Distributor preferences

[mechanic350]

ok so I'm pretty sure i need to get a new distributor. I've been looking at both MSD and Mallory Dist. specifically the MSD pro billet Dist kit with Digital 6al ignition control and the Mallory Max fire Dist. what are your thoughts on these or others out there?

[IIGW]

What motor do you have, as in, is it a 900hp alky motor? If no, then the digital box is really just a cool lookin part..
The stock GM HEI is good to 7k, and with blueprinting it will spin higher than your motor can.
The MSD units are nice looking, so it really is up to you, 100 bucks or 800 bucks.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by mechanic350

ok so I'm pretty sure i need to get a new distributor. I've been looking at both MSD and Mallory Dist. specifically the MSD pro billet Dist kit with Digital 6al ignition control and the Mallory Max fire Dist. what are your thoughts on these or others out there?

Agree with IIGW, unless you are over 400HP I don't think you need the 6AL ignition. I do however love the MSD pro billet 8365 due to it's adjustability in the mechanical advance area. It comes with different bushings to set advance to specified limits in total degrees and spring combinations with specified RPM numbers, and that simplifies tuning to the nth degree.

Blueprinting a stock style HEI is a little time consuming and getting the advance weight/spring combination is tricky, or you can spend the money and get it curved at a speed shot, but still unless you run it on a dyno you don't know if the curve is right. With the MSD 8365 each set-up it comes with has it's degree and RPM specs so you will likely get it right the first, second, and worst case scenario the third time you take the cap off and switch out bushings or springs. So you will save on headaches with the tune-ability. BTW, I did my stock HEI the hard way (was worth it in performance and fuel economy), and it works great, but if I had it to do over I'd get the MSD pro billet.

Simply put, voltage above what a stock HEI puts out (up to 400+HP) will not boost your performance enough to notice, however, a properly tuned distributor will make a huge difference in a performance engine with a factory style distributor curve, plus the pro billet has a module and coil setup that produces 100 millijoules of energy across the plug gaps.

Only thing, I don't think the MSD comes with an adjustable vacuum pod (can't find anything that says is does or doesn't), and I'm not sure if the aftermarket ones for the HEI's fit the MSD HEI. I suppose you could contact MSD on that if you are concerned with cruise fuel economy tweaking. If it turns out the stock style fits, Summit racing has several units; I like the Crane one that comes with a limit bushing with several steps on it.

[72BOWTIE4X]

DUI Distributors....very reliable & all in 1 unit. Run 1 in my 400hp K-10 & 600hp jet boat.....Great tech help & high quality.... Ck em' out..... Performancedistributors.com

[D.PASSMORE]

Originally Posted by 72BOWTIE4X

DUI Distributors....very reliable & all in 1 unit. Run 1 in my 400hp K-10 & 600hp jet boat.....Great tech help & high quality.... Ck em' out..... Performancedistributors.com

X2 - I run the small distributor on all my motors. Plus designed and put together in Tennessee!

[burnin oil]

Nothing wrong with a HEI that has been hoped up. When mine couldn't keep up I used it as a mag trigger for the programable 6AL box. I went from fouled plugs in days to new looking plugs after a month. Keep things simple and run a HEI untill it wont meet the engine demands any more. This rule really applies if you travel. Make sure that you save all the dizzy guts and put them in the glove box. HEI parts are easy to get if you loose an ignition on the road.

[dfrank]

I prefer the MSD pro billet distributors with a msd 6al-2 box. If you don't want to spend that much money they have a ready to run unit that all you need is a coil and not a box. It has the box built into it and has adjustable bushings and springs for mechanical advance and has a built in rev limiter. It only cost around $350 for that setup.
Distributor- http://m.summitracing.com/parts/msd-8360
Coil- http://m.summitracing.com/parts/msd-8202

[dfrank]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

Agree with IIGW, unless you are over 400HP I don't think you need the 6AL ignition. I do however love the MSD pro billet 8365 due to it's adjustability in the mechanical advance area. It comes with different bushings to set advance to specified limits in total degrees and spring combinations with specified RPM numbers, and that simplifies tuning to the nth degree.

Blueprinting a stock style HEI is a little time consuming and getting the advance weight/spring combination is tricky, or you can spend the money and get it curved at a speed shot, but still unless you run it on a dyno you don't know if the curve is right. With the MSD 8365 each set-up it comes with has it's degree and RPM specs so you will likely get it right the first, second, and worst case scenario the third time you take the cap off and switch out bushings or springs. So you will save on headaches with the tune-ability. BTW, I did my stock HEI the hard way (was worth it in performance and fuel economy), and it works great, but if I had it to do over I'd get the MSD pro billet.

