Lately issues have come up with some aftermarket conversions failing and folks getting stuck out on the road,that would ****.Then you find out the local parts house does not have replacement parts in stock for more frustration So why not do it this way and stay 100% Ford: http://home.earthlink.net/~rcfaulconer/duraspark/eec.htm
Greenbird56 who posts on this forum is a guru on this conversion. He has numerous posting on yblocksforever.com on his methods. Lots of illustrations and photos.
good post Jeff - excellent information. I run an ACCEL points eliminator in every Y block I have built and have had 0 issues, but I always look at the Duraspark modification and am tempted to try it out on the next motor I build. Maybe I will have to do that someday.
I always carried extra of whatever I needed in the glove box and the necessary tools. Points, condensor, HEI module.. always carry a spare.
While I could see how HEI is a lot better than points those Ford boxes are notoriously unreliable. That would be the last thing I would swap to. However, the Duraspark distributors are excellent so I would run the newer distributor & parts and use a GM module or an MSD unit for the electronics side but that is just me. The GM module is much smaller (to store a spare if you want) and is available at your local parts store. http://www.carbdford.com/tech/HEI/hei.htm http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/1311_convert_a_ford_or_chrysler_ignition_to_gm_hei/
im planning on putting the pertronix setup into my 272. its been running really sluggish lately. out of nowhere is boggy. a buddy that builds hot rods swears by them.
You may want to look into the Accel unit danman suggested over the last year Petronix has begun to have failure issues like other companies (guess why?) The Accel is also more wallet friendly.
Years ago I bought a unit off Danman55 on eBay. Been working great since. I haven't had the same luck with Pertronix in the past.
For the initiated, the Accell and Mallory units are merely switches which helps their reliability. They have a small led which emits a light which is interrupted by slots in a plate affixed to the bottom of the rotor ****on. This intermittent light is detected by the base unit. The only downside to the Accell is that it will not fit the early mechanical Ford Distributors, ie the ball bearing based unit with the straight armed vacuum canister as this fouls the mounting base.
I will play devils advocate,while I know a guy that has the Accel set up Jeff is talking about and he hasn't experienced any problems whatsoever I have great service from the Petronix setup in both my '54 Ford with a 302 and my Deuce with a 327. I too have heard stories of failures recently,,mine have been on the road for several years. HRP
Anybody using the Accel unit with an OD trans? Any issues with the kickdown switch grounding the coil?
I NEED TO BRING THIS BACK UP....if you convert to electronic do you not use vacuum advance do the electronic systems have centrifugal advance
If you're using an original type Loadomatic distributor there is no centrifugal advance. Converting it to electronic doesn't change that.
Do yourself a favour get a late model distributor and run both vacuum and mechanical advance. The difference is remarkable when couple with a B manifold, 4 barrel carb and twin exhaust. The engine goes from being a sluggish old girl to a teenager.
ITS A 54 239 will the late dizzy fit my early 239...and is there issues with pulling the dist.as in does the dist.drive the oil pump via a rod..is it attached to the dist. or can it fall in.....
The late dizzy will fit just fine, however you need to confirm which oil pump drive you have. The 239s originally had a tang drive. Some time in 1955, I believe, Ford changed the design to a hex drive. There's a good chance you have the later drive if the engine has been rebuilt. The pump drive will not fall out, the pump keeps it in place.
Yup.The later dizzies with both vacuum and centrifugal advance will have the hex drive, so if you still have the tang drive oil pump rod you will need to get one for a hex drive.
You need the hex type pump drive rod. This courtesy of Y-Blockhead on the fordbarn forum: The oil pump drive shaft should be installed from the bottom with the pump. There should be a clip on the shaft ~1" from the bottom to prevent the shaft from being pulled out with the distributor. The shaft also should have a slightly beveled end that goes toward the distributor to help guide the shaft into the hole. Warning to those who buy an ARP oil pump shaft; They install the retaining clip on the wrong end. Hopefully they changed this by now, I haven't bought one in a couple of years. Easy to check BEFORE you install it.
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