cdrod

Would this be a good distributor to use for a mild 350ci street motor? I want to go with an electronic ignition, but an HEI is too big for the stock air cleaner. I thought this might be a good alternative to an HEI, seems like a good price too.
Thanks.

oldcutlass

That will work, good price too. You will have to set it differently than your points and you will need new wires.

cutlassefi

That's a good piece.

cdrod

I did buy it, and I will most likely use a high-output coil. Thanks for the quick replies.

olds 307 and 403

I have the Mallory dustributor, supposed to be the same, correct me if I am wrong Mark. The advance is fully adjustable and can come in as early as 1600 rpm with the lightest springs. You need either a ballast resistor or one of 4 specific coils with the proper primary resistance. Accel Super stock with 1400 ohms primary, Mallory 29219, 30450 and the Mallory Promaster, forget the number.

HWYSTR455

That is the distributor I use in all my cars, less expensive than the MSD units, and the reluctor wheel is coated and doesn't rust like the MSDs. The advance adjustments are also fairly accurate.

One thing to keep in mind is that this distributor will require a 12v source, so if it was originally a points car, you will need to bypass the resistor.

I like using the Summit E-Core coils, they are small/compact, great specs, affordable, and are black in color (no-name on them).

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850500/overview/

Final note, you will need different plug wires when switching from points to this distributor. (The ends are different)

(I still run.035 gaps with this setup, fyi)

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cdrod

My new Accel distributor arrived in yesterday's mail; so of course, I immediately opened the box, checked for damage and then read the included documentation front-to-back. The plug wires were one thing that wasn't so clear in the docs. Does this distributor use HEI style plug wires? There was a nifty little retainer that screws to the distributor cap but it didn't look like stock HEI wires would snap into the retainer. HWYSTR455 and Olds307, thanks for the advice about the ballast resistor and 12v source. I plan to install an updated fuse panel and wiring harness in the car so the 12v source will be part of that update. it would be foolish of me not to replace the wiring given the condition of this car before starting the restoration. Thanks for everyone's input!

HWYSTR455

Correct, HEI style, and if you cut your own wires, which is what I prefer, you can use the MSD 8.5 Super Conductor #31183 wire set. Those are my preference, but any similar would do. (They are black in color)

You can get the blade connectors for the OE fuse block/engine harness and just replace the wire if you want. Those connectors are readily available. Or just run a new key-on wire. (the resistor is built into the wire).

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coppercutlass

Don't bother with the accel unit. I bought a procomp unit hei for 55 bucks and it worked well. Now I know that recently compact hei dist. Have come out where the coil is on the side not sure if procomp offers it but I saw some at a swap meet but for chebby . Might be an option don't know if they are available for olds just yet. Also have you considered raising the air cleaner base ? Most autozones carry the air cleaner adapters which can raise your air cleaner up to I think 4 inches. Just a though if you only need a few inches of clearance.

billmerbach

They are copper I seen them on ebay

HWYSTR455

There are several issues with the ProComp HEIs, and you need to deal with them BEFORE you install them.

First, out of the box, they are full of crap, like aluminum shavings, etc, and need to be completely disassembled and cleaned.

The wire harnesses on them are junk, the ends come off, and some don't even work right out of the box.

The modules are junk too, they usually fail within 20k miles.

The vacuum cans fail too, and don't adjust properly when they do work at all.

The advance weights and springs are junk. You can try to get a good curve out of them, but good luck there.

They usually come with no grease in them what so ever. Greasing them really only helps for short periods of time, because the top bushing is missing a hole that feeds it. You can pull the bushing and drill the hole, but that's considerable work.

You want a good run down on HEIs? Google 'Sun Tuned Distributors' or Sun Tuned HEI' and read some of his posts.

901-412-4414 to contact Bob Davis (Sun Tuned) at D&D Manufacturing (Memphis, TN). Might try 901-458-3287 too, forget which is more current.

http://www.highperformancepontiac.co.../photo_14.html

http://forums.performanceyears.com/f...ighlight=shaft

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/arch.../t-327577.html

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...EI_distributor

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coppercutlass

I ran mine outta the box with no issues. I curved it and its been a few years now.

HWYSTR455

Are you sure there's no issues? You may want to pull it and check it over. I bet the shaft has wear, at least.

Just as an FYI, you should clean & inspect any new engine part before you install it.

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coppercutlass

I actually did take it apart and check it. Now I did not get as involved into it. But I am buying another one then taking it to a friend of a friends shop to curve it and at which point I'll look into the issues and see what we find. Like I said. I added a diffrent curve kit to the one I bought and I used a diffrent module I had from an msd hei . I didn't just drop it in lol I know what ya mean.

HWYSTR455

Might be worth a call to D&D/Bob/Sun Tuned, so you can point the guys you're taking it to at stuff to check.

Another thing worth mentioning, if you run an ignition box, many times the coil in cap will overheat, and fail early. I've personally experienced that. One of the benefits of the small body dizzys is that the coil is removed from the cap.

