I read about the possibility of converting a y block distributor to Ford Duraspark II. I have read a few mentions of it on here but cannot find specific instructions. Does anyone have instructions on how to do this? Thanks.

 

It's pretty simple.

There are two possible distributors you can have. One is the Autolite, the other is a Motorcraft.

If you have a Motorcraft, it is almost a drop in swap. The cheapest solution is to get the Duraspark internals from a salvage yard, swap them to your distributor, and notch the distributor body for the wire grommet.
Yet another solution is to swap your distributor shaft/gear to a Motorcraft Duraspark body - this is how mine is set up.

For the Autolite you wil have to machine the points cam so that the reluctor is a press fit, add a groove for the locating pin, notch the body for the wire gromet, and the rest should drop in.

If you have a little more money to spend and you do not have the Motorcraft distributor, get a remanufactured distributor for a 1964 F100 and it will very likely be a Motorcraft. The Motorcraft is easier to tune and easier to convert to Duraspark.

Once you have Duraspark guts in the distributor, you can use a Duraspark box, or virtually any other aftermarket box to control the spark. You can also use the large Duraspark cap but it will require that you change your plug wires because that cap has male terminals.

If your goal is simply to make it electronic, use a Pertronix, it's easier and possibly cheaper. But if you want serious spark, do the Duraspark conversion in the distributor and use an aftermarket box.

 

Thank you for your response! Is there a specific V8 engine the donor distributor needs to come from? I have two y block distributors, both say Ford on them and I know one is a '59 for sure. The other I have not identified but it looks a little different inside and came off of a '56 engine.

 

if you dont know one dist, from the other you need the one that has an o ring for a dirt seal.the other just has a flat gaskit.

 

A Motorcraft is on the right:



You can see the o-ring 312 mentions. An easy way to tell the difference is that the Motorcraft is triangular on the narrow portion of the body. The Autolite is round and has slots. I don't have a picture of an Autolite handy.

I'm not sure if it does matter what the Duraspark distributor comes from. I honestly don't know what to look for to tell if a motor is a small block or big block at a glance. I've grabbed parts and bodies from several random V8s in the salvage yard and they all look pretty much the same to me. The parts interchange and everything.

Neither of yours is a Motorcraft if they are original. The 56 is a load-o-matic and it definitely is not the one you want to use.

 

dont want to use a 1954 239 one ether right?

what years models were the duraspark?

is it the common 70s and 80s large ignition box style ones like you see in the trucks?


pic?

thanks

 

The '54 239 distributor will do you no good. I'm not sure what the years are for Duraspark. Approximately mid 70s to mid 80s?? In the salvage yard, you want to find a distributor with a cap that fastens in the same way as yours, but is in 2 pieces and bigger. Some time in the 80s, they changed to a cap which is held on by screws kinda like a GM HEI distributor. You don't want that one.