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I have seen some adds in our NCRS magazine for conversion of the dual points to solid state ( everything hides in under the distrubutor) any comments? thank you in advance.
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Re: Convert dual point to solid state
Hello Charn,
I do not have a stock distributor in my car (it's a Mallory), but I have replaced the dual point setup with a Pertronics Ignitor II and matching coil. I have been very please with the difference!
Walt -
Re: Convert dual point to solid state
Walt,
Was the Mallory unit in your car a dual point dist.? I have a dual point Mallory in my '65 that I have considered replacing. I was looking at a new MSD Pro Billet unit. But, A Pertronix unit may be almost as good and much cheaper. Do you have any info on the Pertronix and Mallory units you have.
Thanks
RyanComment
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Re: Convert dual point to solid state
Hello Ryan,
My distributor was an after market Mallory (model # 2664501 designed for a Corvette with tach drive, but no vacuum advance). I called Jeg's and gave them the model number. They sent me the appropriate Pertronix Ignitor II module and matching coil (cost about $140.00 for both).
The instructions were very clear and the installation was simple. I like it, it works great compared to points. I have no experience with the MSD units, so I can't draw a contrast.
Hope this helps,
WaltComment
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Caution on advertizing.....
There are a number of choices for Kettering to solid state ignition conversion. The lastest offering is the Breakerless SE system from MHD Fabrications that's in a number of Corvette catalogs. This is the single wire system that completely hides inside the distributor cap and doesn't require special wiring or removal of the distributor to install.
In boldface, this product advertizes "1957-1974 General Motors V8 Single and Dual Point Distributors". Then, when you get the unit and read further into the product description text the boldface is qualified:
"The Breakerless SE ignition kit is designed to convert GM V8 engines originally equipped with breaker points and windowed style distributor caps to solid-state electronic ignition."
The key operative is "windowed style distributor caps". Corvettes from this era used an '891' dual point Delco Remy distributor. The cap is NOT windowed and the centrifical advance mechanism is BELOW the breaker plate instead of above as later designed Delco Remy distributors feature (advance weights rotate in a plane ABOVE the points with a large screw-on rotor vs. a small slip-on rotor.
This unit (and other SS systems) mount their 'triggering' mechanism in the space between the breaker plate and the bottom of the rotor. The stock dual point Corvette distributor used on straight axle cars doesn't have adequate space or geometry provisions its slip-on rotor and the breaker plate to install the solid-state triggering tach device....
It takes the later style dual point distributor with large windowed cap and overhead centrifical advance mechanism to accept the kit. So, if the objective is to maintain an early Corvette's Delco Remy dual point distributor and simply convert it from Kettering to electronic ignition, it's probably not possible to have your cake and eat it too (stock factory concours look and modern technology performance).Comment
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Re: Convert dual point to solid state
Charn -
If you have the original GM dual-point distributor, Pertronix makes a special unit just for that application; it may not be in stock at the usual mail-order outlets or speed shops due to its low volume, but try the link below, call RetroRockets and talk to Carl Dudash - he'll fix you up.
RetroRocketsComment
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Re: Convert dual point to solid state
Walt,
Mine is a Mallory, Dual Point, and it does not have the vacuum advance either. Does the mallory unit have the part number stamped on it somewhere. It is also the tach drive.
Thanks for the response.
RyanComment
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Re: Convert dual point to solid state
Ryan,
I was fortunate to have the purchase receipt from the previous owner that installed the Mallory distributor. I did not check the distributor to see if there were any part numbers stamped on it, but if memory serves, when I ordered it (the Pertronix kit) from Jeg's, they didn't care about the part number. I'm pretty sure all of the Mallory dual point setups were similar enough that the Pertronix plate and module drop right in.
If Jeg's can't figure out specifically which one you need, I'd call Mallory (now a division of Holley) and talk to them. They should be able to tell you which model you have based on a description. They were very helpful to me as you will see in the next paragraph.
Since you have the Mallory distributor, you may want to pull the cover over the weights and springs, and make sure that there are no burr's or anything protruding down below it. I discovered that mine was not advancing all the way and filing the bottom of that plate as well as filing the screws flush with the nuts on the underside solved the problem. I could also see where the top if the weights was hitting on something. I'd have never known if not for the dial-back timing light my wife gave me for Christmas last year :-) This also helped me to figure out that I was getting 6 of the 24 total degrees of advance while at idle. My automatic idles at 1100 in park. Slowing the idle speed on the carb down while watching the timing revealed 6 degrees of timing I thought I was missing.
Something to note, in a full mechanical advance distributor (at least Mallory ones) the weight springs do not match. One will be tight and have a small amount of resistance, while the other is loose and has much more resistance. They said this is so that you get an initial shot of advance timing when you step on the gas and then the other spring catches and slows the rest of the advance down. This is suppose to compensate the missing vacuum advance can.
WaltComment
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Re: Caution on advertizing.....
Jack, what about the FI dual point distributer that DOES have windows? I had noticed that same "window disclaimer", but have never followed up to find out.Comment
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Re: Caution on advertizing.....
System doesn't care about alternator configuration (single vs. dual points), BUT it DOES make a presumption about distributor's internal geometry. Those early GM distributors that had shorty rotor/cap and centrifical advance BELOW the breaker plate present a geometry issue. While the ARE GM dual point distributors built AFTER 1957, there's no place to install the solid state ignition module's triggering mechanism that's intended to 'hang' from the bottom side of the overhead centrifical advance mechanism.Comment
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Re: Caution on advertizing.....
Jack -
The special Pertronix unit for the C1 (no window) Delco dual-point distributors doesn't use the magnet ring arrangement that attaches under the rotor on the later single-point distributors; it uses a molded sleeve with 8 magnets in it that drops over the distributor cam - works great! Most people aren't aware that this "special" Pertronix unit is even available - but it is.Comment
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Restorer Article
There was a great article in the Spring 2002 Restorer (vol 28, no 4) by Bill Sangrey about the Pertronix kit. Don H.Comment
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