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captjim

ok

captjim

So which is it? Did you run it "out of the box" or did you take it apart and replace the module? These conflicting, incomplete posts of yours results in me challenging your advice.

I bought a Pro Comp dist several years ago and it was a piece of junk. Cut out when hot, hard to start. I made a post on ROP before the crash. Does anyone seriously think they can get a quality unit for $55?? I did run a Pertronix Flamethrower with excellent results.

coppercutlass

Both I ran it box stock but then pulled it and. Changed the wheights and springs .

cutlassefi

Of course you did.

captjim

Well, that clears things up.....
Listen, if you are going to give credible advice, you need to be clear and complete. Guys may buy one of the POS E-bay units based on your recommendation. You said,
"I didn't just drop it in" You keep contradicting yourself. HWYSTR455 made a very clear and intelligent post relating his issues with these. I also had a problem with mine. You get mad when we disagree with your posts, but you make them impossible to understand.

billmerbach

Listen we all have our qwerks but STOP bashing each other for the love of olds

captjim

Copper jumped into this thread, telling the OP to not buy the Accel, but instead the Pro Comp el-cheapo unit, which many guys, myself included, have had issues with. I did not attack or insult him, I just disputed his advice and gave the reasons why. That is what these forums are for, to discuss the merits and give opinions.

billmerbach

No not you captijim others who are bashing each other for personal reasons. Ik this is a place for correcting and helping but I see no point in sarcasm whether its needed or not when we are here to help and OP with a decision yes things should be calrifyied if not in the first post, the second but the more people bash or criticize for personal/petty reasons the more the thread gets clogged up with info irrelevant to what someone needs I'm gonna stop ranting now lol

captjim

Well, that goes both ways. I will re-state my position so it is clear and say no more; you can't buy a new distributor that is of decent quality for $55. Spend the money on a quality unit, whatever brand you like, and you will be way ahead of the game.

billmerbach

True sorry guys I just hate arguments I hear enough at home so I get flamed when I see all this arguing but yes you cant get a decent unit for that price but it may not last long at least with a brand name in this case accel you can read up and see pros cons and at least have piece of mind knowing they have quality parts

billmerbach

Ignore that reason for edit I can't type tonight :/

MDchanic

The funny thing is, I'd bet that Ulises (Copper) and Jim would probably enjoy a beer and have a great time (well, after the fistfight anyway... ) if they ever actually met each other. They just fight like cats and dogs on here because of their habits and expectations regarding written communication.

The message that I would hope might be understood from this is that the best way to avoid [unintentional] conflict on the Interwebs is to think about what you're posting before you post it, read it over before you hit the button, and, if your written communication skills aren't the greatest (When you think back to high school English classes, do you get angry?), it can't hurt to polish them up a little bit. After all, your prose is all people see of you on here, and presenting your ideas in such a way that the ideas stand tall, but the words are transparent, is the best way to avoid miscommunication.

Before any of you give me any "Easy for you to say, you elitist dog" lip, I will note that my grandfather never finished high school (considering the stories he used to tell, I suspect he never started it), but did get a GED sometime in his thirties or forties. He spoke clearly and had had a number of jobs that required him to write numerous reports and descriptions. After his death, while clearing out his desk, I found a number of books from the 1950s with titles such as "Improve Your Vocabulary," which he had clearly studied every night for years, in order to be able to get somewhere in life (and, since he spent parts of his childhood searching for stray coal on the trackbed just to keep warm, and died in a house he owned free and clear, I'd say that he did get somewhere). He recognized that being able to communicate better would improve his life, and he taught himself how to do so.

- Eric

captjim

When a guy says he used it out of the box, then no, he disassembled it, recurved and replaced the module, then says he did both, yes, I get confused!!

captjim

Well said. This has been pointed out to him MANY times. Posts that are hastily written with poor spelling and no punctuation are prone to be misunderstood.

billmerbach

I will say I try to be clear bit I don't use punctuation because in class it takes time hiding my phone and the longer I look suspicious the worst. When I'm at home I still don't use it because well.....I don't I do however try to be clear in doing no disrespect to anyone on here I was just stating my habits

cutlassefi

This has been my premise/gripe from the start. Copper, I don't doubt you have good info to share but you talk out of both sides of your mouth. That makes you look like an idiot and sets you up for criticism. Don't you think the members/viewers here deserve good info without contradictory answers from the same guy? I do.

I get a lot of calls, emails and pm's from members here, a lot. And virtually everyone starts by saying something like "I've read a lot of your posts and you seem to give straight forward and informative answers". Try it sometime Copper, you may be surprised at the results.


