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Old Aug 29, 2005 | 10:27 AM
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Question distributor ???'s

I am building a pretty powerful pull truck motor and am wondering if I should get a new distributor. I have vacuum advance right now and am wondering if I would be better off going with a new one with mechanical advance. I do not know a whole lot about distributors. Thanks
 
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Old Aug 29, 2005 | 02:29 PM
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By pull to you mean sled pulls like tractor pulling or towing. For towing the vacuum unit will help gas mileage. For a pulling motor get a really good after market unit without vacuum advance. You are building a race motor in that case and vacuum advance is a gas mileage increasing system, which is irrelevant for that purpose.
 
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Old Aug 29, 2005 | 05:21 PM
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and maybe being a race type motor, it would have less vacuum and be bad for a vacuum advance type distributor. I am deffinately not worried about mileage.
 
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Old Aug 29, 2005 | 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Powergod
and maybe being a race type motor, it would have less vacuum and be bad for a vacuum advance type distributor. I am deffinately not worried about mileage.
Vacuum advance only works at light throttle settings, like cruise speeds. So on a race motor it is never be functioning because you never run a race motor there.
 
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Old Aug 31, 2005 | 05:39 AM
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So for street, woods, some Chevy pulling, etc. I'd want a vacuum advance? Where would I get the vacuum from? Just unplug one of the holes on my Edelbrock Performer and put a vacuum tree thing there? Thanks, Austynn.

P.S. Sorry for hijacking your thread, but it looked like you learned what you wanted.
 
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Old Aug 31, 2005 | 11:12 AM
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Never run manifold vacuum to the dist. advance module. There is a "ported vacuum" port on the carburator which gives you zero vacuum at idle (no advance) and as you open the trottle the vacuum is control by how far the throttles are open and how hard the engine is working. Manifold vacuum gives you full vacuum advance at idle (bad in itself) and when you crack the throttle the vacuum drops and then comes back in (also not good). The vacuum port on Holley carbs is on the right (passenger) side of the carb between the float bowl and the carb body. My memory fails me on the Edelbrock as whether it it the right or left hand port.
 
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Old Aug 31, 2005 | 01:33 PM
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for the pulling motor I would get an MSD unit, but whatever you do stay away from a mallory unilite the little light modulales don't like vibrations at all, and cost about $95 to replace, and for any type of offroad vehicle they are not a good option. I run an MSD on my race engine in my truck and have had the same dist for the last couple of years, and have never touched
 
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Old Sep 1, 2005 | 09:25 AM
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so after all of this, would a mechanical advance distributor actually help power numbers on a high horse power motor compared to a vacuum advance? I will be getting the MSD distributor, but just curious. Thanks
 
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Old Sep 1, 2005 | 12:21 PM
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Probably not, but only a dyno will tell the difference.
 
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