does anybody make or once did make a magneto for a older caddy motor like a 365 or 390 I was wandering because I never saw one but I sure do want one.
you can have vertex make you one. all you have to do is send them a good distributor for the bottom gear. prepare to spend some bucks though.... -scott noteboom
Joe Hunt Mag-Lookin' Electronic Ignition distributors!! http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/6908,931_Joe-Hunt-Look-Cadillac-Distributor.html?itemNo=cadillac 429 ~Jason
Here is a picture that shows the base. Mallory on the left, early Vertex on the right. You can have a new one made but they are expensive. I looked into it several years ago and that price is not that far from what I remember.
Man, I want one for my 429 so bad... Hence, this sister thread: "Am I searching in vain for Cadillac 429 Speed Parts?" http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=144066 ~Jason
Make your own :...... Hot Rod one , chop and channel a Chebbie one Cut up an old Dissy and a Chevy Mag make one outa two.
I had always thought about the possibility... have you ever done it, or know where I can see pics? ~Jason
Not a bad deal, especially if you traded for your mag, or got a great deal initially at a swap meet! ~Jason
No not for a Caddi, but I have done several for Flatheads , and have done a Fairbanks Morse for my Indian. The Indian involves modifying the breaker cam itself to change it from 45 degrees to 42 degrees , as well as making the housing and adapting the drive. Joe Hunts gave me the information on the breaker cam for the Indian and charged me zip...they are in Sacramento..or were in 1994 . Flathead was just a measure and some lathe work. Just looking at the pic above it looks like the mag housing has been turned down and fitted into a bored out Caddi dissy housing lower part ????
I converted a Ford Mallory dual point dizzy to Cad easily. So find a Ford mag (more common=cheaper??!!) and turn down the flange for the hole in the block, then shorten the drive shaft and fit the cad dog....took me a coupla hours !
Ok Guys bear with me I'm new to the site and not done photos before !! I run a warm 331 in my Allard (ancient US/UK Hotrod !). I had real trouble with mis-fires and bad running and changed just about everything except that old Delco dizzy. She had to go, but as you guys have been saying...mags are hard to find. I took a gamble and bought the first new cheapish Mallory dizzy on ebay, hoping i could make it fit........turned out to be perfect, because it was a bit bigger everywhere, so a lathe could do all the work. Here goes....... Mallory "25" series dual point distributor part# 2555101 H fits Ford 62-80 (ie common as hell) and is LH rotation. Strip the thing out so you can machine the separate components, and your old Delco job so you can measure everything.The locating shoulder below the main flange needs to be turned down a bit, to fit the hole in the block. (I threw an "o" ring away at this stage!!). The bottom of the main stem needs to be sawn off then faced up in the lathe to the same length as the Cad stem. (NB critical dimension...take care !). Then shorten the drive shaft and turn it down at the end for the Cad drive dog, and carefully drill the hole for the roll pin. NOW LISTEN UP !! Use the old dizzy to measure everything, and the distances are critical because when you clamp the dizzy to the block, there is a little curvy thrust washer between the drive dog and the bottom face of the stem, which needs to compress a bit but not go tight. Get it wrong and you'll either get sloppy drive, or a nasty squeeking sound and then sloppy drive ! Do all that and enjoy whoppin' huge sparks on time every time and lovely quality spare bits till you're old and grey (if youre not already !) Toms Tech Tips
Forgot to mention......this is obviously for the early block, the 331. This has a widget between the distributor and the cam, with a gear on it. The later units had the longer shaft with gear attached. I do not know if the Ford dizzy has a long enough shaft to use for the later blocks, but it would be easy to find out.
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