New unilite distributor.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,600
Likes: 4
From: Iowa
New unilite distributor.
So I got my new Mallory Unilite distributor in the other day. Nice big package from Jegs.
But I had grass seed to start, so it had to wait 'till today.
I get it put in, everything connected correctly, and try to fire it up. Nothing. Check spark from coil. No spark from coil. Well rats. Recheck connections, recheck spark. Still nothing. After repeating this about 3 times, I called Jegs. We determined I got a bad distributor.
So this afternoon, off I go to Fed-Ex. Back it goes, exchange it for a new one. Hopefully this isn't a pattern forming. I got this thing so I wouldn't have to screw around with replacing points, and for the increased reliability. Having a bad one out of the box does not bode well..
So anyway, I'm bummed. Oh Captain, where are you? Oops, I'm out of Coke.
But I had grass seed to start, so it had to wait 'till today.
I get it put in, everything connected correctly, and try to fire it up. Nothing. Check spark from coil. No spark from coil. Well rats. Recheck connections, recheck spark. Still nothing. After repeating this about 3 times, I called Jegs. We determined I got a bad distributor.
So this afternoon, off I go to Fed-Ex. Back it goes, exchange it for a new one. Hopefully this isn't a pattern forming. I got this thing so I wouldn't have to screw around with replacing points, and for the increased reliability. Having a bad one out of the box does not bode well..
So anyway, I'm bummed. Oh Captain, where are you? Oops, I'm out of Coke.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,658
Likes: 4
From: "Islander"
Rusty, this must hurt when you want to play and the toys don't work. I've used MSD's and Pertronix's in the past, both failed, Mallory dizzies in the 70's, all three failed. With over 700,000 trouble free miles with Allison's, now Crane's XR 700 and a Crane XR 3000 with LX-91, 23,700 miles again without any problems. Reliability is Paramount. You might get lucky on the next Mallory dizzy?
Carl....=o&o>....
Carl....=o&o>....
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,600
Likes: 4
From: Iowa
Yeah, we'll see if the next one decides to work. If it doesn't, I'll get a refund and look for other options. Good thing Jegs has a one year warranty, if it goes bad within a year I'll get the refund. If it doesn't go bad within the year, it probably wont is my thinking.
I'm saving my pennies. I'd really like to try a MSD crank trigger, but for $310, I'll try this first. And that's just for the crank trigger. I'd still have to find a good distributor to distribute the spark. Also I'd want to use an MSD box in conjunction with my fuel injection computer so I can use that to control timing.
I'm saving my pennies. I'd really like to try a MSD crank trigger, but for $310, I'll try this first. And that's just for the crank trigger. I'd still have to find a good distributor to distribute the spark. Also I'd want to use an MSD box in conjunction with my fuel injection computer so I can use that to control timing.
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,658
Likes: 4
From: "Islander"
Rusty, MSD still has a bad taste in my mouth with it's failures, the crank trigger i'll admit is the best way to trigger any ignition. For a stock or mild street motor the Crane optical system is bullet proof, yes it costs more than a Pertronix's, some compare (complain). With failures in the past on the highway and little more money spent, Crane XR3000 vs "Pertronics, is nothing compared with the added aggravation. Keep us posted on your progress.
Carl....=o&o>....
Carl....=o&o>....
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 867
Likes: 0
From: Eastern Pa
Back in the era, that is the 70's when I worked in a speed shop I sold those Mallory's when they first came out. Never had any problems at all other than I think a bad lite unit. One word of advice though. They sell a surge protector for them cause they are fairly sensitive to voltage irregularities and that can fry the lite. Good insurance. We would put them on a scope to set up curves for people and unlike anything else we had seen at the time the flash for the cylinder firing was always perfect to 10,000 rpm.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
i have had them all fail except the crane systems they have been trouble free you shhould just convert to the crane cams xr-i system its a points conversion kit with built in rev limiter it was 70.00 i got tired of burnt points and bad mpg you will notice a jump in performance and startup and mpg
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Iowa
Well, I've already got this on order. If it doesn't work or I have to send it back, I'll definately go with the Crane system.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,771
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From: tujunga, calif
hey Rusty, your line about reliability cracks me up, you read so many posts on FTE, and what I have seen with freinds who go to electronics, you couldn't give me one....I've been running points in all my Fords, since I started driving in 1965 I have logged unkown thousands of miles on I6, Yblocks, small blocks, big blocks and have never had an ignition failure....guess I'm just old school
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,600
Likes: 4
From: Iowa
That used to be my theory, until I had points start burning out. It would work like this. I'd put a set in, and replace the condensor. Set dwell. Then it'd run good for about 2 months. After that, the mileage would start going down. Still sounded just fine though. After about 6 months, you'd start to notice a missfire. This was with Blue Streak points. Others would burn up even quicker. I just got sick of it. I want something that the mileage wont deteriorate, that it'll just keep working. All I've ever had to replace on my '92 explorer (ignition related) was plugs and plug wires, and even then not very often. And it's got 208,000 miles! WHAT GIVES? If that old pile (explorer) can have a good ignition system, you'd think the aftermarket would have been able to get something at least as good.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 80
From: tujunga, calif
Hey Rusty, I agree with you, my wife has a 91 escort GT, and a 90 tauras SHO and we have never touched the ignition systems, both have 160,000 on them...but my son put an aftermarket, don't remember which one, in his 66 mustang and I ended up driving a 100 miles into the desert with a set of points to rescue him, he changed it to the Pertronix but still carrys a set of points and condensor just in case...sorry you had so much trouble with your points, something is wrong for sure, maybe a bad resistor wire..I never have any trouble, I change them every 15,000 its only a 10 minute job...my wife says I'll never get my head out of the 60"s............LOL
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,893
Likes: 12
From: Ohio
That's the bad part about the electronic versions..........when they do fail........and they will.......it costs big time to fix them. The unilite is not cheap to replace. The MSD and stock type pickup coils are not bad. Usually a good idea to have on in the glove box!!
Short story: buddy loads racecar into trailer(late model Capri), gets to track rolls car out and it won't start....PERIOD. We manually fire the MSD(using white wire to ground) and it sparks. Car will not start though. Here to find the pickup coil took a dump and he had NO spare in trailer!! A one hour ride in trailer and it mysteriously goes awry. Had to make an hour trip for a $6 part(yes, he keeps a spare now).
I run points in everything BUT race car,only cause I found a tach drive Unilite cheap and ran it. I'm kinda old school, where a set of points will usually let you know that it's going kaput....where electronic leaves you in the desert with no warning
Short story: buddy loads racecar into trailer(late model Capri), gets to track rolls car out and it won't start....PERIOD. We manually fire the MSD(using white wire to ground) and it sparks. Car will not start though. Here to find the pickup coil took a dump and he had NO spare in trailer!! A one hour ride in trailer and it mysteriously goes awry. Had to make an hour trip for a $6 part(yes, he keeps a spare now).
I run points in everything BUT race car,only cause I found a tach drive Unilite cheap and ran it. I'm kinda old school, where a set of points will usually let you know that it's going kaput....where electronic leaves you in the desert with no warning