure what engine you have....but I'll guess the 304....some came with AMC engines.....

You might be able to adapt a later model electronic ign to it....

Personally....I'd start browsing the JEG's and Summit web sites and look at your options. It's a lot like FI....once you make the jump, you wonder why you waited so long.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

www.pertronix.com

I put the Ignitor II in my Fairlane and it was great. Great performance, but still used the stock distributor to keep things looking unaltered.

They make kits for probably every American car, and even industrial/stationary engines.

 

[JASTECH]

Sorry I forgot the engine.
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SBC 350, bored 30 over, Camel heads, SS valves, steel crank, 4-bolt main, 10.5 Hyper pistons, Clevite FG main & rod bearings, balanced crank & rods, Cloyes true roller, Schnider RV-2 cam. Edelbrock manifold & carb.
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That should help eh?

 

[JASTECH]

ddawg, Well I'm not a young pup, built engines the old fashion way and to last. When I built this engine Super Shops sold to me at cost. So yes, I may have catching up to do Plus after my accident memories have been lost so my tech know how sufferd tramendisly, sorry.

 

[Seanbev24]

I switched to the basic Pertronix in the stock load-o-matic distributor on my '67 Fairlane. 15 minute install and I've had zero issues. I just didn't want to deal with the points **** anymore. When I start messing with the engine, I'm going with a DUI distributor. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/dui-39820-200bl

 

[crewchief888]

i'd drop in an MSD dist.

we ran them in both off road trucks, 512ci stroker BBF, & "stock" 351, along with msd boxes and rev limiters
both had dual pickup dist, and had dual ign boxes and coils
zero problems in either truck,
never had to switch over ign systems during a race

 

[454ragtop]

My first thought was Pertronix, put one in my forklift, awesome, didn't even have to remove the distributor, night and day difference. Then I saw 350 Chevy, HEI is the way to go. Parts availability anytime, anywhere, super reliable, probably $20. for a used one. Just need to make sure it's getting 12V, do away with the resistance wire or resistor itself.
HTH, Jim

 

[chris142]

I have had 2 pertronix units fail on me. One caught on fire and burned the paint off the hood on My 1210. Then another lost a couple of magnets which killed those cylinders. I put points back in and don't worry about them. Never a problem with simple points

 

[buffalobill]

save the points in case there is a nuclear war. get a generator too. hide them in your mad max jacket.

 

[JASTECH]

buffalow, That is why I like the points and old 4bt & 6bt diesels. I have dual points now that are/were expensive way back. Maybe a kit of some type to convert to pointless?
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Why get a different Dist.? I have never had an issue with my Mallory Comp. 9000 Dual Point. I did how ever burn up 2 Mallory Hi-Fire units. Then I switched to MSD and no problems anymore.
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I have been debating pulling the built 350 and installing a 4bt, ZF6, NP205 twin stick ect. D60/14bolt.

 

[JASTECH]

buffalow, That is why I like the points and old 4bt & 6bt diesels. I have dual points now that are/were expensive way back. Maybe a kit of some type to convert to pointless?
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Why get a different Dist.? I have never had an issue with my Mallory Comp. 9000 Dual Point. I did how ever burn up 2 Mallory Hi-Fire units. Then I switched to MSD and no problems anymore.
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I have been debating pulling the built 350 and installing a 4bt, ZF6, NP205 twin stick ect. D60/14bolt.

 

[ddawg16]

I'm with 454.....on the SBC....HEI....drops right in....

Just one important point....your old system has a resistive wire (or resistor) going to the coil. On the HEI, you run it straight off 12Vdc.....no resistor.

 

[CWP1616L]

If you go electronic, you won't be able to drive your Scout after a nuclear detonation.

 

[senlow]

HEI is what you need on an SBC.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I still run points in my '64 Fairlane. Never was an issue with me but then again, I grew up with them.

 

[thightower]

Hei is the only way to go on SBC

 

[bobcatdan]

Everything about points *****. I hate the stupid gasser skidsteer that still come in by me. A fly could sneeze and the points are wet.

