Distributor, mechanical or vacuume advance

[mike01082]

Hi everyone, I am looking at distributors and wanted to see what you all have and what my best option might be.
I am running a 1966 428 with dual quads.
Thanks,
Mike

[Excaliber]

Neither! Have you considered a fully programable electronic dist? That avoids the whole weights and springs and vacuum advance delima.

Myself, I run an MSD mechanical with vacuum advance, but I spent a LOT of time getting it all dialed in and setup the way I want. If I were to do it today, I'd go fully electronic.

[mike01082]

Hi and thank you for the information. I have looked for a fully programable distributor and can not find one. Did you have one in mind that I could look at? Thanks,

[Excaliber]

I couldn't find one for an FE either, I was hoping someone might know and post a link on this thread? No problem finding one for a small block Ford.

[r67cat]

Mike, I was running a strict mechanical MSD dizzy on my 428 single carb FE. After an evaluation from a number of my GM power train engineer friends, they all agreed that unless I was running at WOT all the time a vacuum advance dizzy was the way to go. With out vacuum advance at partial throttle, where we operate 98% of the time, we run a retarded timing with the associated wear and poor fuel combustion. I made the switch to a Ford distributor with a Pertronix module and vacuum advance. Much better drivability and with the throttle wide open, it has the same curve as the MSD. I set up the distributor for 36 degrees BDC at max mechanical advance. The vacuum provides and additional 16 degrees at partial throttle. Hook up to a ported vacuum (Off the Carb),not manifold vacuum. The engineers that set up these high performance FE's in the day had a lot of engineering behind them. If straight mechanical advance was better and cheeper they would have used it. This was before anyone was concerned with mileage. My change yielded a better idle, quicker throttle response, quieter exhaust and a cooler running engine. No down side. Rick

[DougD]

If I had it to do over again, I'd buy a rebuilt Ford Duraspark to fit a mid-70's Ford pickup with a 360 or 390. You can buy one at any auto parts store for about $75. It's electronic, so there's no maintenance, and it's vacuum advance, for all the benefits listed above.

[Excaliber]

Thats a good call DougD, not a bad plan at all.

[Wbulk]

Rick,
Overall you post was right on. Pertronix now makes an Igniter III I believe it's called. It has rev limiter and muti-spark all in the module without the need for a box. There are cases for using manifold vacuum for the vacuum advance such as with a real radical cam. It can smooth out the idle and overcome carb idle issues. The other argument for using vacuum advance is race engines would have no use for it since they are running wide open most of the time. The vacuum advance would not even work. Most cobras are used on the street and could benefit from vacuum advance. Good Post Rick!

Wayne