Need education on distributors!!!!! help!!!!!

[mstephens6900]

Did a swap in my 74 Satellite from the 318 to a mild 383. Now I'm hooking everything back up to find the 383 is still points. What are my options ?

 

[CoronetSCO]

http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/sum-850004/overview/make/chrysler

A reasonably priced option that should work fine for you.............

 

[Uberbricky]

I just installed a Pertronix billet distributor in my. 440, bought it new at the track for $180. She starts better and revs quicker, and my butt dyno loves it!!

 

[Car Nut]

I heard good things about FireCore Distributors.

 

[sleepar]

I run points because I grew up on them... cars ran over 80 years on points... keep a spare set in the glove box learn to set them... a new distributor is around $50-100... I have used them on engines that have tached over 9000 rpm and have had the contacts plated with platinum at a jewellers. Some of the old NHRA junk would run dual dual point distributors and get incredible results.... but for the plug-in play guys who don't have a lot of mechanical ability electronic is the way to go.

 

[ewolfe]

I run points because I grew up on them... cars ran over 80 years on points... keep a spare set in the glove box learn to set them... a new distributor is around $50-100... I have used them on engines that have tached over 9000 rpm and have had the contacts plated with platinum at a jewellers. Some of the old NHRA junk would run dual dual point distributors and get incredible results.... but for the plug-in play guys who don't have a lot of mechanical ability electronic is the way to go.

Yea, and he should probably run Polyglas tires too, huh?

 

[sleepar]

No radials are better..... there is not a situation where electronic can surpass a tricked out point set up... a 50 year old stock point distributor yes... Use a micky Thompson dual point distributor if you can find one and compare it ...

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It's like junking a 426 hemi for a new hemi.... for those in the know points are king.

 

[Hemi Rebel]

In terms of performance the modern hemi is lighter, more efficient and makes more power. Comparing the two based solely on their intended function the 426 is junk.

Points work but you need to "trick" them out to get the them to last and there is still a cam block that opens and closes the points that can wear. That being said. Everyone should have a point dizzy. In case of emp blast or nuclear war, a car with carb, points and mechanical fuel pump will still run.

 

[sleepar]

If you have to buy something.... see other thread.... but if you keep the points it can be made to run with just wire and some splicing to by pass the 74 junk....

EWOLF should I run catalytic converter and a smog pump on my '67 because newer is always better?

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In terms of performance the modern hemi is lighter, more efficient and makes more power. Comparing the two based solely on their intended function the 426 is junk.

Points work but you need to "trick" them out to get the them to last and there is still a cam block that opens and closes the points that can wear. That being said. Everyone should have a point dizzy. In case of emp blast or nuclear war, a car with carb, points and mechanical fuel pump will still run.

I would conservatively guess that you would have to replace every other part of the the distributor 5 times and the bronze bushing more than twice and the points over 50 times before the cam block wore down... even still points would be cheaper to maintain than electronic over time... One question about the points I don't know is :
The police have a device that they deploy to kill the ignition for those high-speed chases in stead of the spike mats... Will my car fire on all 8 for a split second or miss just that one cylinder as it passes the strip???

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Electronic is maintenance free so I dont see how points are cheaper to maintain.

 

[Pops1967GTX]

I’m old school & still running points in my GTX without any problems......


Nice article on distributors .....
http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2007/01/01/hmn_feature9.html#PhotoSwipe1405260360917


http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php?topic=3424.0

 

[sleepar]

Electronic is maintenance free so I dont see how points are cheaper to maintain.

I have restored a distributor and replaced points for a cost of about $75 for every 50 years or 500,000 miles... on one old dodge brothers farm truck from the 30's that original distributor had 180+ k on with countless hours ideling...it and was last running in 2010 with only 3sets of new points in it and there was John Deere twin cylinder popper that was traded from farm to farm that has so many hours and been rebuild it would be impossible to guess.... then sat for decades and with some emery cloth and some WD 40 a cap and button which an electronic would need any way... ran like New... the rest of the machine had $1000's and months into working... I would not expect to see nearly a century from an electronic box for the s same money that a points will go for. Just throwing away a points distributor every time would still be cheaper but you can rebuild one faster than the parts store can get you in and out the door with an electronic set up.

 

[miller]

hehe. Get 'em, sleepar!

Facts are facts. YOU can fix a point system. You can only REPLACE electronic.

 

[Hemi Rebel]

hehe. Get 'em, sleepar!

Facts are facts. YOU can fix a point system. You can only REPLACE electronic.

Ive never replaced a pickup, and I think ive had one ecu fail on me an it was a crappy orange box that was exposed to the elements. Thats in 25 years. You can get a good stock one for 30 bucks and change it on the side of the road in 3 minutes if by chance it leaves you sitting. Electronic ignition gives you more precise hotter spark. This gives you more power and better economy.

 

[sleepar]

Ive never replaced a pickup, and I think ive had one ecu fail on me an it was a crappy orange box that was exposed to the elements. Thats in 25 years. You can get a good stock one for 30 bucks and change it on the side of the road in 3 minutes if by chance it leaves you sitting. Electronic ignition gives you more precise hotter spark. This gives you more power and better economy.

I have run both and have had the boxes fail and had new ones fail out of the box... with the box I could only run a 30,000 volt coil and the points can handle a 45,000 volt one I have had points fail also but a little scuffing with fine sand paper and I'm off again. I can adjust the dwel and point gap indefinitely where the box is non adjustable it's an emissions gimmick like CAP or lean burn.... do the Pepsi challenge and get a dual point distributor all else being equal and a feel meter and go by the book and you won't notice a measurable difference and if any gain will be on the points set up.
If you haven't run points you don't know what you're missing the gain in any distributor will be in the vacuum/mechanical advance and in the coil voltage and plug gap find that sweet spot and its also lighter by a pound also.

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The question was my 74 318 to 383 swap.... the383 has points distributor ... I suggest bypassing the box use a wire diagram to match up the wires between the two and run the points for the price of the wire or to be easy run a 74 400 distributor with an orange box.... not all boxes are the same the $30 box is school Liberian compared to the Orange box and the expensive stuff is not much better than that.. for $2000 more total. Why do they sell cheater chips for the new electronic boxes??? With points a screwdriver is all you need all else equal....
We all have room to learn something here.... I learned that you don't know points rebel...:hijacked:

 

[383man]

I raced with dual point dist in the 70's for years and they worked fine but I will take the Mopar or any good electronic dist any day over points. Been running a stock Mopar electronic dist I recurved and worked in my sons Dart since 1997 and I have never replaced anything in it. Been running the same Mallory dist in my 63 since I put it on the road in 2006 with not ever replacing any parts in it either. And any good racer knows points wear and then your timing retards so you have to constantly keep setting the points and timing to stay on top of it which you never have to do with an electronic dist. I would never waste my time with points when you can get such good electronic ign today. Ron