 

[JASTECH]

Bob, my points don't get wet real easily, drove the Scout through a flooded bridge and water went over my hood with 6" of lift and no problem. Sealed dist. cap with 90¡ã vent helps.
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CrewCheif, Maybe you have something there, The Mallory has been just fine but my MSD box might do better with MSD dist.? I liked the large gap between towers on dist. cap to keep spark hopping down. I could keep the Mallory dist. incase Nuke hits or Magnetic bombs. So would you change coil too? The system is 12v direct, no ballast resister or wire needed.
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Next thing is the Edelbrock carb., should I rebuild it and make it handle off-road angles better or try some TBI system? I will need learned on TBI systems for off-road, I've read GM stuff from junk yards work good? Ok, let's hear your experiances please. If you have parts, let me know.

 

[CWP1616L]

The problem with HEI distributors is that the pickup coils go out often. Engine will be running great - shut the engine off - next morning no spark and no start.

 

[chris142]

The problem with HEI distributors is that the pickup coils go out often. Engine will be running great - shut the engine off - next morning no spark and no start.

The pickup coil rarely goes bad. Its the 2 small wires that lead to it break. Same thing though. No spark or intermittant spark depending on what the vacuum advance is doing.

 

[ddawg16]

The problem with HEI distributors is that the pickup coils go out often. Engine will be running great - shut the engine off - next morning no spark and no start.

The pickup coil rarely goes bad. Its the 2 small wires that lead to it break. Same thing though. No spark or intermittant spark depending on what the vacuum advance is doing.

And the other problem is people pull off the electronic module...wipe off the thermal grease...and then put it back on without new grease....module gets too hot....self destructs.

 

[darkk]

I'm an old timer. I like points because when the ignition fails, usually a quick file on the points and you're all set. HEI is better though. I do run electronic ign but have had a few fail. Nothing like being stuck in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday afternoon with no open parts store. Modules do just **** the bed. I always carry a spare points distributor because I have a spare from the old days.

 

[Scout Driver]

There are quite a few vehicles in the family right now with HEI distributors on them. In the past 25 years, I've seen a pickup coil fail once. Otherwise, the distributors have been trouble-free. It would be a great bang-for-your buck swap.

Scott

 

[JASTECH]

Would a dist. kit work just as good as the HEI dist. like MSD?

 

[Steinmetz]

If you go electronic, you won't be able to drive your Scout after a nuclear detonation.

You can if you keep it garaged in a Faraday Cage )

 

[Shadowdog500]

Nothing wrong with points. They aren't the nightmare some make them out to be.

However you can get a Much hotter spark with a lot less trouble using a pointless distributor because you can get the needed dwell to saturate the coil at higher RMP without having overlapping dual points. Sounds like a hot engine. I'm not up on the latest racing/hopped up street equipment, but 20 years ago it would have been a no brainier to put an MSD setup on that engine. Hot performance and set it and forget it reliability. I bet they have better stuff now.

Chris

 

[egnorant]

70 Mustang switched to Pertronics with 0 problems, but I still have everything to do a roadside points reinstall in case of failure or nuke attack.

Bruce

 

[ddawg16]

I guess a lot of you don't know much about EMP pulses....

In the event of a nuc attack......bad guy is going to detonate about a 40MT bomb in the stratosphere over the central US...(or 2, one over the Mid west, other East).

This blast sends down an EMP pulse....the magnitude of the resulting current on any wire is a function of it's length and it's orientation to the pulse. The pulse amplitude is typically shown as Amps/meter. The greatest effect is if the wire is parallel to the blast....this means just about every power line...in those cases, it's just going to pop a lot of line fuses.

If a wire is perpendicular to the blast...no induced surge...

The issue with small electrics is typically what they are plugged into....if your charger is plugged in....it gets the spike from that...but if your phone is not plugged in...good chance it won't be bothered unless it's pretty close to the blast center.

The chances of a 'points' car surviving are not that much better than a car with an HEI or other electronic ign.....you still have the long wires...battery...spark plug wires...etc....the pulse could be enough to fry the coil...

BTA....if a nuc attack ever does happen...the points on your car are the least of your worries....

