I have checked out the archives and the links that have been posted on this subject and have one question. I'm going to order a rebuilt distributor for the conversion and was wondering what year would get me the best set up of advance springs for my motor. I have a rebuilt 360, bored to 390 with a mild cam and a factory four barrel intake and carb. I have never played with advance springs. What's the deal? I have always just dropped in the distributor and left it at that. Is it worth the trouble? Thanks for the help.
Craig in Alaska

 

get an Accel "Blueprint Series" distributor. It is a rebuilt Ford unit and it comes with different sets of springs and wieghts to tailor it to your style of driving. They usually costs less than a regular rebuilt distributor. I have an Accel and wished I had installed it years before. Check Summit or Jeg's for a price.

 

You do mean 'stroked' to 390 not bored to 390 don't you? I don't think a 360 could bore out to 390 and the stock 360 and 390 have the same bore, different stroke.
Anyway, I took a stock junkyard setup and gave it to a pro shop to be re-curved. They re-curve as a speciality. It is worthwhile in that you'll get more power and effiency from the same motor. The cost was only $70 and the dist only cost $10 from the junk yard. This included install of my Pertronix electronic conversion kit. You might also consider the cap-a-dapt kit from Ford, or just buy a large HEI cap with base (it'll fit). This helps with crossfire.

 

while we're sort of on the topic...how do these distributor advance springs affect the engine?

i pulled a distributor from a junkyard 390, to convert over from points to electronic (getting ready to do the duraspark upgrade on my '68)

when i took the distributor apart, there were two different-sized springs on it. should i use the springs that are on my current distributor, or use the ones from the scrapyard, or just get new ones?

thanks,
sam

 

>You do mean 'stroked' to 390
>not bored to 390 don't
>you? I don't think
>a 360 could bore out
>to 390 and the stock
>360 and 390 have the
>same bore, different stroke.
I bought the truck with a rebuilt enging and knowing that the strokes were different asked the original owner about the rebuild. He said it had the original 360 crank and rods but was bored over to 390. I'm not to sure how thin my cylinder walls are.
Craig in Alaska

 

time for a stupid question...

did the 360 ever come with a factory 4-barrel manifold and carb?
if so, does that mean that it's a 'car 360'? i knew there were 4bbl 390's in cars, but didn't think they'd done the same thing with the 360.

 

rusty,

The 360 was a truck only engine and offered only with a 2bbl.

'71,

You can't bore the block enough to get up to 390 CI with a 3.5" stroke. Even if you go 0.090" over you still come up short.

 

>'71,
>
>You can't bore the block enough
>to get up to 390
>CI with a 3.5" stroke.
>Even if you go 0.090"
>over you still come up
>short.
So I must have a 360 bored to 365 or so. It runs well except for the ignition problem. I'm going through points every 750 miles or so. Time for a conversion.
Craig in Alaska

 

If you're burning points, I'd check for proper voltage when you do the conversion. I bought the entire Pertronix setup including their coil, just because I didn't want to play with a ballist resistor or resistor wire. New points every 750 miles, somethings wrong with that!

 

>I
>bought the entire Pertronix setup
>including their coil, just because
>I didn't want to play
>with a ballist resistor or
>resistor wire. New points
>every 750 miles, somethings wrong
>with that!
That the plan. I'm going with the duraspark ford system as I have most of the parts on hand. New distributer, coil and control box should fix it right?

 

I think it's a straight cross-over. Theres a tech article on this too. The only bad thing I've heard is the cold weather problems with the box itself.

 

guys-

any help on how these advance springs work?

 

Just finnished the conversion. Took all of 45 min. The old Beast is idaling and waiting for a test run. Cold weather is a factor up here so I'll carry a second box to back it up. Thank you all for the info and the posts with links to the wiring diagram. It made it easy as silk.
Craig in Alaska

 

Advance springs:
I just took mine in and had it professionally curved for my setup. (I'm going by 8 month old memery here, so I might be wrong) The guy told me they have two different springs on the stock unit. The important thing here is when they start to kick in and when they stop kicking in. You'll need to remove the vac line a plug it first. Check the timming at idle this assumes the springs have SOME tension at rest, just see if they are not sitting loose. Check the timming at idle and then go up about 500 RPM at a time and record the timming. Check for MAX timming and when that happens. Most say max timming should be at 2500~3000 and should be about 30-40 on most apps. Heavy tow or high CR, hot weather, freeway gears..., may want less timming, free revving light weight may want more timming. There are limiters in the dist, I don't remember which style but I think its a stamped piece with a oblong hole.

here's what other have posted:
i worked this curve out on the car, using a ford distributor converted to electronic ignition. this is easy to do if you have a clean, painted damper that is degree'd at least to 40 deg btdc. this is the centrifical curve only, expressed in engine rpm and engine degrees.

engine rpm engine degrees
750 0
1000 0
1250 3
1500 6
1750 9
2000 13
2250 16
2500 20
2750 24
3000 26 total

this is the centrifical advance curve in the distributor. i run 12 inital timing, so add 12 to all values shown above to get total timing.


Hope this clears something up...

 

I have a Mallory "Unilite" electronic ignition (vac advance)that I installed on my slightly modified 1967 352 about 12 years ago. I have been very happy with this system and only had to replace the module in the distributor once, and this was due to not using a ballast resistor on the original install. This unit is very easy to install as it is all self contained in the distributor- no circuit box! The advance curve can be altered easily with a plastic key (included) so you can try different settings without the hassle of changing springs. This is a good product that can be installed in one afternoon.