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Old 01-23-2022, 03:51 AM
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Charlie Brengun Charlie Brengun is offline
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Default Points or hei distributor

I currently have a mallory unilite without vacuum advance distributor with a promaster coil, an offy dual quad with two holley 450's. All I do with the car is drive it on the street, it does not go to the strip.
I'm looking for a replacement distributor that does have vacuum advance. Ive found a used (factory) points type distributor online but I remeber reading somewhere most points replacements are junk these days.

So should I just forget about a points type distributor and have it converted to HEI (like sun tuned does, I do not want to go the pertronix route) or
Are decent points (and a decent weights and springs to set the timing curve) still available?

What would you guys do.

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Old 01-23-2022, 06:42 AM
Schurkey Schurkey is offline
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First: Do you have room for a plain ol' big-cap HEI? Kinda guessing the extra carb makes the distributor clearance impossible.

A converted points distributor as done by Ignitionman is probably ideal. I did not know that SunTuned did this also. I'd trust him, too.

Nothing better than OEM (sometimes OEM-style aftermarket) ignition parts, even if they're put together in ways the various manufacturers didn't intend.

I wouldn't give ten cents for a points distributor, except as an oil-pump priming tool or a core to upgrade with magnetic-pickup parts.

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Old 01-23-2022, 09:01 AM
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Half-Inch Stud Half-Inch Stud is offline
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HEI for the win. Fires up in damp, cold, hot, rainy, weathers all the same. HEI dwell varys with rpm for best spark results.

Dizzy resistance wire needs replaed with copper wire.

Point dizzy fits great in the garage cabinet, drawer, or even on the wall.

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Old 01-23-2022, 09:39 AM
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Default Points or hei distributor

I’ve used a bone stock recurved big cap HEI for over 40 years have never had an ignition issue. Seems to run as well as about anything out there to 6,500 RPM. Never experienced a coil or module failure. But I’ve seen plenty of failures in the aftermarket. Read a million blogs on what someone’s “Flamethrower 5000 Race Ignition” did to them at the track. Or how it left them at a light. Soooo…. Ima dance with the one who brought me. Delco may not put out 65,000 volts or function to 7,500 RPM but, it will bring me home! Every time.
Cardone makes a nice billet HEI that sells through Napa for less than $100. Chunk the module, throw in a new NOS Delco module, recurve to taste and let her fly, all in for less than $150.


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Last edited by TxSportCoupe; 01-23-2022 at 09:51 AM.
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Old 01-23-2022, 10:36 AM
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I'll throw this out there if you don't mind spending a little more to have a full control programmable distributor. I got one last summer and love it so far.

https://progressionignition.com

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Old 01-23-2022, 10:37 AM
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I need a small cap distributor to work with the dual quad. I was curious about whether to just use a factory points distributor or have one converted to HEI.

So far it seems the HEI option seems to be the one to go for..

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Old 01-23-2022, 11:54 AM
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Performance Distributors Makes a small cap HEI. They market it as their Tripower distributor. I have used their products for many years. They will custom curve it to your combo. They have been very easy to work with and make a quality product here in the USA.

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Old 01-23-2022, 11:58 AM
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You'll find a few on here who pimp points distributors - but I remember waaayyy back, 20yrs ago - when I got back into the hobby w/ a 69 gto/four speed. Bar none, the best two things I did for drivability were a cliff-built qjet and getting rid of the points.

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Old 01-23-2022, 12:15 PM
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Wow, lotsa hate for the points. I'll have to be the contrarian here and say if you already have a points distributor that is in good shape put a set of GOOD points in it, set it, and forget it. If you have a GOOD HEI run that. Nothing to gain by spending money replacing either if you have one or the other and it is working properly.
Been running a set of Accel 32oz. points for 4 years now with a Pertronix box for the rev limiter. No issues, starts as fast as anything else I've tried (I've tried them all) and will rev higher than my valvetrain lets me. I'll admit I adjusted the dwell once. If having to do that bothers you, or you drive 15,000 miles/year or more don't run points.
Whatever you decide don't use any of the common recurve kits on the market. You're better off with stock springs/weights.

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Old 01-23-2022, 12:25 PM
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MSD ready to run distributor and be done with it. It uses the small cap that will work behind the 2x4 intake etc.

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Old 01-23-2022, 12:49 PM
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Factory points here. No problems

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Old 01-23-2022, 01:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TCSGTO View Post
Wow, lotsa hate for the points. I'll have to be the contrarian here and say if you already have a points distributor that is in good shape put a set of GOOD points in it, set it, and forget it.
After you have been parked on the side of the road with a bad HEI Module,
(several times for me and each time a proper installation (1978 Trans Am),
you just say enough of the crap modules and convert back to a cast iron early distributor with a factory street curve, good condenser, and a proper factory coil. 40+ years without a single issue with the Points stuff. Street Car.
Street Cars are supposed to be driven without mechanical/ electrical issues.

Tom V.

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Old 01-23-2022, 01:59 PM
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Charlie,
Been awhile since I been around here. Kids doing college , life, work. Etc…

How many miles you drive this thing these days?

You ask 10 people what they’d do, you’ll likely get 17 different replies. Here’s what I would do…

If you drive less than say 5,000 miles a year, one option is a really nice handworked factory points distributor. I mean a good solid healthy one. Good tight bushings, nice non chewed up shaft. Just a good top notch setup.. they’re simple as an anvil, pretty cheap, and they just flat work. Yes you can still get good points and condensers for em, albeit a tad pricey from Napa. Setup for your application it’s about as painless as it’s gonna get for the money.

