Distributors...
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From: Denver Metro Area, CO
I did similar to Rembrandt, but I had my machinist recurve a stock (rebuilt) DSII distributor for me.
I use my truck mostly for hauling firewood and so it rarely sees over 3500 RPM, something the factory distributor can handle just fine.
I use my truck mostly for hauling firewood and so it rarely sees over 3500 RPM, something the factory distributor can handle just fine.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,831
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From: St Albert, Alberta
Aftermarket Electronic ignition DS II distributors offer no advantages over stock units unless you are going to be spinning 6K plus all day long. If they are points ignition or Stock GM HEI's then the after market distributors offer measurable improvements.
The DS II distributors need to get really I mean really sloppy before they impact performance. All the DS II does is spin the armature for the hall effect sensor and house the vac and mech advance units. It is only recently we have seen aftermarket DS II distributors on the market prior they did not exist except for dedicated Multiple spark race units for the simple reason that the DS II distributor is as good as needs to be for 99% of the performance applications out there. Don't be fooled into thinking that an after market unit is going to give you an advantage a more stable spark or more power over the stock unit cause it won't.
They are in most cases are only good for separating you from your money....
Recurving the stock one is easy and cheap to do and can be done with some patience a timing light and an accurate tach.
The DS II distributors need to get really I mean really sloppy before they impact performance. All the DS II does is spin the armature for the hall effect sensor and house the vac and mech advance units. It is only recently we have seen aftermarket DS II distributors on the market prior they did not exist except for dedicated Multiple spark race units for the simple reason that the DS II distributor is as good as needs to be for 99% of the performance applications out there. Don't be fooled into thinking that an after market unit is going to give you an advantage a more stable spark or more power over the stock unit cause it won't.
They are in most cases are only good for separating you from your money....
Recurving the stock one is easy and cheap to do and can be done with some patience a timing light and an accurate tach.
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Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2018
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From: Fayetteville, NC
Not sure what you consider too expensive, but if I was going to spend the extra coin on an aftermarket 302 distributor, I'd look at a custom curved unit from Performance Distributors:
Ford Duraspark - Performance Distributors Performance Distributors
You'll have to select your engine in the drop-down box.
Otherwise, there are a lot of options. The Pertronix ones have come up in a lot of my searches...not for trucks necessarily, but on old cars.
I'm just going through the process of upgrading my '84 302, same as you are. GT40 heads, 4bbl Edelbrock intake, Holley carb, Comp Cams full kit, headers, etc. I mulled over the distributor for quite a while, and in the end I decided to just order a stock reman unit from RockAuto, and the Crane Cams advance re-curve kit from Jegs.
This thing was supposed to be kind of a budget build, so I've been struggling to keep the costs down...lol. My truck is going to see very little use, and when it does get used, it will just be cruising, never hauling anything more than it's own weight. I think a performance distributor would be overkill for what I'm doing, so I just stayed stock but will re-curve the advance for performance.
If I was going to step up from here, I was going to go with one of those custom curved Performance Distributors.
Ford Duraspark - Performance Distributors Performance Distributors
You'll have to select your engine in the drop-down box.
Otherwise, there are a lot of options. The Pertronix ones have come up in a lot of my searches...not for trucks necessarily, but on old cars.
I'm just going through the process of upgrading my '84 302, same as you are. GT40 heads, 4bbl Edelbrock intake, Holley carb, Comp Cams full kit, headers, etc. I mulled over the distributor for quite a while, and in the end I decided to just order a stock reman unit from RockAuto, and the Crane Cams advance re-curve kit from Jegs.
This thing was supposed to be kind of a budget build, so I've been struggling to keep the costs down...lol. My truck is going to see very little use, and when it does get used, it will just be cruising, never hauling anything more than it's own weight. I think a performance distributor would be overkill for what I'm doing, so I just stayed stock but will re-curve the advance for performance.
If I was going to step up from here, I was going to go with one of those custom curved Performance Distributors.
youve had quite the journey, even with the “what heads should I get”.
ok, so, it sounds like what I’ll do is just stick with the stock one and make sure it’s functioning 100%.
My wife and I needed a truck because we’re starting some home improvement projects. I’d sold my f350 a while ago after selling my big ocean fishing boat. We picked this one up to get materials from lowes and to make dump runs.
it won’t ever haul anything more than 600lbs of lumber in the bed, and that will be a 5 mile round trip.
i just wanted to wake this engine up a bit and get that good small block sound! Ya know, just like most dudes want lol.
i appreciate the input guys. I’ll inspect this one, the timing chain and either let it be or have it recurved.
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From: Fayetteville, NC
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: St Albert, Alberta
Fords are different. In the Ford the reluctor determines the total degrees of available much advance. The springs determine the curve or at what RPM total advance is achieved.
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Freshman User
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From: Fayetteville, NC
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,831
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From: St Albert, Alberta
Glad you did as my phone butchered it. The reluctor in Ford Distributors have a slot that determines the total number of degrees available for advance.
For example the 13 L slot would allow for 26° of advance movement. So if you had you engine set at 8° base timing and were using the 13L slot you would have a total advance of 34° . The vac advance is separate and not included in total advance.
The springs determine when the advance comes in generally on most performance motors you want total advance fully in by 2500rpm or so.
The Ford Distributors once set never go out of adjustment for total advance. Not something that can be said of Mopar or even some Delco units.
