Electronic distributors and tuning them.

[Kern Dog]

Years ago, the company my wife worked for downsized so I grabbed up 90 4 drawer file cabinets they were just going to throw away. I gave away most of them but kept 20-25 of them to store parts and other stuff.

 

[RemCharger]

If you look at the reluctors they have two keyways and an arrow by each keyway... Well if all those last distributors were small black then they should all be clockwise rotation... But the arrows are pointing both ways... I realize it's 2024 and going both ways has become more accepted...(by some) I don't think that applies to distributors though.....

Notice two arrows showing rotation? And two keyways....

View attachment 1640675

They aren't dead center, they are offset, and since big blocks & small blocks rotate in opposite directions they need to be set up based on rotation...

I just have never seen one without a pin. Makes no sense that it is just pressed on without some way to index it correctly. Unless I am missing something?

Normally there is one roll pin groove/keyway in the shaft but two grooves in the reluctor... So depending on rotation you use the groove with the corresponding arrow...

The FBO limiter plates are an easy way to do what I've always done the old school way...

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

OK those arrows on the reluctor are for the rotation. Counter clockwise (B/RB) CW (la) thats the phasing. The roll pin secures them. Made without it? Run!

 

[hunt2elk]

Ebooger was a good tech guy back in the day but honestly a lot of his Ebay stuff isn't any better than what every other smuck is pawning off on Ebay....

But he still has his larger than life ego....

 

[moparedtn]

I've got a stash of original Mopar electronic distributors for the 440 in Fred.
They're all at least a couple decades old, but new (as in not been used).
Two are original DC/MP units and one is a reman Arrow original and I've played around
with using each one in the car - and there was very little difference in any of them when
used in the manner I do.

I don't typically run the vacuum advance (mostly because I hate fiddling with the tiny
allen screw and messing with things until the jitters are taken out of the cruise condition
timing) and I set full advance to 35*, which this particular engine likes best (confirmed by
vacuum gauge as well as seat of pants).
I don't really care much what the timing is at idle, but it winds up being about 15-18* BTDC
typically.

Happy to also report no issues with knocking or such and I run 93 octane meth-free gas in him only.
On the odd occasion I've had to settle for other gas, Fred does NOT approve - and proceeds to digest
it even more quickly than the "good stuff".

All of that to say - I see all the condemnation of the Mopar electronic stuff and all I can think of it is
that as usual, I know what worked for me for decades - but I make the effort, do the research and
searching, to find OLD but NEW IN BOX stuff just like I've used in olden days, no matter what it is
I'm working on at the moment.
That seems to be true for most anything in life for me really - it's simply that they used to make
stuff better.

 

[Bee1971]

Yeah, I haven't either.... China strikes again....

Rick E

His Distributors and Ignition Modules

Made in the USA my ***

The Blue ECU 7500 was clearly dimpled China inside the case when I ripped it apart

The distributor was worse in quality

 

[Cranky]

Years ago, the company my wife worked for downsized so I grabbed up 90 4 drawer file cabinets they were just going to throw away. I gave away most of them but kept 20-25 of them to store parts and other stuff.

Where did you stack them all!!?

 

[Bee1971]

I keep an old cap with an hole to check rotor phasing on Mopar Distributors

Idle

Cruise

Vacuum

Check at all RPMs with timing light

 

[hunt2elk]

Rick E

His Distributors and Ignition Modules

Made in the USA my ***

The Blue ECU 7500 was clearly dimpled China inside the case when I ripped it apart

The distributor was worse in quality

Yeah, he has been misleading people for years on where he gets some of the products he peddles. Never could understand why people think he can walk on water. I for one consider him a class "A" a$$hole.

 

[Cranky]

Yeah, he has been misleading people for years on where he gets some of the products he peddles. Never could understand why people think he can walk on water. I for one consider him a class "A" a$$hole.

Met lots of people like that over the last 50 years....and aftet meeting several, the rest become fairly easy to sniff out.

 

[moparedtn]

I have a profound respect for the Professors' vast experience and knowledge of all things Mopar,
that simple. Dude goes way back (like 1960) with the Mopar hobby and as everyone knows, he's
written for many publications as well as been hands-on with the mechanics of it all.
He has always, without fail, been willing to answer questions when I pose them to him, too.

Now, all that said, he sells stuff in his advanced years that for the most part is available from other
sources - and we all know some of the stuff out there isn't the best quality (but might be the only
repop available sometimes).
Once in a while, he gets ahold of a stash of original new Mopar stock of something - and that's
when I've learned to buy from him, in an effort to help support him in his advanced age.

I don't find it hard to know when to pass on something these days, whether he's selling it or one
of the other repop sellers - and the few times I've gotten something from him I found lacking, he's
graciously agreed to refund and accept the return.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

Small block/Big block position.
I made that mistake once putting a dist together.

Dead dodge has a good video, starts at 12:41

 

[Kern Dog]

Where did you stack them all!!?

They are spread around. I have a couple rows in this:

It is a 12 x 16" horse barn that was here when we moved in. I moved it when I cut the area down 4' in 2011.
I also have more cabinets in the shop next to it.

 

[ckessel]

You could be a hoarder like this guy.
Los Angeles 'trash house' owner seen outside as city cleans up property

 

[Kern Dog]

But he still has his larger than life ego....

Yeah, he has been misleading people for years on where he gets some of the products he peddles. Never could understand why people think he can walk on water. I for one consider him a class "A" a$$hole.

The man has helped far more people than anyone else that I know. His advice is based on his experiences and knowledge. I don't agree with everything he says or writes but the man has earned his place.
I especially like his quirky humor. Some people that are easily offended don't. Those are the same people that wouldn't like me. So what? You can't please everyone.

 

[Kern Dog]

You could be a hoarder like this guy.
Los Angeles 'trash house' owner seen outside as city cleans up property

I do my best to keep my stuff tucked away. I keep the weather sensitive stuff indoors but other stuff sits outside. Body panels, axles, springs and wheels are outside of the car so they sit outside. Engine parts, interior, electronics and gaskets have to be protected.
File cabinets are excellent for storing small parts rather than stuffing them in boxes and stacking them.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I do my best to keep my stuff tucked away. I keep the weather sensitive stuff indoors but other stuff sits outside. Body panels, axles, springs and wheels are outside of the car so they sit outside. Engine parts, interior, electronics and gaskets have to be protected.
File cabinets are excellent for storing small parts rather than stuffing them in boxes and stacking them.

I've been to Greg's place, he keeps it very clean... Even a Karen would have to look for more than a brief glance to find something to bitch about.... But we all know she'd still bitch...

 

[RussT Plymouths]

Maybe this helps some.

This shows the slot in the shaft (180* from the rotor slot), the shaft shoulder the reluctor will get pressed down to, and the keeper pin in relation to the reluctor.

Going back on, pin lined up and reluctor about 1/8" above the shoulder.

I use a slot screwdriver to push both the pin and reluctor down together. If the pin comes up after pushing the reluctor down it's not lined up correctly. There is room for the pin to be lower in the reluctor slot but not more than maybe 1/8".

Seated. This can be done in the car, just don't drop the pin.

 

[RussT Plymouths]

Also don't overlook this. There should be a roll pin lining up the plate with a hole in the housing and a hole in the vacuum advance mount. This helps phase the pickup plate with the distributor cap tang on the advance mounting. I'm using a drill bit, (or that might be a finish nail), in this pic to line things up before tightening the screws.

 

[RussT Plymouths]

A pic of my hogged out cap for Frankenstein distributor builds.