Anyone Running a Mallory Dual Point?

I've been toying with the idea of throwing a mallory dual point distributor in my '48 8BA. It's currently a 6-volt and I'd like to keep it that way for a while. It starts up and runs fine now with the stock ignition, but I'm wondering just how much my life would improve with a dual point if at all. I plan on installing headers and running 2 Holley 94s on a regular dual intake over the summer. Any opinions?

 

I've used Ford, Mallory and Accel dual points in the past. In all honesty, they worked, but no better and no worse than stock. On the strip, maybe it would be different, but on the street, any points ignition seems about the same.

 

If it's an 8BA, you'll definitely want to replace the stock distributor when you go to dual carbs. The all vacuum stock unit won't work properly.

 

I've been running a Mallory dual point in my flatty for about 7 years and haven't even adjusted it more than a few times since I installed it........motor runs great at all speeds.......(mechanical advance)...I am quite happy with it...

CB

 

I'm running the newer Mallory dual point distributors on two of my cars, which both have 8BA's. They seem to work well, but only after you change the condenser. Both of mine had condenser failure after a short time. I would like to change them both and use the electronic type, the ones that are all self contained, when I get rich. pigpen

This is the electronic version. $399.99 Extra for the gear and coil.

 

If you do it, do it for the cool factor or the multiple carb factor as Heathen said. There will be no WOW experience. Originals are pretty pricey now a days. I've never used the newer Mallory but I've read a lot of negative responses about them. From what I've read I would avoid the newer Mallory's.

 

What's the difference between the new Mallory and the old? Cheap Chinese parts versus U.S.A, or something else?

Thanks all for the replies.

 

Been running a Mallory dual point on the blown 350 sbc in my roadster for 14 years. Never given a moment's trouble. Finally put points in it last summer. Had the blower off, and thought might as well because I can't get at the distributor with the blower on the engine. Points didn't look all that bad, but it was time to change the cap.

 

I'm running an old mallory dual point, with pertronix conversion, on my dual 97 8BA. Runs great.

Rich

 

I agree with the consensus here. I have a Mallory dual point on my 8Ba with multiple carbs. It worked fine for three years, but no better than anything else I've ever used. However, without a remote starter, or a helper to bump the engine around, setting the points was a royal pain in the arse.

Last spring I put in a Pertronix and threw the points in the trash.

Now the car starts easier and runs smoother and no points to screw with.

 

I have one from the 60's on my 64 el camino, Works great, atleast after i got my wiring bugs out

 

Really its just a matter of the look and function of what you need to do.
Here a couple versions of my chevrolet conversions for the flathead. Been a popular conversion , one shown is the msd brown cap, one has vacuum advance and one in the cover is just mechanical. I also do the mallorys to fit the flathead as well.
You can buy the mallory ( chevrolet etc ) and i machine for the flathead.
More info at www.bubbashotrodshop.com









Check them out . These are $ 135 to hambers...
And the full electronic with hei control module is $ 192.

 

Hey bubba I have a 51 merc engine that I plan to run a pair of 97 carbs. I have been told that the stock distributer will not work because of vacum advance problems, and the new electronic ones have a chevy curve and wont work either. Do your machined ones work with duel carbs? and do they need the vacum advanced stuff?

 

Thats what we designed these units for , dual carbs and little or no vacuum ( camshaft etc) they work great!
They have got it all really as we curve for the flathead 24 degrees at 2500 and dont usually ( unless the customer wants one ) use vac advance...

 

I'm going to install a mallory unit on my new engine. I was wondering if this type of dizzy needs a resistor block in line. I have looked but haven't found this answered anywhere.

 

I have a dual point mallory on my EAC merc motor. Took a while to figure out how to dial it in, but it works great with 6 volt. I noticed a stronger spark, and a bit more get up and go. Also, dont trust your old stock coil. Go get a new one. The mercs coil couldnt hold up to the dual point, and took a shit.

 

You generaly will notice an improvement in acceleration over the stock distributor in any vintage engine when you replace it with a Mallory because of the performance oriented advance curve. Get ahold of an old Motor Manual that lists distributor advance specs for '40s and '50s engines, and you'll see how out to lunch most of them were from the factory.

 

Assuming its 12 volt the answer is yes. However that depends on the coil used as well. The system needs to be pretty ballanced out for what ever parts you are using.
A typical starting set up for contact point distributor is 1.25 ohm resistor and 1.25 ignition coil primary .
Also the condensor needs to match the system voltage and current as well.

 

Ok GMC Bubba I am sold do you make a modified chevy distributer that I can just bolt into my 1951 merc flatty and if so I want one.

 

old distributer notice how the drive gear is off center





New distributor from GMC bubba but now I want to find an old Mallory for the look



Do you guys think a set screws in the side of the housing would do to hold this distributer?

 

Heres a pic of an early one on my 224" Ford 6. They are pretty trouble free after you get them set up right. Nice quality .

 

Is there anyone that makes a dual point distributor for a 226 ford 6??

 

No, not since Mallory discontinued theirs years ago. I've had two of them in 25 years, and both sold FAST.

 

So I got the Mallory dual point unit spun up by a local guy who is supposed to the bees knees. It took a while and he did a great job. fired right up....ran about 10 minutes and quit. we couldn't figure out why. We took the cap off and this is what we found


Spent a bunch of time on the phone with Mallory tech. They had no idea what had happened nor had they ever seen this kind of thing before. I ordered and got in a set of the heavy duty points ( 24875BX ) but have not put them in yet.
Anybody here ever see anthing like this? I never have. When you spin the engine over, the points stay closed and the arm moves off the brass pin.......strange

 

I used a short 1/4-20 socket head cap screw so that it can't get accidently screwed in too far and drop down into the cam gear and cover.

 

All 8BA distributors including an original Mallory will go into the gear cover too far if you don't have 8BA heads on the engine to limit it's travel.

My buddy machined up a simple brass ring that slips onto my old Mallory that keeps the gear centered on the cam when running the 59A heads. With the ring the set screws only job is to keep the dizzy from turning in the front cover and changing the timing. They won't have to keep the gear centered. Obviously GMC bubba took care of that problem when he machined the Chevy dizzy to stop at the correct depth.

 

Hello, I have a old Mallory dual point ZC275A for my 8BA, can someone let me know the Pertronix part number for electronic conversion. Is it ML-187A? I called Pertronix but they could not confirm any of their products would work. Thanks!!

 

A dual point really doesn't help much until you start reving one up. The average flatty would do just as well with a decent set of points like say blue streaks and a good coil.

 

It depends, you change points less if there are 2 sets of them in a 4 lobe distributer since they work 1/2 as much

 

Hey old thread!

I went with one of Bubba's distributors. Yeah it's got points. Wanna fight about it?