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By ronsplace - 13 Years Ago
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I have a 1957 312 Y-block in my '56 Fairlane and I'm looking for the best aftermarket distributor for my application. My Y- block is bored .040 over and I'm running a mild "street" cam from John Mummert along with a Blue Thunder intake and a 500 cfm Edelbrock carb. Is there a quality distributor on the market made for these motors, preferably equipped with Pertronix? Thanks in advance.
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By Talkwrench - 13 Years Ago
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Order yourself a referb dissy or referb your own yourself. Get the Pertronix 2 and a set of Mr Gasket 925D springs fit them..easy ! And I doubt if any of the high priced aftermaket stuff will be any better for you application. Many of us here have done it maybe Steve or Mark can throw up the thread Show you how its done 
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By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
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The Duraspark distributor conversion that Steve has done is interesting.You can still modify the advance curve but the reliability and repair parts availability in the event of a breakdown is an advantage over the aftermarket distributors.Also the fact that there is a "timing retard" built into the setup means easier starting for a performance motor.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 13 Years Ago
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These guys know I like to "build my own" - its traditional car guy stuff - and you end up knowing a ton about it in the mean time - but this will boil down to the purpose you personally have in mind for the car/engine. If this is a race car - seldom streeted toy - I'd say grit your teeth, buy one from MSD (with a CD box) and be done with it. If its a streeter - it needs to have vacuum advance and several good options exist: (1) Buy a quality rebuilt - preferably the Motorcraft distributor based version - probably will come from the rebuilder Cardone. Ask for the part for a '64 F-100 w/ 292. It is easily fitted with a Pertronix Ignitor II or other "points replacement" trigger/controller so you have an electronic ignition. Coil choices may be limited depending on how "smart" the chip is or how much current the firing transistor can handle. Most of these will also work to trigger an MSD CD box. (2) Use parts from a donor Duraspark II distributor (Ford V8 from '76 to '84) to modify the upper end of the Motorcraft rebuilt unit mentioned above - so it has a Ford electronic trigger assembly (the 8 blade reluctor). This is pretty much a parts change operation - not too complex. Then use it to trigger an MSD "red box" - or a Ford Duraspark II module - or a GM type HEI module. All can be made to work pretty well - the mechanical advance will need to be "curved" for this variant as well as (1) above. (3) A company known as "DUI" can supply a Duraspark II based distributor unit - already built up as described above. It is then coupled to a controller that looks like a MOPAR part and fires an "E-core" coil that they also supply. Charlie McCraney has one and he has had good results with it I think.
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By charliemccraney - 13 Years Ago
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GREENBIRD56 (5/27/2012)
(3) A company known as "DUI" can supply aDuraspark IIbased distributor unit - already built up as described above. It is then coupled to a controller that looks like a MOPARpart and fires an "E-core" coil that they also supply. Charlie McCraney has one and he has had good results with it I think.
Yep. It is awesome.
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By ronsplace - 13 Years Ago
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Many thanks, everyone. Building one sounds like a money saver and a chance for informative fun. How do you beat that? Ron
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By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
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If you ask Steve Metzger he has a ton of info on custom do-it-yourself ignition systems.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 13 Years Ago
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This diagram will build a system that you can service and troubleshoot yourself. It uses a GM HEI "four pin module" for a brain - a Ford reluctor for a trigger - and an "E-core" coil out of a later GM V6. Parts are cheap - and when you are done you will be able to fix it at will. 
There are several threads on here that show "how to" build the Y-block / Duraspark II distributor - set the curve - and wire up the trigger and HEI brain. This is an inductive system - and the HEI module will saturate the coil to such a level - that the "joules" of energy delivered to the plug will rival one of the CD units. Wiring to the coil must be able to handle up to 7.5 AMPS of current and as high a voltage as you can find in your charging system. Use a quality HEI module (real GM salvage parts are preferred) they are good for 35 volts and 7.5 amps. The S-10 pickup coil has a primary side OHMs of .45/.5 - way lower than the oil filled units - and it gets to full charge much more quickly. The Motorola chip in the HEI will then regulate "dwell" to protect the transistor.
