I'm helping a friend wire his car and all we have left is the distributor. There is a red green and brown wire coming out of the distributor does anyone know where they go? Thanks Jr.
Make sure you use a ballast resistor as a safety precaution as seen on the diagram #Mal 700, or you will burn out the unilite module if you get a voltage spike from a faulty regulator or alternator.
I hate those things. I'd never run one agian! I've had a couple of 'em, and had a couple modules fail...then what do you do. Not something you pick up at a small town auto parts store. Then replacement modules (or a spare to keep with you) cost almost as much as a new distributor. Pertronix sells a magnetic replacement module to go in a unilite...that ought to say something.
Mallory also recommends the use of the voltage suppression module that plugs inline between the wire harness and distributor. It suppresses voltage spikes that will take out the ignition module. I think they cost about 35 dollars and are available where they sell mallory ignitions. They also recommend unplugging the distributor when welding with any stick or mig welders.
I have run Unilites for years. The modules are no more or no less prone to failure than a g.m. H.E.I, and make alot more power when used as a system with thier coil and box. I agree with all of the precautions you need to take to protect the unit, but really, these are measures you have to take with any electrical part you want to live....Good ground, stable power , and keep it clean. ( I use an alcohol pad on the lense to clean it about every 6 months.)
I have one of the Pertronix conversions now...and I have ran one in the past as well. Mallory can **** a giant fart right out of my ***, I ****ing hate Unilites! I used to run them back in the late 80's, back when Mallory was big like MSD is now. I went through 2 eyes in mine, and a buddy went through 3. I had the ballast resistor, had good ground, all that. When I called Mallory when the second one went out, they asked me if I had all that (The power filter didn't exist back then) Asked me what my voltage was and all that jazz, then told me well, sometimes they just quit, you'll have to buy another. Fast forward 15 years and a buddy had a unilite and coil kicking around. I needed one since I was changing to a tunnel ram and nedeed a small cap dizzy. Well, the price was right and I figured man, after 15 years they had to have that **** FIXED. No sooner did I get it in and hooked up and guess what...no spark. tested everything...OMG the fookin Eye is bad!!! hmmmm......90 bucks for an eye or 80 bucks to Pertronix to swap to hall effect magnetic pickup? It was a no brainer. The Pertronix unit fit VERY well inside the mallory dizzy and performs flawless... Again Mallory let me down.. Scot
I bought a unilite with a cable tach take-off for a SBF for my rpu so I can run a cool old cable SW tach...havent looked into them much..do i need to run an ignition control box, or can you just wire it in like a normal diz? and would my solid core clear red plug wires cause dramas? actually ,i just had a thought...maybe i could just change the guts out of the twin point mallory i already have on there, if its all too hard.any thoughts?
No control box is needed. It's three wires, I think red to positive power, green to the coil and brown to ground. But I still hate 'em.
And I found out you can't swear on Ebay by trying to accurately describe a unilite I was selling....I had to edit about half the words used. -Jeff
Why bother with a proven non performer,switch to a pertronix ignitor magnetic pick up for the distributor and then live life happily ever after....I agree, Mallory Unilite is Feces.
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