Distributor and Ignition Info Thread

[Don65Stang]

I think the goal is to be able to use the ram air setup where the carb and Air cleaner housing cannot be raised since it already is touching the hood air plenum. In other words, it has to be a small cap distributor and be at the stock height so as to not be all up into the air cleaner housing.

 

[Tnfastbk]

YOu can run the MSD with ram air with a little work to the base

 

[Mister 4x4]

Thanks guys - this is a huge help!

Totalled: this is GREAT news. Like Don mentioned, my goal is to have a small (stock sized) cap to fit under the Ram Air air cleaner, yet a better set-up than the points. Are there specific part numbers I should look for by any chance (the small diameter body & cap)? I'm pretty sure I could pick them up at the local parts house if that's the case.

After dumping so much money into the Ram Air air cleaner (sometime in the near future), I'd really hate to hack and slash just to make it work.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Eric, your work is far from hack & slash...that's what the PO did to your car.

Appreciate the kind words, Don... but you might feel like retracting them if you saw what happened to my quarters today when I welded the top edge (it ain't pretty - I got some heat distortion 'waves' to deal with now... CRAP!!). It'll take some adjustment (they're not TOO bad), but I think I can get it all back in shape. :shy::shrug2:

 

[Tnfastbk]

Thanks guys - this is a huge help!

Totalled: this is GREAT news. Like Don mentioned, my goal is to have a small (stock sized) cap to fit under the Ram Air air cleaner, yet a better set-up than the points. Are there specific part numbers I should look for by any chance (the small diameter body & cap)? I'm pretty sure I could pick them up at the local parts house if that's the case.

After dumping so much money into the Ram Air air cleaner (sometime in the near future), I'd really hate to hack and slash just to make it work.

Understand was just giving you options, that you can make anything work with a little thought and ingenuity

 

[Mister 4x4]

Understand was just giving you options, that you can make anything work with a little thought and ingenuity

Trust me - I totally appreciate ALL of the feedback on these things I post. That's why I love being here with all this knowledge and experience to draw from. I guess with everything else I've got going on with mine right now, I'm looking for a simple solution that can be executed quickly and not have to be re-done later, since I'm hoping to hear this thing run by Memorial Day weekend. I would SO love to give the Hobby Shop management the finger while I'm loading up on the trailer under its own power.

 

[Totalled]

Cardone reman dist 351C/M/400/429/460.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/AAZ-30-2893

Stock replacement points cap and rotor.

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

I was bored and decided to take an old 429 air cleaner off a thunderbird and graft it to my offset air cleaner base, I mean it was just 102 here today. Lots of work to do to it still but the hood closes without interference

 

[Mister 4x4]

Well, Memorial Day has come and gone, and once again I've shifted my focus (as you've seen through the pictures and reports on the 'What have you done to your Mustang today' thread. I got wrapped up in getting the interior (firewall, mostly) taken care of so I don't have to mess with it later. :s

My plan now is to get the Classic Auto Air kit installed and run the wiring harness. Once the harness is in, then work on getting the engine fired up. Things are getting weird at the Auto Hobby Shop, and I've pretty much had enough of their crap... not to mention all the 'big stuff' is basically done now - I should be able to finish up at home.

I snagged the Cardone distributor from Summit that was recommended by Totalled, and researched the other parts I'll be going with (BWD Select DSII module and an actual conversion wiring harness from NPD).

When I get it running, I'll post up pics and outline what I had to do to get it there.

 

[Don65Stang]

Which MSD distributor will fit the 351C with a ram air filter housing? Just curious.

 

[Mister 4x4]

I remember asking the same thing awhile back, and wound up going with a Duraspark distributor.

I'm going to run this set-up:

Duraspark "Blue Grommet" ignition module (1981 F-15 w/351M) - O'Reilly P/N: CBE7P $35.99

NPD Duraspark conversion harness - NPD P/N: 14289-40A $113.95

Cardone distributor (thru Summit) - 100-302893 $63.95

Duraspark II cap & rotor (small cap to fit under Ram Air) Summit P/N: SUM-G5208 $14.95

Accel Super Coil - Summit P/N ACC-8140HV $53.95

The only "expensive" part was the National Parts Depot conversion harness, but it has the resistor wire and is a complete bolt-in/plug-in unit with the right plugs, sockets, etc. I also like the idea that you can pick-up pretty much everything from a local parts house because it's essentially the same stuff as you'll find on just about every Ford truck and 'big car' from the '70s through the early '90s (rather than wait for a mail-order MSD ignition box or distributor stuff).