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By Unibodyguy - 13 Years Ago
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Talkwrench,
the Mr. Gasket springs you mentioned
(925D) are they for a stock rebuilt 57-64
Distributor? Let me know when you can.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 13 Years Ago
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Maybe Rob (Talkwrench) will be on a little later - he lives in Perth. The Mr Gasket spring pack he referred to is a card of "re-curve" springs that fit the Ford distributor. Unless you have access to an old "Sun" machine or other such tuning device - you will have to choose your mechanical advance springs by the seat of your pants and try them out. The "softer" springs in the pack will let your advance mechanism swing out to full advance at a lower RPM.
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By Hollow Head - 13 Years Ago
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MSD Pro Billet if you want to go easy way, crank trigger if you want to go hard and accurate way . Just my opinion.
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By LordMrFord - 13 Years Ago
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Hollow Head (6/1/2012)
MSD Pro Billet if you want to go easy way, crank trigger if you want to go hard and accurate way . Just my opinion.
Best distributor is no distributor at all.
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By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
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The Mr. Gasket 925D spring kit is 2 lighter springs only.Not multiple springs.You can use one light one with one standard spring or 2 light ones to change the curve.The best way to set it up is with an old Sun dist. machine and have all advance in by about 2500-2800 RPM.Maximum total advance including vacuum advance should be limited to about 42 total advance degrees.
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By Talkwrench - 13 Years Ago
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Steve can you put up your diagram showing the advance plate mod he may as well do that while he's at it. To give you an idea I just picked up another cardone reco dissy for for $71. delivered to my mate in Cali. I can tell you that my timing is all in by about 2250rpm with the 925D springs and Im sure my total with vacuum is 48 degrees. This works fine for me I do get a slight ping but only when I punch it really hard and it drops a gear. I dont do that everyday! Im not sure how you will go with your fuel. You dont really need a Sun dissy machine you can do it on your car with a timing light and your mark your balancer [ pulley] with the timing degrees, more time consuming tho'.
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By Talkwrench - 13 Years Ago
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Just bought a Pertronix 3 . It has the multi spark all the way through the rev range and a rev limiter [for those that need it] and it is only a few bucks more I got it for $116.delivered [in US] I'll fit that in August with the matching coil when I get back from the States. let you know the difference.
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By aussie57wag - 13 Years Ago
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I used a second hand windsor dizzy in mine. It cost me nothing. All i had to do was cut of the bottom of the shaft of my old y block one and weld it to the windsor one, then drop it straight in. Worked like a charm.
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By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
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Maximum total available timing adavance should be limited to about 42 at the crank.If you are using the 13L slot on the centrifugal advance plus about 10 -12 initial advance the vacuum advance should be adjusted to about 6 max.This would give you 42-44 maximum available.I would limit it to 42 myself.The vacuum can is adjustable on most distributors using an Allen key.You can check the available advance by disconnecting the vacuum line at idle and checking timing.Reconnect the line with direct manifold vacuum and see how far it advances at idle which is where you would have maximum engine vacuum.The vacuum can is adjusted by inserting Allen key and turning the screw clockwise I believe until you only get about 6 degrees advance.At cruising speed when manifold vacuum is high the vacuum advance also starts to advance the timing again for best fuel economy.Too much available advance at the 48 range can actually fire the sparkplug in the next cylinder in the firing order.The piston is comming up on compression and the plug fires trying to push the piston back down.Not good for the engine.
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By LordMrFord - 13 Years Ago
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48 deg at 2250rpm sounds pretty high cruising advance. I have about 37/2250 at cruising load, but that is not dyno proven advance, it just feels good. Total advance can be like 50 when RPM's go over 4000, but that cannot be done with normal dizzy.
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By Talkwrench - 13 Years Ago
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Mark that sounds more like a phazing problem, jumping ... I would not have thought 48 degrees at cruise is not that bad, its not uncommon for [older] cars to be over 50 degrees. These are not high compression motors. Some enlighten me if Im wrong??
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