In what year did the fe's start coming with electronic ignition? I dont want to put points ignition back on the motor after it gets rebuilt so I will be looking for a new distributor. Also, how much of a pain is it to wire in electronic in a points truck? I am not the best with wireing so I am hopeing it will be strait forward....

 

just do a points conversion kit about 65.00 and a new hipo coil about 23.00 it is straight forward and easy www.summitracing.com

 

Electronic ignition started around 1974, my highboy didn't come with it, but I saw other '74's like the F150 with it.

When I swapped out from points, I used a '76 distributor, found a wiring harness in a junkyard truck, and bought a new module and coil. That was in the days before Pertronix kits came out

It's not hard to wire up a stock Duraspark system to an existing points system.

However, I would seriously look at a Pertronix kit (or others) that just bolt right into your existing distributor. That way, you don't have issues with vacuum or mechanical advance being different than your stock setup.

That is, if you're rebuilding to a stock setup. If it's modded in any way, you'll have to recurve the distributor anyway.

 

I would stay away from points and go to electronic. Electronic is much better and more reliable

 

I put the Pertronix electronic ignition set in my 67 F100 352 and the Pertronix Flame Thrower II coil as recommended by Pertronix. Just follow the directions and its easy. Mine started up first time

 

1976 was the first year for trucks I got all my stuff from auto zone so now I have a lifetime garrenty. after I returned the old point distro upside down in the box full of grease so they would not pull it and look at it, for the core deposit the dizzy and coil and control box was under $87 bucks

76 dist. Change over

From the ignition pack you have a black,purple,orange,green red white wire. Black,purple,orange go to the dist.
Green goes to the negative side of the coil
Red goes to the starter solenoid the one thats not used if your looking straight at it its the small threaded bolt on the right, it has power after the ignition is switched on!
White wire goes under the dash to any power source after the ignition is switch on.
Caution; the plus side of the coil is a power on wire after switch is turned on but that takes volts away from coil don't use this wire for the white wire!
I got every thing from auto zone for like $86.00 its all 1976 stuff and if you pay the deposit on the dist and then bring it back in the box with the gear up and all oily and they don't pull it out of the box you will get your deposit back. Also the new coil will have round spade instead of threaded bolts I just used crimp on spade connector here it works good!
If you can't get the correct plugs just use spade connectors and tape the hell out of them!
I mounted my ignition box on the pass. inner fender and ran the wires up the top of the engine to the firewall across and down to the box and solenoid then taped and used split plastic wire conduit.
I do advise bring he dist up to top dead center and marking the rotor You can use your old cap and wires and you will need to know if you need single or dual vacuum dist. probably single
Hope this helps
Bruce

 

Uh, no... '74 was the first year for trucks. Not ALL trucks, but it did appear in '74.

Maybe in '76 they ALL went electronic, but I'm sure '74 was the first year.

 

well then auto zone gave me bad info ,they said their books start in 76.

 

Wouldn't be the first time

 

Yup. My 74 F-100 4X4 has it. Well, had it. I removed it all and went MSD....

 

yep late 74 it started. i ditched mine and went with a points dizzy and a points conversion kit. i was sick and tired of the old system burning up modules.

 

Great Info!...lots of details...