New distributor recommendations

Mopar Big Block Talk
Post Reply

Replacement distributor - which of the following options would you recommend ?

1) Standard replacement mechanical distributor
4
31%
2) Martin Robey 383 Electronic ignition kit
2
15%
3) PerTronix electronic distributor
7
54%
 
Total votes: 13

User avatar
MattB
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:44 pm
Location: West Sussex

New distributor recommendations

Post by MattB »

The original distributor on our MKII FF is worn and the vacuum unit is suspect too, so I'm planning to replace the complete distributor. I've come up with three options:

1) Standard replacement unit (points) - Martin Robey have a new-old-stock unit on the shelf
2) Martin Robey 383 Electronic ignition kit (Proform kit with orange control unit)
3) PerTronix electronic distributor - still trying to find a UK supplier for this

I very nearly ordered the Martin Robey 383 Electronic kit but then read through the installation guide. Sounds like I'll need to run the cables back and forth the right side of the engine bay to the orange control unit - I'm concerned this may all look a bit untidy.

I'd welcome any recommendations based on what you've found works best for reliability, starting, ease of installation etc. Are there other options I should be looking at ?

Thanks
Matt
User avatar
Jorrocks
Posts: 398
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 1:15 pm
Location: Buckingham

Re: New distributor recommendations

Post by Jorrocks »

http://4secondsflat.com/Ignition.html

6th item down, HRR688DK kit. I know it's more than just the dizzy but it is a fantastic package that does away with both the ballast resistor and the orange box! I ordered from them with no issues and even with duty etc. I thought it was a bargain.
1972 Interceptor MkIII (128/4886)
User avatar
johnw
Posts: 2016
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:38 pm
Contact:

Re: New distributor recommendations

Post by johnw »

If you are after reliability, especially after periods of idleness, and fixability on the road, points and condenser are the gold standard for classic cars doing limited miles a year. Bad connections are killers for electronics, and electronic systems require more wires, multiplying the risks. The payoff with electronics is if you do more than 5K miles a year where checking the points becomes tiresome. Mechanical distributors degrade slowly. If you don't want a ballast resistor, a modern high output coil won't need one. https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/category/13

Being an FF, I think you have to keep the original one and "fix it one day", and buy a remanufactured one for now, and keeping the special original. The Mopar distributors have date codes on them, and the FF ones were modified by Jensen to give an advance specific to FF requirements. You will see two springs in the FF advance unit of differing sizes. The Mk2 may have been different to the Mk1 to account for the different diff ratios, I am not sure, I always wondered. The vacuum unit is easy to test with a vacuum kit available off ebay, and you can pinch the pipe to see if there is any loss over time. Vacuum units are easy to remove and available as a spare part these days. I was reading the Mopar workshop manual on Sunday for the 66 Polara 383, available online free, and pretty sure I saw a section about replacing the distributor bronze bush, the one in the dizzy, not the one in the block!

The kit Jorrocks mentions looks nice for a Mk3 which is already electronic. Kevin Birch adapted a Rover V8 Powerspark kit, and that looks the best/neatest electronic conversion ever! No extra cables, one double wire instead of a single.
Have you seen our stolen Jensen FF 119/011 https://twitter.com/jensenffdotcom
383Stevo
Posts: 26
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2022 2:49 pm
Location: Canada

Re: New distributor recommendations

Post by 383Stevo »

I second 4 seconds flat! 💯
Steve Sheahan
Interceptor MkII
User avatar
VFK44
Co-Administrator
Posts: 9219
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:04 pm
Location: Epping Essex UK
Contact:

Re: New distributor recommendations

Post by VFK44 »

Which exact kit is that, Steve? The HRR688DK kit appears to no longer be sold, and the website is infuriatingly laid out!
"Now that chassis number is particularly interesting ‘cos it’s the one after the one before, which is the one after mine, not many people know that"
Stephen, Epping, Essex
User avatar
johnw
Posts: 2016
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:38 pm
Contact:

Re: New distributor recommendations

Post by johnw »

Well the OP Matt has not been back since January, the FF was listed on Car and Classic at a giveaway price, undercutting others, lesser FFs, some by £40k+. So far he was active on here for less than a year :(
VFK44 wrote: Tue Sep 20, 2022 11:10 pm the website is infuriatingly laid out!
I like that website! It was annoying at first, but I am sure it is deliberately written like that :D It is an education process so when you have re read it for the 5th time, you understand what you are going to ring up and enquire about. My favourite bit is the way it refers you to it's ebay shop, then the link opens not to ebay. After reading that link you understand why buying direct and speaking to a real ignition engineer is not only 11% cheaper but probably a good idea.

I could go on about the FF points based distributor that was curved for the car by Jensen, with FF specific advance springs, for this car owned by an FF employee, has likely by now been binned if the owner followed the results of this poll yada yada yada. The replaceable bronze bush in the distributor housing and distributor shaft were likely worn. Both could have been replaced, or the cheap out and best option in my view, the shaft could have been burnished and a new bush made to fit at almost zero expense apart from labour. An even cheaper option would have been to remove the old bush, squash it with a hammer, vice etc, re ream, or more likely just refit it. Presumably the OP has sold the car now.

If your orange box or whatever has died, it does happen apparently (not just a bad earth), they have their ingenious replacement. The MCU in their replacement box, detects when you are cranking, ie, the first few seconds after no movement, and changes output to the coil so no ballast needed. They supply a jumper wire to bypass the balast so if you have a Mopar factory installation that seems the perfect answer to a failed Chinese Orange box but you should probably speak to them.

On the Mopar factory electronic ignition you can adjust the vacuum advance with an allen key down the vacuum port on the distributor. Not all electronic replacements kits have that, but they modify the dizzy's they buy in for their kit to have that original feature. At the Swiss JCC tech event it was explained how many aftermarket electronic ignitions restrict the tuneability over standard ignition systems at the Swiss JCC technical meeting recently. So some after market kits can never be set up to be as good as a working factory setup! Given the quality of Chinese Orange boxes, and their claim that their box has a 5 year warranty, and that they have never had to replace a single box under warranty, and their box is plug and play keep the original wiring. It would be interesting to hear from people that use their box to replace a failed Mopar controller.
Have you seen our stolen Jensen FF 119/011 https://twitter.com/jensenffdotcom
User avatar
Steve Payne
MASSIVE RED CARD
MASSIVE RED CARD
Posts: 6461
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 4:51 pm
Location: Witney , Oxfordshire
Contact:

Re: New distributor recommendations

Post by Steve Payne »

There are electronic distributor's that are fully adjustable, they come with various springs and the total advance can be adjusted. I have fitted one of these to an FF and it transformed it. You need the softest springs, limit the total advance to about 20 degrees and have it idling on high teens or even 22 if it will take it. You will need a good starter motor but it sharpens them up nicely. With this technique it's Super Unleaded only. The vacuum cannister will need some fine tuning.
https://firecoreperformance.com/shop/ch ... or-fc1001/
As far as the ignition boxes don't buy cheap, most are made in China.
JOC official Lightning engineer
User avatar
Mr.Mini
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2013 5:48 pm
Location: Belgium

Re: New distributor recommendations

Post by Mr.Mini »

What about a full MSD setup ( distributor , leads , Coil, electronic ignition ) .
These are readily available for the 383/440 with umpteen sold worldwide .
Anyone here has tried one of these and can share their experience ?

Regs Harald
Interceptor MkII - 123-3703
Post Reply

Return to “V-8 Engine Tech”