Simply put, voltage above what a stock HEI puts out (up to 400+HP) will not boost your performance enough to notice, however, a properly tuned distributor will make a huge difference in a performance engine with a factory style distributor curve, plus the pro billet has a module and coil setup that produces 100 millijoules of energy across the plug gaps.

Only thing, I don't think the MSD comes with an adjustable vacuum pod (can't find anything that says is does or doesn't), and I'm not sure if the aftermarket ones for the HEI's fit the MSD HEI. I suppose you could contact MSD on that if you are concerned with cruise fuel economy tweaking. If it turns out the stock style fits, Summit racing has several units; I like the Crane one that comes with a limit bushing with several steps on it.

You can get a MSD pro billet with or without vaccum advance canister. I chose without on mine.

[mechanic350]

Wel to answer the question I have a 350 with a 4 bolt Main that has a few ad dons done already. Thanks for all the feedback it really helps. She's not putting a lot of hp down right now but I'll be doing a rebuild and hoping to pull 450+ hp out of it and want to get something that will be good for that too

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by mechanic350

Wel to answer the question I have a 350 with a 4 bolt Main that has a few ad dons done already. Thanks for all the feedback it really helps. She's not putting a lot of hp down right now but I'll be doing a rebuild and hoping to pull 450+ hp out of it and want to get something that will be good for that too

Looking at your build thread, I made a comment on your hand. Hope it healed up well.

[lha1992]

I wouldn't touch that MSD distributor or 6AL digital box with a 100ft pole. A buddy of mine is running the more fancy digital box on his built up camaro an has gone through 3 that's right 3 boxes. Wiring has been checked an checked an checked an its a flaw in the boxes themselves. An now the distributor gave up an he ended up putting a regular old HEI in. I suggest getting a nice Mallory distributor.

[dfrank]

Originally Posted by lha1992

I wouldn't touch that MSD distributor or 6AL digital box with a 100ft pole. A buddy of mine is running the more fancy digital box on his built up camaro an has gone through 3 that's right 3 boxes. Wiring has been checked an checked an checked an its a flaw in the boxes themselves. An now the distributor gave up an he ended up putting a regular old HEI in. I suggest getting a nice Mallory distributor.

Haven't had a problem with my 6al-2 digital box.

[dfrank]

Originally Posted by mechanic350

Wel to answer the question I have a 350 with a 4 bolt Main that has a few ad dons done already. Thanks for all the feedback it really helps. She's not putting a lot of hp down right now but I'll be doing a rebuild and hoping to pull 450+ hp out of it and want to get something that will be good for that too

Good luck getting 450hp out of a 350 without a turbo or blower. You would need a 383 stroker at least to make those numbers unless you spend over $10,000. Once I swap cam and heads in my 383 stroker it should put the numbers around 500hp/540tq from 450hp/470tq with the heads and cam that are now in it. Thats on the dyno. Once that is done it will bump my total cost of this motor to around $8500-$9000. Ya I know you can get a blueprint or whatever for $3500 with 450hp but just ask yourself how long you think those motors will last with a cheap chinese cast bottom end. If you want it to make those numbers and have the motor last then you are going to be spending a bunch of $$$$. Ask me how I know.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by dfrank

You can get a MSD pro billet with or without vaccum advance canister. I chose without on mine.

What possible advantage could there be to deleting vacuum advance on a car that's not full race (ie: doesn't just have to flash the converter and go)?

As for what distributor, if you don't want the big 6AL box I recommend a Pertronix module. It should handle anything with street compression and no blower. Maybe even those, for all I know.

Stock bodied distributor plus a Pertronix II (or III but I've had tach issues with the III) should be all the spark you'll ever need for 99% of engines. And its multi-spark too, which should improve idle a little.

Then again, if multi-spark was worth anything, why don't the OEMs use it? Or do they?

Did ya know that the LT5 fires two plugs at once in different cylinders? Now you do.

[dfrank]

Originally Posted by davepl

What possible advantage could there be to deleting vacuum advance on a car that's not full race (ie: doesn't just have to flash the converter and go)?

As for what distributor, if you don't want the big 6AL box I recommend a Pertronix module. It should handle anything with street compression and no blower. Maybe even those, for all I know.

Stock bodied distributor plus a Pertronix II (or III but I've had tach issues with the III) should be all the spark you'll ever need for 99% of engines. And its multi-spark too, which should improve idle a little.

Then again, if multi-spark was worth anything, why don't the OEMs use it? Or do they?