I've had 2 ProComp HEI distributors that I bought straight from them, no issues with either one, other than a simple recurve. Of course I still prefer the Accel stuff
But both had fairly steady/stable timing. That is a reflection of a few things, a tight timing chain and proper distributor end play. But beyond that it normally means it has a decent module as well.

coppercutlass

Look I ain't getting mad. Now I can agree my typing gets lost in translation. I have nothing against jim or mark really. I am the type of guy that if we happened to be at the same track Id offer you a beer and laugh a little. Now I'm not saying I'm not abrasive or come off that way. Now I ran he procomp box stock and the reason for that was. We had a mild 350 in a heavy car with 2.41 rear gears . We had to change the curve for it to run decent. Now that we went to 3.08's its too slow. Out of the box it ran well I curved it for the needs of the engine in the setup not because I felt the parts where junk. I know I can be confusing but maybe if you asked me a few more questions before trying to blow a hole in my info I wouldn't be so quick to tell you off. Not saying you have to give me "special" treatment but do a little digging before you come to your conclusions. I try to share my first hand experience and that's all. If someone wants to ask me something then ask away but don't try to belittle me to some extent just because I'm un clear. I don't usually want to type out a whole story on why I ran the procomp the way I did. But in black and white sweet and simple. I ran it and aside from changing a few things in its box stock form it worked well. I used parts I had on a shelf so I just used em. If I didn't have em I would have just ran it as it was but I always have 2 spare modules. One in the car and one in my parts bin.

On a side note belive it or not even if english was not my strong point I was a good writer and won a few high school writing contest. Of course I did it for the money prize lol. But seriously I'm not here to be graded. I could correct every littl damn thing but I don't care to because its only a very few set of people who give me crap.

captjim

Just to clarify, are these the same as the cheap E-Bay units? What is the "list" price? Thanks

MDchanic

Right, and, in a world of well thought out printed communication, this is both obvious, and annoying.

HOWEVER, I suspect that Copper doesn't think of it that way.
I suspect that he never really got a good education in writing, and that for him, typing is not a form of "writing," but an extension of speaking.
When we speak, we often contradict ourselves, whether intentionally, to work toward making a point in a story, or by accident, as we remember just one more thing that we were trying to say.
If you were speaking to him in person, he would probably do the same things that he does when he posts here, but you probably wouldn't notice it, because he would correct and elaborate within seconds in the course of his story.

Now, as one of the resident grammar ***** here, I am trying to say this all as impartially as I can, especially since I like Copper, and I like the way he "makes things work," even when they shouldn't, but, as I say, while I love to label one form of expression or another either "right" or "wrong," in this case, I think the main problem is that for some of us (the old ones ), the keyboard is an extension of the pen, while for others, it is an extension of the tongue, and bridging this gap would probably make a whole lot of us happier.

- Eric

coppercutlass

Eric you are spot on. As I type I talk in my head. I have to because of my a.d.d . I could be talking about a carburetor then wonder if there is asparagus in the fridge for me to throw on the grill with the steaks lol.

billmerbach

MD are you a pchychologist because I'm sending you studied a bit of it ;p

cutlassefi

You know what, I'm not sure.
I paid about $120.00 to my door. I bought direct from them because I figured they'd be easier to deal with in case of a warranty claim.

coppercutlass

I bought mine from madd dog engine parts for 55 bucks plus the ride. I recently got a price close to that aswell.

380 Racer

Since I haven't been active in this post here goes. I used:
1. a single point (stock)
2. HEI
3. Accel
4. Mallory
5. MSD


The MSD has worked the best with all the extra electronics I have had. Of course this is IMHO.

HWYSTR455

One of my problems is I do this as a hobby, and at work, sometimes it takes me hours to complete a single post, because I get pulled away so many times. And I can't spell!

If you do your homework, you will see, you pretty much get what you pay for. Sun Tuned has dissected these units to the Nth degree, and if you read some of his posts, with pics, you will see it's not BS. He is ready to talk about it if you call him too. If you have more time than money, the call should be part of your homework.

Like I said, the issue I have with MSD is the reluctor wheel on the shaft rusts, and the units for whatever reason collect moisture, and you have to wipe them out on a regular basis. And if you run an ignition box, it will eat in cap coils. (If you run them for long periods of time, like in street duty).

As for the Accel units, they too have small, but livable issues. One, the caps are a little flimsy, and cost a couple bux more than others. (Especially if you want a black cap). Also, I've seen where they don't come with any dielectric grease under the unit, which can cause overheating of the unit. Maybe it dries up on the shelf or something, but it's worth a look before you stab that thing in your engine.

Never take anything for granted, check every part, regardless of the manufacturer, very carefully, it's up to the user to ensure it's in proper order.

I sourced my ProComp from egay, and it was a $55 unit. It was way too close, even touching, the relay and wire harness on the firewall for my liking, which is why I went to a small body.

I've owned a Pertronix too, and the module failed. When I pulled it apart, the cover for the module fell into pieces as I removed it. If you look at the info Sun Tuned, Cliff Ruggles, or Schurkey has on HEI modules, you can make an informative choice.

The Ford type mag pickups are the most accurate and durable, and is what's used in the MSD units. (And others) Just those darn reluctor wheels rusting...

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