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.

buddy

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.

Glen Henderson



Freedom is not Free

Letohatchee, AL

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

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.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

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? 

buddy

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?...

Paul

We used to just put a thin piece of cardboard between one set of points and measure dwell on other.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

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.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

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? 

buddy

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.

Dan      Kingman Az.      86409