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Points to EI...but which type?

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Old Apr 18, 2006 | 10:25 PM
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hunter1897
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From: Da UP, eh!
Points to EI...but which type?

I want to update my '71 Bronco 302 from points to some sort of EI. My question is, which is the best upgrade:

a) Pertronix type upgrade using existing distributor
b) Duraspark upgrade
c) HEI

I guess I should also state that my current 302 is flat tappet, but I'm going to be dropping in a re-built roller tappet 5.0 next year, so whatever I do now I'd like to try to keep for the new engine. I'm guessing I'll have to have 2 different gears on the dizzy for the 2 different engines no matter what.
 
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 09:42 AM
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From: texas,earth
my vote would be for the duraspark II. Painless has the harness you need for the conversion. Just remember, when you change to the roller cam, you will need to change the distributor gear as well. When you do this, make sure you have a "parts" distributor around...just in case...............


don't ask
 
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 12:56 PM
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Thanks for the input Fitz...but can you tell me WHY you voted that way? Right now, my only reasons to choose one over the other is price (lowest wins), availability (need to do it in the next week or so), and ease of installation.

What I'm trying to learn about is why one would be better than the other. It would seem to me that the Pertronix type or the HEI are the easiest and most fool-proof in terms of getting the right parts. But, if there is a reason to use one over the other in terms of reliability, etc., I'll consider that as well. I'm not concerned about stock looking, so the DSII and HEI both are fine with me, but I like the idea of the HEI in order to reduce number of wires.
 
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Old Apr 19, 2006 | 03:18 PM
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From: texas,earth
Sure.....silly me, i build my stuff to drive. Believe it or not, Ford spent millions of dollars designing & engineering the dII system, who am i to try to improve on that Parts are readily available, cheap for the most part, buy a quality module (Motorcraft, Napa, Borg Warner), and wire it up. The system is easy enough to diagnose, if anything does fail, and most parts stores stock the stuff you would need if anything does break. With an aftermarket ignition...if it breaks, it's a crapshoot...trust me on that one.
 
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Old Apr 20, 2006 | 07:03 AM
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Thanks. You make a good point there about parts availability.
 
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