This is pretty much the same set-up I have on the Jeep, without the harness (Jeep already had it), module (Jeep already had one) and distributor (Jeep already had that, too). Really woke up the Jeep's anemic 4.2L (factory 125hp) and I'm running Champions with the spark plug gaps at .055" - with no more 'rich' condition.

Here's the link I found talking about it from VMF: http://www.mustangsteve.com/conversion.html

 

[marks73]

Duraspark. Absolutely

 

[droptop73]

I love my duraspark MSD/Motorsports combination.

 

[cazsper]

I've always had good experiences with MSD and Accel. Is there anything wrong with them or just personal preference?

 

[Totalled]

If you ran solely duraspark, the tach runs by current demand. So, hooking it to the + side of a DS coil would be like using it for points.

 

[1971mach1]

If you just don't want points and your current distrib is good, just put in a Pertronix I kit.

It couldn't be any simpler. It's been running flawless for 5 years in my car.

 

[coilwire]

Is anyone running a stock distributor system. My 6AL box took a dump and I have the car at school to pull the engine and trans for rebuild. The instructor wants me to have the engine running before I take it out. It has been almost 10 years since I replaced the stock dist. and the wiring harness is a mess. Plus I suffer form CRS (lol). If you have some pics PM me and I will send you my e-mail adress.

Thanks

Jim

 

[Wolverine]

Go to DATA and you will see several listings for wiring diagrams.

Here, there is a Pertronix wiring diagram:

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-pertronix-wiring-diagram-for-tach-equipped-fords?pid=93567&highlight=pertronix#pid93567

And lastly, I was going to acquire a 351C distributor from another forum member, but if you need it, you can send him a UPS/FEDEX label on your dime and he will ship it to you.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Now would be a perfect time to swap to a Duraspark system. Since you already enjoy electronic ignition, this would be a cheap(er) way to replace the ignition/distributor than going with the 6AL set-up. All the parts can be had from a local parts house as well - save the 'plug-in' harness, which comes from NPD.

Pros: stock looking dizzy (fits with Ram-Air) and Ford ignition system that is easily repairable/replaceable should the need arise.

Cons: will still run over $200 (but if anything electrical craps out, it's cheaper to replace than MSD)

Look for '1981 F-150 V8 - 351 Modified' if searching somewhere other than O'Reilly Auto Parts. I got my dizzy from Summit Racing for $64, and the cap & rotor were separate for around $15.

Harness from NPD ($113.95): http://www.npdlink.com/store/products/mustang_conversion_harness_dura_spark_ignition_makes_converting_to_the_reliable_dura_spark_components_easy_by_taking_the_mystery_of_proper_wiring_away_all_connectors_are_ford_spec-144692-435.html

O'Reilly Auto Parts:

Coil ($19.99): http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/MPI0/25190/02767.oap?year=1981&make=Ford&model=F-150&vi=1121229&ck=Search_C2377_1121229_1613&pt=C2377&ppt=C0334

Distributor + cap & rotor ($80.99): http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/RPT0/FD03/02780.oap?year=1981&make=Ford&model=F-150&vi=1121229&ck=Search_02780_1121229_1613&pt=02780&ppt=C0334

-OR-

Summit Racing P/Ns:

Cardone Industries 100-302893 (distributor)

Duraspark II cap & rotor (SUM-G5208)

The wiring diagram is:

http://www.mustangsteve.com/conversion.html

http://catresto.ieasysite.com/duraspark.htm

 

[Totalled]

Stock, as in points? wire from the dist goes to the neg side of the coil, key on to the positive side. (yes it should be less than 12v with points, but if his wiring is messed up, it will run on battery voltage for a bit.)