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By buddy - 14 Years Ago
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My 1957 312 that I recently purchased has a factory FoMoCo dual point distributor. It does have vacuum and centrifugal advance. Was this an option used in the Thunderbird engine? Back then I don't recall ever seeing a Ford dual point distributor in the cars. The numbers on the distributor are: COAF 12127-A Y 9KG The number 1 between 12 and 27-A is only half of a one or perhaps a line separating 12 and 27.
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By Glen Henderson - 14 Years Ago
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It is not a factory 57 dist. The CO in the part number indicates that it is a 1960 part. My juess is that it may have had a duel point plate added to a later dist. I don't have a parts book that covers the sixties, but I am sure someone on here does and can run that PN for you.
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By buddy - 14 Years Ago
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Thanks Glen. It does have a sticker on the side of the distributor body that says RECONDIONED - AUTHORIZED - FORD. So I guess it is a Ford reman unit. I'm just still wondering if Ford built dual point distributors for the Y blocks.
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By aussiebill - 14 Years Ago
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buddy (9/4/2011)
Thanks Glen. It does have a sticker on the side of the distributor body that says RECONDIONED - AUTHORIZED - FORD. So I guess it is a Ford reman unit. I'm just still wondering if Ford built dual point distributors for the Y blocks. Buddy, its never been hard to add 2nd point set, it has been done here for years and i have several dists with it done. 
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By buddy - 14 Years Ago
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If I remember correctly the point gap is suppose to be .015 with dwell of 26 to 28 degrees. Is there a way you can check individual dwell of each set of points and what would total dwell be for the dual point?
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By PF Arcand - 14 Years Ago
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I thought I read somewhere that Ford made an over the counter distributor with centrifical advance available in 1956, (?) which I think was called a "Rotovance" distributor. Or is my memory failing me again?...
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By aussiebill - 14 Years Ago
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buddy (9/4/2011)
If I remember correctly the point gap is suppose to be .015 with dwell of 26 to 28 degrees. Is there a way you can check individual dwell of each set of points and what would total dwell be for the dual point? We used to just put a thin piece of cardboard between one set of points and measure dwell on other.
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 14 Years Ago
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Ford did make a dual point distributor for Y blocks, but it was for the '57 supercharged engines. But it would not have a '60 part number. The rotovance distributor was made by Holley, could have been available at Ford parts counter. I bought mine in about '60 from Honest Charley's Speed Shop, I don't remember if it had casting marks.
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By buddy - 14 Years Ago
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I'm not trying to make a hotrod but I would like to get the maximum performance out of what I have, so I wonder if a hotter or higher out put ignition coil and increasing the spark plug gap just a little would be advisable with the dual point distributor?
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By lowrider - 14 Years Ago
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I read somewhere that a Hi-Po 289 duel point breaker plate will work in a Yblock dist. This could be the reason for the C0 part #. I can never find one so I cant confirm it. I found an aftermarket duel point breaker plate on Epay for 57 dist. Works fine. The guy must have had a few of them because he raised the price after I bought one. It was a Dyna-Flyte model 378-D.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 14 Years Ago
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The dwell of the single set of points should be 26°-28°, the same as the single point distributor. When the second set is in play, dwell should extend out to about 34°-35° if I remember correctly. The additional set of points increases the coil charge time between plug firing by the proportion of 35/27 or roughly 30%. This change in duty cycle will make the coil run a bit hotter than the single point set-up.
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By buddy - 14 Years Ago
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Thanks guys for all your suggestions. I think I will go with the higher output ignition coil with this dual point distributor and might even try opening up the spark plug gap to forty to forty five thousandths. I know, I could go with electronic ignition but I just like to tinker with the old stuff.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 14 Years Ago
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Ted Eaton has data that shows that the widening of the plug gaps didn't help his dyno engines - probably just as good a result from using the standard gap set-up. That being the case - why stress the parts with a forced higher voltage?
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