Did ya know that the LT5 fires two plugs at once in different cylinders? Now you do.

I didn't need vaccum advance. Inital timing is 18° btdc and total timing is 36° btdc all in by 2600 rpm. I get no bog or hesitations of any kind due to proper timing and a properly set carb. The main reason I choose no vaccum advance though is because I think it looks like **** in the engine bay and it is a show truck/ drive when it's nice out truck so I didn't care about mpg.

[imjeff]

The stock HEI will work just fine.

[IIGW]

Originally Posted by dfrank

Good luck getting 450hp out of a 350 without a turbo or blower. ..... unless you spend over $10,000. .

you have no clue what you are talking about with this statement

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by mechanic350

Wel to answer the question I have a 350 with a 4 bolt Main that has a few ad dons done already. Thanks for all the feedback it really helps. She's not putting a lot of hp down right now but I'll be doing a rebuild and hoping to pull 450+ hp out of it and want to get something that will be good for that too

Well if you want 450+ hp out of a 350, even if you stroke it to 383, you need to go another route. This route. $6787.99

http://www.jegs.com/i/Chevrolet+Perf...01358/10002/-1

Plus this controller $1141.99

http://www.jegs.com/i/Chevrolet-Perf...58267/10002/-1

Any gen I SBC built to 450+ HP that is as reliable and drive-able as this one, well, it will cost more because it will need stealth ram style fuel injection and lots of expensive hard parts and custom EFI controllers and tuning. Example: for $12, 220.99, you can get 440 HP.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/350/...RyUhoC2bDw_wcB

Anything cheaper, no drive-ability, and no reliability. I know, you can buy craigslist 450hp 350s all day long. You get what you pay for. Go LS if you want that level of power.

[dfrank]

Originally Posted by IIGW

you have no clue what you are talking about with this statement

Please explain.

[IIGW]

400-450 hp is easily obtainable with 9:1 good heads, cam, intake..

edelbrock makes a top end kit for around 2400 shipped to your door. if your rings are good, its a bolt on thing.

10k (as you posted) in a sbc you better be making upwards of 1000+ hp

[imjeff]

"450 hp easily attainable" out if a 350? I'm not from Missouri, but I have two words...show me.

Jeff

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by imjeff

"450 hp easily attainable" out if a 350? I'm not from Missouri, but I have two words...show me.

Jeff

X2. Yeah, I'm originally from Missouri.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by IIGW

400-450 hp is easily obtainable with 9:1 good heads, cam, intake..

edelbrock makes a top end kit for around 2400 shipped to your door. if your rings are good, its a bolt on thing.

10k (as you posted) in a sbc you better be making upwards of 1000+ hp

According to Edelbrock, the flat tappet set-up makes 410HP, and the hydraulic roller makes 435HP.

You have to provide a 9.5:1 compression bottom end for either one, and it has to be worthy of holding up to 410 or 435HP. That means a steel crank, hypereutectic pistons, powdered metal rods, and a 4 bolt main. No, not just "good rings", not unless you don't mind blowing it up.

For the roller cam set-ups, you either provide a ZZ4 bottom end or a flat-top bottom end. Plus for the flat tappet one you buy the retro style roller lifters and those are several hundred dollars by themselves.

Then, there is the dist (you are going to have to get a good one in order to adjust the curve, like a 350.00$ MSD), carb (400-450.00$), rocker arms, pushrods, timing set, etc.

Those kits are based on an optimum dyno tests with hours of tweaking and all the best parts, so you would have to add the dyno-tuning. Yeah, you have to take the engine to a dyno tuner and pay the man, and that don't come cheap.

No, you don't just bolt it on and expect to get that kind of power. There are things called "air/fuel mixtures", and "timing curves". And even if you do everything right, you can only make that kind of power while it's on the dyno stand and even then....

you come up 15 HP short of 450.

It adds up fast. No, it's not just "good rings".

[dfrank]

Originally Posted by IIGW

400-450 hp is easily obtainable with 9:1 good heads, cam, intake..

edelbrock makes a top end kit for around 2400 shipped to your door. if your rings are good, its a bolt on thing.

10k (as you posted) in a sbc you better be making upwards of 1000+ hp

As others have said it's not as simple and cheap as you think when it comes to bolt on power. There is a lot more involved.

[DreamRyder1963]

I am running a MSD HEI ready to run dizzy and 6a box in my 71. The box made a noticeable difference in low end torque, life of plugs, and driviablity. I have and the box for over a year on this truck and I drive it 60+ miles a day. I don't understand these people that say they are unreliable.