However, that said, there are a few pitfalls with em. You’ll run about 12,000-15,000 miles before you need to do some maintenance on it…. Unless you mess up and leave the ignition key on in run position with the points closed. That’s not a good deal. Bad mojo. Barring that oops, you may find you just need to redress the contact surfaces and reset the dwell and go awhile longer. Eventually we will need to get a fresh set in there but again, barring anything due to haphazard practices it would be awhile I bet before you needed to.

Obviously the next option would be the above with a cd ignition box piggybacked together with the points distributor. Done this way a set of points likely would outlast those currently reading this thread. This is a good option also.

Next up the list is a full size regular ol conventional HEI. Except these generally don’t fit with more than 1 carb, certain intakes, and/or the need for carb spacers and such. Those are probably out .

Which leaves some type of electronic/magnetic conversions. I won’t let pertronix stuff across my bench these days unless I’m taking it out to go back oem. They’ve changed too much of the ic chip in em from 10 years ago to waste my time on.

So as far as magnetic conversions… to my knowledge there are 3 .

As mentioned Dave Ray does one. It is basically a MSD/Ford magnetic type with the exception of it’s done on an oem housing and utilizes a vac advance.

My boys at Performance Distributors will build you a conversion based on the same setup. MSD magnetic pickup, Ford reluctor and a vac advance. Module mounted on the side of the housing with a wonderfully adequate aircraft aluminum quality heat sink, which I might add makes it about 200X easier to access the module in the event of a replacement compared to Rays deal. His is mounted upside down on the housing and if you have a lot of stuff in the way may require a bit of finagling to access for removal especially if the engine is hot. Keep this in mind.

The DUI setup obviously is matched to your specs as are the rest ,but they quite possibly can get you one out very soon. For your convienience their number is 901-396-5782. Everyone there is extremely nice, so feel free.

I build a couple variations on the factory stuff, both require some machine work on the lathe, both contain 100% factory oem distributor pieces, so if there’s an issue replacement parts are fairly easy to source.


In the last two years this electronic stuff has become somewhat hit or miss in quality. That has me kinda irritated. Bad enough they charge premium prices for this stuff already but the quality seems half what it was even 5 years ago. So factor that in in your decision.

At the end of the day you’ll need something that fits in the space you have and I’ll bet that you’ll find you either end up with a nice fresh points setup or a points/electronic CD hybrid, or simply a full magnetic conversion.

Do t be afraid of the points they got people where they needed to be for close to 85 years before folks knew what electronic ignitions were. Both are good, and both have their own set of problems too.

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Old 01-23-2022, 02:09 PM
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One more thing I meant to add was that the MSD CD boxes they sell are now not 315.00 each anymore… they’re at like 450.00+.
Getting kinda up there. Not made in Texas anymore for sure, and I bet you can buy one hell of a lot of points for 450.00 even today.

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Old 01-23-2022, 04:16 PM
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MSD does make a inexpensive (for MSD} "Street Fire' CD box, $206 .00 at Summit. Not an endorsement
My own preference is the Crane XRI. Points replacement, fits inside dist. , rev limiter, hot spark. Have it in my 425 Buick ski boat, 72 Riviera. and GTO.

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Old 01-23-2022, 05:18 PM
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The only down side to a Dizzy with a basically stock size cap is where you need a big increase in spark voltage output, like in a high compression high rpm race motor or a motor running boost or NOs.

Thick atmosphere’s in a cylinder need in very high rpm motors need that big spark kick!

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Old 01-23-2022, 07:37 PM
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I remoted the 4- prong HEI Module to the firewall on a Heatsink, and now no worries about the Module getting too hot.

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Old 01-23-2022, 07:43 PM
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I had forgotten the more economical stuff MSD sells. Track record on that here locally has been hit or miss at best. Not quite sure what’s going on with that. Well I do but I’m not gonna bag on any of that here. Just that the stuff works for awhile. Thing is the few I’ve been in contact with you just couldn’t really say it would stay that way for any reasonable length of time.

As such the MSD cd box that’s worth having is the 6ALN. It’s getting pricey though. It’s also what they call the NASCAR box. Hasn’t really got anything in it different than the regular old 6AL with one vital exception . It’s got the lovely premium elastomeric epoxy poured all in the back of the box. It’s a wonderful vibration resistance material. Worth the difference in price.

Unless it’s a magnetic type conversion, or what is referred to as a true HEI type distributor, be it 135mm standard size HEI or small cap style , those types are not much else other than a points eliminator setup. To be of any advantage the things have to be able to take full battery voltage and convert it into useable stuff. The vast majority of distributors out there do not do this. Consequently their output is rather less than exemplary.

All the GM HEI’s, Ford Durasparks, Chrysler electronic types… basically any oem that is magnetic are the high power setups you want. Short of that the true CD controlled stuff eclipses those in power output.

The Mallory unilites, pertronics, m&h single wire, etc aren’t true magnetic full battery type units and easily won’t cut it in an application that requires serious spark energy.

The hardware is out there though for sure.

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Old 01-23-2022, 08:14 PM
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Early tachs (one wire) may not work with an electronic ignition.

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Old 01-23-2022, 08:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Vaught View Post
After you have been parked on the side of the road with a bad HEI Module,
(several times for me and each time a proper installation (1978 Trans Am),
you just say enough of the crap modules and convert back to a cast iron early distributor with a factory street curve, good condenser, and a proper factory coil. 40+ years without a single issue with the Points stuff. Street Car.
Street Cars are supposed to be driven without mechanical/ electrical issues.

Tom V.
Number One killer of HEI modules is a semi-failed HEI ignition coil.

It's virtually certain that you had a fistful of perfectly-good, long-lasting HEI modules that were murdered by a defective ignition coil.

Fail one module...replace it.

Fail two modules...replace it AND the ignition coil.

HEI is "the" most-reliable, trouble-free electronic ignition system on the planet.

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