 

[theoldwizard1]

I run a DUI (based on GM HEI) distributer on my 66 bronco(resto-driver) and msd on my 1974 trail rig bronco.

If I had an old Ford, I would probably convert it to a GM HEI (yes, such distributors do exist). Relatively inexpensive and reliable. Parts (cap, coil, etc.) readily available.


IMHO, Splitfire and all of those other "trick" plugs are a waste of money.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Back inthe early 90's I swapped a 302 into my Ranger. I used a Accel DP distrubitor because I thought that was the thing to do. I drove it like that for about two years. I got smart and swapped in a Ford Duraspark dist (with a steel gear) and added a MSD 6AL. Night and day difference.

IMHO, save the points distributors for the restoration/nostalgia guys.

 

[theknurl]

JASTECH;
HEI is the way to go, get it recurved, my BB is 15.5deg initial, 30deg centrifugal and 20deg in the can
Chevys like 14-16deg initial

ditch the Edelbrock.....its just a shiny AFB, off road the twin floats will drive you nuts with side tilt, one float will feed the other side, the high side goes lean, the low rich.....ask me how i know

find a late Q-Jet just before the solenoid models.....
get the Rochester Carb book, it explains what you have to do

like enlarging the idle port (its a smog carb)
you will need bigger idle jets too
the holes for the pressed in ones are tap drill size for 10-32

'66 El Camino; 0.030 over 454, 3215lbs, Muncie wide ratio, 3.73 12 bolt, Isky 262 Super Cam

22.9 MPG city/highway, @4.5% of what its allowed to emit

it took a while....wish i'd had a lambda meter then

 

[theoldwizard1]

Let me answer this a different way.

My 40+ year old 5hp Brigs and Stratton powered rototiller now has electronic ignition !

 

[uppster]

Do you drive it much? If not, I have a question.....Is it broke?

 

[DHS]

I have points and don't have a problem. I believe its been 7yrs since they were replaced and have not been touched since.

 

[JASTECH]

Shadow, Thanks for engine compliment, if it was one, lol...When I first did the engine it was all Mallory, this was big support for Super Shops. I still have the Mallory 150gph fuel p.ump, Mallory canister & fuel filter element, Battery switch, Mallory Hi-Fire?Coil ect. You get the point, Sponcers.
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I will pull & keep the Mallory Comp.9000 DP. The MSD dist. for this setup should not be hard to find. What is better now, coil on cap or seperate? Remember this is 4x4 so water/mud/vibration ect.
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ddawg, I will just wrap Scout in radiation reflective foil from China!
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OldWizard, They were a test, I had no improvement, the camels had them teeth for a longtime. But way before that we did get faster times by "tricks" we did to the Autolite plugs I use to run.
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NuttSGT, Ah yes, the Accel days when everything yellow was not mellow, like my 54' Chevy 2-dr canary yellow with my yellow rat under the hood and black tuck & roll uhpolstry. I may still have a pic, lol...I tried them Accel 300+ wires in my Scout, sparked all over through them wires. After 3 sets they refunded my money, lol
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knurl, I knew about the Edelbrock before it was handed to me from Super Shops, the easy metering changes and price made it a deal. I had run Holley's for years and a Strongberg 12pk. I am wanting to give TBI a try, This was planned at intake manifold choice time, not having to change manifold for carb to TBI.
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So which TBI system would be your choice and why? .... Scout has 4:56 gears
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Thanks, JASTECH & Son

 

[NUTTSGT]

Coil, I'd use a MSD Blaster 3.

 

[JASTECH]

uppster, Yes it runs, but needs a new fuel tank, drop 19 gal. and replace with 30 gal. Then I will replace fuel line with stainless steel. Pull the polished Edelbrock carb. and install TBI of some type.
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DHS, My DP set is about 11 yrs. old

 

[JASTECH]

SGT, So your saying use seperate coil correct? Wow, I have not used a tube coil in a long time, been trying them box coil like that Mallory. I do still have my Judsen Magneto some place, lol
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So the Blaster 3 will put out ?kv's, guess looking it up will learn me too on new fangled things, lol..My MSD 6 should be good still. Have you ever tried Jacobs? Remember them?