Many of the market performance ones are not as good as the factory Ford DS II dist. Reman and adjust the factory one install it and forget it only thing you have to do is lube the reluctor , and the pick plate up bushing with a couple drops of oil when you change the rotor and it will last as long as the motor.
For example the 13 L slot would allow for 26° of advance movement. So if you had you engine set at 8° base timing and were using the 13L slot you would have a total advance of 34° . The vac advance is separate and not included in total advance.
The springs determine when the advance comes in generally on most performance motors you want total advance fully in by 2500rpm or so.
The Ford Distributors once set never go out of adjustment for total advance. Not something that can be said of Mopar or even some Delco units.
Many of the market performance ones are not as good as the factory Ford DS II dist. Reman and adjust the factory one install it and forget it only thing you have to do is lube the reluctor , and the pick plate up bushing with a couple drops of oil when you change the rotor and it will last as long as the motor.
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From: Virginia
matthew is a smart guy,, but what is "easy" for him can be up for debate. In my opinion, while the Ford system and dist's are good, they are a royal pain to modifiy. You want to change the curve by messing with the weights and springs on a GM distributor? You just pull the rotor off and have at it. You want to do that with the Ford dist you have? You have to pull it from the engine and completely disassemble it to get to the springs and weights down inside the distributor.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
If you did want something a little simpler to re-curve, you could get something like this.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...rd/model/f-150
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...rd/model/f-150
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Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2018
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From: Fayetteville, NC
Glad you did as my phone butchered it. The reluctor in Ford Distributors have a slot that determines the total number of degrees available for advance.
For example the 13 L slot would allow for 26° of advance movement. So if you had you engine set at 8° base timing and were using the 13L slot you would have a total advance of 34° . The vac advance is separate and not included in total advance.
The springs determine when the advance comes in generally on most performance motors you want total advance fully in by 2500rpm or so.
The Ford Distributors once set never go out of adjustment for total advance. Not something that can be said of Mopar or even some Delco units.
Many of the market performance ones are not as good as the factory Ford DS II dist. Reman and adjust the factory one install it and forget it only thing you have to do is lube the reluctor , and the pick plate up bushing with a couple drops of oil when you change the rotor and it will last as long as the motor.
For example the 13 L slot would allow for 26° of advance movement. So if you had you engine set at 8° base timing and were using the 13L slot you would have a total advance of 34° . The vac advance is separate and not included in total advance.
The springs determine when the advance comes in generally on most performance motors you want total advance fully in by 2500rpm or so.
The Ford Distributors once set never go out of adjustment for total advance. Not something that can be said of Mopar or even some Delco units.
Many of the market performance ones are not as good as the factory Ford DS II dist. Reman and adjust the factory one install it and forget it only thing you have to do is lube the reluctor , and the pick plate up bushing with a couple drops of oil when you change the rotor and it will last as long as the motor.
that does make sense. That, in a round-a-bout way, is how older magnetos on recip aviation engines work. Weaker springs = max available advance at lower RPM and vice versa. It’s like having your baseline, then having the curve grade (steep or shallow) and rpm at which that’s max advance is available. After springs are out, that’s it.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,831
Likes: 121
From: St Albert, Alberta
If you did want something a little simpler to re-curve, you could get something like this.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...rd/model/f-150
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...rd/model/f-150
Yes and no the GM HEI's are far more of a PIA to actually dial in, and then they tend to change over time as things wear. Also lots of times it means modifying the cam plate, to get them right.
And you don't need to pull the dist to recurve it on any Ford but the Y block. It is a bit of a pain but it can be done.
And it will far out last and provide a more stable trigger signal than all the but the high quality high end aftermarket units. Many many racers have used the stock Ford DS dist and an MSD box over the years while their Mopar and GM counter parts had to go to after market units to equal the performance capabilities of the stock Ford Distributor. This is one of those rare times where you literally are stepping backwards in many cases in terms of performance and reliability going to an aftermarket unit.
There is a reason there has been very few after market DSII distrbutors made, it was because the stock was basically impossible to improve on.
Now we have a plethora of cheap HEI Ford distributors whose ONLY advantage is easy hook up. Otherwise they are step back in ALL other aspects.
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From: Fayetteville, NC
I’m telling you guys, if one auto manufacturer took what was best from each existing manufacturer, engineered that into one vehicle.... I think that’d be a big seller.
in reference to distributors, mopar vs Ford, firing orders etc.... all those things that when I work on a Ford I think, now why can’t mopar do this or, why can’t ford do like dodge does on their 318’s.....
Of course that might spark a philosophical debate on “what really is easier for everyone to work on”? I suppose for me it boils down to what I’m used to as I am, like most men, a creature of habit. 18 years in the military has only solidified that. Keep that in mind, gents, in the future as my opinions may be skewed because “ that’s the way “it” should be!” Lol
in reference to distributors, mopar vs Ford, firing orders etc.... all those things that when I work on a Ford I think, now why can’t mopar do this or, why can’t ford do like dodge does on their 318’s.....
Of course that might spark a philosophical debate on “what really is easier for everyone to work on”? I suppose for me it boils down to what I’m used to as I am, like most men, a creature of habit. 18 years in the military has only solidified that. Keep that in mind, gents, in the future as my opinions may be skewed because “ that’s the way “it” should be!” Lol
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Atlantic Canada
I'd be willing to put up with all of their shortcomings combined if they'd make the bodies and chassis out of stainless steel.
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Freshman User
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From: Fayetteville, NC