Aftermarket distributor choices..

boxerdog

boxerdog

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
Well, being as we are on the subject of distributors, has anyone looked inside their (any model) MSD distributors lately after they have been in use for a while? Are they completely rusty POS? Several other forums have been discussing this, and the fact that most of the components in the top of the distributor are not plated and very prone to rusting quickly. I've seen it unexpectedly on a couple I have that have been in use less than a year and not in damp conditions at all. Pretty disappointing. Also, the newer Chinese Digital 6AL boxes seem to fail much more frequently than the originals from a few years back, which were not Chinese. I know of 3 in a fairly small group that I hang around with.
 
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rsavage

rsavage

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
Lectric Limited has a breakerless conversion kit if you have a distributor. More simple that pertronix. I have used the pertronix ignitor I and Ignitor II units before and have not had any problems but my classic cars have had limited use. I am going to try the Lectric Limited unit in the 409 dual point distributor.
 
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Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
I've used the I's and 2's in daily drivers with zero problems,never tried the 3's.I usually ran them as a trigger for my MSD-6AL[early type as this unit is about 20 years old] and would again in a heart beat.I've got a brand new 6al digital setting here.
 
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Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
rsavage said:
Lectric Limited has a breakerless conversion kit if you have a distributor. More simple that pertronix. I have used the pertronix ignitor I and Ignitor II units before and have not had any problems but my classic cars have had limited use. I am going to try the Lectric Limited unit in the 409 dual point distributor.
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I just looked up that unit,impressive to say the least.
 
rstreet

rstreet

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 17
boxerdog said:
Tires I don't know, it seems like it's a crap shoot at best. The last set I bought was Michelin. I would have thought the Goodyears were top-tier but so many of the American brand names are manufacturing elsewhere. You almost have to look it up every time you are ready to buy a set. I guess there is a code on the tires, or very fine print in some cases. That's a tough market, and trailer tires take a lot of abuse.
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each tire has to have the country of manufacture on the sidewall and you are correct there are manufacturers plant codes to determine plant source. There is also allot of private branding of tires. Bob could contact an agent and buy a couple containers of tires branded as “Bargin Bob’”.
Goodyear used to make the marathon trailer tires in Ohio I believe but several years ago started sourcing China and the term “China Bombs” started as referred to tires.
Yes, trailer tires and truck tires get rough use but I am good about pressures and loading but... two things about trailer tires those Goodyear’s and their Chinese cousins do not last more than 4 years regardless of miles. Mine that I blew up were on 4th year. Also that series of trailer tire has a 68MPH rating. I didn’t know that and used to tow at speeds far exceeding that. I now am a reformed trailer tower. The newer design tires are rated at 85 I think and are built different and appear to have a 6 year life. I am now seeing made in China versions of the new design and they don’t appear to be blowing up like previously. Time will tell as more are in use
Robert
 
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heddrik

Well Known Member
I need to look up my distributor number and see if it's a dual point, don't think so but we ll see. Thank you for all the input gentlemen.
 
Iowa 409 Guy

Iowa 409 Guy

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
boxerdog said:
Well, being as we are on the subject of distributors, has anyone looked inside their (any model) MSD distributors lately after they have been in use for a while? Are they completely rusty POS? Several other forums have been discussing this, and the fact that most of the components in the top of the distributor are not plated and very prone to rusting quickly. I've seen it unexpectedly on a couple I have that have been in use less than a year and not in damp conditions at all. Pretty disappointing. Also, the newer Chinese Digital 6AL boxes seem to fail much more frequently than the originals from a few years back, which were not Chinese. I know of 3 in a fairly small group that I hang around with.
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Going on 10 years....looking good.
 
425/409ER

425/409ER

Well Known Member
When I put my Son's 409 together for him he bought the china MSD knock off, while it ran ok it did have a slight miss so we took it out and put in his brand new MSD ready to run distributor and guess what? it sputtered and farted and would not run, nothing. So I was going to put a points one in but I had a SBC ready to run and like the good dad that I am I sacrificed mine and put the guts in his 409 dizzy. Has run perfect ever since. If it goes to hell again I will toss that stupid module and run it on a 6AL.
 
4speedman

4speedman

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I have a 6al and trigger it with a single point vacumn advance original distrubutor and it works good i do have a set of points that are the hi perf kind with the stiffer spring. The 409 coupe i am putting together will have the same setup
 
matt59

matt59

Active Member
Need some help I hooked up my jump box wrong what did i burn out?
348 with a pertronix 3 ignition won't start.
I pulled a spark plug and checked it for spark it has spark. Whats should i check next?
I replaced the battery
 
DonSSDD

DonSSDD

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Need more detail. Did it run good before? Or is it a new startup and you may have your timing off?

What did you change since then if it ran good?

Does it have 12 volts to the coil with the key in the on position?

what do you have for a distributor and coil? What are you calling a jump box?
 
63409impala

63409impala

Well Known Member
I use the pertronix 3 billet distributor with rev limiter. Love it! I also have a pertronix billet distributor with the 2 module in it forsale, as well as a stock 409 distributor with a regular pertronix conversion in it.
 
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