Does anyone have any experience with a Mallory Unilite in their Y-block?  I used to use them in scrub racing engines, and had good luck with them.  Thanks

Jan  Urbanczyk  Major USMC Ret.

                                                                 Bowie Maryland

I have the Mallory electronic in my 56. It dosen't have a vacume advance and I'm sure that hurts street driving. The MSD has the vacume advance. I've never been able to get my engines to wind like I think they should but I'm not sure if its the dizzy. It's been in 3 engines so far that had the same problem. I'm building another and will try the stock then pertronics then Mallory to see if it makes any difference. As I said I'm not sure at all if its the dizzy but it is the common denominator in the engines. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

The '57 up Ford distributor, with a reworked advance and a Duraspark or Pertronix conversion is about as good as it gets. The Mallory advance system seems to wear out quickly resulting in an erratic advance curve. MSD makes the best distributors of all, first class stuff. 

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

I have had Petronix in my 55 for about 6 years. Never been a problem. I have 57 dizzy in it. I wouldn'think of using another. My cousin has a unilite and has headaches for a log time my 2cents 55birdman    

55Birdman  Hickory NC

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Jan  Urbanczyk  Major USMC Ret.

                                                                 Bowie Maryland

A 57-up dizzy and Pertronix is awfully hard to beat.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

I’ve run the Mallory Unilite conversion in the ’57 distributor in my ’55 Customline with a 272 for well over 100K miles with zero issues.  Spark plug life is incredibily good and change them at 45K miles just for the sake of changing them.  I also run the Mallory Unilite distributor in my altered roadster with the same high level of performance.  The Unilite modules use to be sensitive to voltage spikes or loose connections but I understand that the units made within the last ten years or so are much more robust in this regard.  As Chuck mentioned, the Unilite distributors do not have vacuum advance capability but using the conversion kit within the Ford distributor allows you to retain this capability.

 

No issues with the MSD line of distributors either.  Also have one engine with a Pertronix on it and although not a lot of time on it, runs well.  Anything is ultimately better than points after it’s all said and done.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Chuck,

            You need to modify a curve anyhow, 10 to 12 initial and only 30 to 32 total with the blower. Vacuum advance will work if it's plumbed into the manifold below the carb.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Frank,

I assume your talking about the 57 up dizzy. You mean their is enough vacume signal below the carb to bring in the advance with the blower boost? I can recurve my 57 Pertronics unit and try that. I still wonder if the Mallory unit is part of my problem. Its been on the last 3 engines. None of them had the pull they should have. At this time I dont know anyone in NH that has a machine to check the dizzy for me. This should be an interesting winter! Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Chuck,

            You can set the timing on the car with a light. Just mark the damper with something easy to see with the timing light and use that. you are looking for a total, with the blower of 30 to 32 degrees, no more.

       The vacuum will work only at idle and cruise. when you open the carb, the intake pressure will rise to blower pressure and the advance will not work. It only can work when the intake pressure is less thamn ambient. In other words a vacuum . And yes, I was talking about the '57 distributor. Weld or solder one of the slots in the advance plate up and then grind the slot 'till it gives about 18 crank degrees with the light. That's 9 degrees distributor.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart)