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  •  » what distributors are yall running?

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    10/06/2026 11:18 AM  #1

    BILLY WALTON from GEORGIA
    Carrollton, GA Bash Host

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    From: CARROLLTON GEORGIA
    Registered: 4/14/2013
    Posts: 2,880

    what distributors are yall running?

    Was wondering what distributor yall were running and the pros and cons.
     

    Its really me....I fixed my caps lock .
     

    10/06/2026 1:44 PM  #2

    Rudi
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    From: Stuck in the 50's Welland Ca
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 4,114

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    My 331 has a Crane optical trigger billet distributor.
    Pro’s;
    Built in dial for 10 different advance curves eliminates the need to send the unit out for recurves.
    It has another dial for 4 different vacuum advances.
    Con’s;
    Non I can think of other than price.

    Good work ain't cheap, Cheap work ain't good!
     

    10/06/2026 2:45 PM  #3

    TKOPerformance
    Hyper FYIFORD ADDICT

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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 8,083

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    Stock with a Pertronix Ignitor and I think a Mr. Gasket spring kit to get all the advance in by 3,000 RPM.  

     

    10/06/2026 8:53 PM  #4

    Nos681
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    From: Atlantic Mine, Michigan
    Registered: 7/14/2016
    Posts: 3,609

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    Duraspark (rebuilt) on 289…20+ years.

    Stock TFI on 5.0L…factory EFI.

    Duraspark on straight 6 300ci.

     

    10/07/2026 6:01 AM  #5

    Dennis
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    From: Waterloo, Iowa
    Registered: 7/28/2021
    Posts: 26

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    TKOPerformance wrote:

    Stock with a Pertronix Ignitor and I think a Mr. Gasket spring kit to get all the advance in by 3,000 RPM.  

    Does the spring kit actually work properly?  I put one in my distributor many years ago and it made way too much advance.

    I'm running a cheap Chinese stock clone with good points and condenser that I sent to a distributor shop for recurve.
     

     

    10/07/2026 7:10 AM  #6

    BobE
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    From: White Plains, NY
    Registered: 4/04/2013
    Posts: 3,084

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    I have an MSD billet distributor #8584 (no vacuum advance) on my 351W, and the MSD 6AL box that are 15-years-old.  It came with several advance springs that are easily changed. 
    My 6AL box failed about 3-years after installation, MSD repaied it at a minimal cost ($35). 
    I am happy with this setup. 

    65 Fastback, 351W, 5-speed, 4 wheel discs, 9" rear,  R&C Front End.
     

    10/07/2026 9:37 AM  #7

    RV6
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    From: Pine Junction, CO
    Registered: 3/01/2016
    Posts: 1,286

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    Stock Ford distributor with points and condenser. 

    Gary Zilik - Pine Junction, Colorado - 67 Coupe, 289-4V, T5
     

    10/07/2026 12:13 PM  #8

    rpm
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    From: Bakersfield, Ca
    Registered: 9/17/2013
    Posts: 3,986

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    Dennis wrote:

    TKOPerformance wrote:

    Stock with a Pertronix Ignitor and I think a Mr. Gasket spring kit to get all the advance in by 3,000 RPM.  

    Does the spring kit actually work properly?  I put one in my distributor many years ago and it made way too much advance.

    I'm running a cheap Chinese stock clone with good points and condenser that I sent to a distributor shop for recurve.
     

     
    Springs do not affect the amount of advance, it controls when the advance happens. The travel slots in the arms on the shaft determine how much mechanical advance occurs. If you have a vacuum advance distributor, the vacuum advance with apply more advance on light throttle.

    Bob. 21.5 freeway MPG 69 Mach 1, 5.0 GT40P heads, SMOD Toploader, Armstrong  steering, factory AC
     

    10/07/2026 12:17 PM  #9

    rpm
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    From: Bakersfield, Ca
    Registered: 9/17/2013
    Posts: 3,986

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    On my 1990 5.0 I have a chicom housing with Duraspark guts, and a Delphi HEI brain. Pros is you can find parts everywhere.

    Bob. 21.5 freeway MPG 69 Mach 1, 5.0 GT40P heads, SMOD Toploader, Armstrong  steering, factory AC
     

    10/07/2026 1:18 PM  #10

    bolake
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    Registered: 4/24/2026
    Posts: 23

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    Duraspark II,  rebuilt

     

    10/07/2026 2:12 PM  #11

    TKOPerformance
    Hyper FYIFORD ADDICT

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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 8,083

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    Dennis wrote:

    TKOPerformance wrote:

    Stock with a Pertronix Ignitor and I think a Mr. Gasket spring kit to get all the advance in by 3,000 RPM.  

    Does the spring kit actually work properly?  I put one in my distributor many years ago and it made way too much advance.

    I'm running a cheap Chinese stock clone with good points and condenser that I sent to a distributor shop for recurve.
     

    It works if you use the right springs.  I think the kit came with 3 or 4 different springs, and I ended up with the lightest springs in the kit.  You also need either a balancer with marks on it up to 40-50 degrees BTDC, or a timing tape, and TDC on the balancer needs to actually be TDC #1 compression stroke.  

    The spring kit doesn't actually add any advance.  It just changes the point at which all the mechanical advance is in.   Ford typically had a very lazy advance curve in them from the factory.  If you get all the advance in by 3,000 for a pedestrian engine (not a high performance street or race engine) its like adding 20 lbs/ft in the midrange.  Total advance may need to be like 42 degrees for an old school iron headed engine, because the design is just so inefficient.  Newer engines with better heads or aftermarket heads you probably wouldn't go much beyond 36 degrees total, and I've seen plenty or race engines that live in the 32-34 range.  
     

     

    10/07/2026 9:13 PM  #12

    az4stringer
    Active Member

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    From: Tucson, AZ
    Registered: 10/08/2026
    Posts: 1

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    Duraspark 2, blue connector box,  initial 14*, 36* total in by 2800 rpms. 

     

    Yesterday 7:32 AM  #13

    Greg B
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    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,812

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    I ha e duraspark distributors that are recurved.   There is a guide online that shows the basics of how to.  I've put it on here before, and so has Mike.    I still have points distributor in the fe.  Butt! I did buy a duraspark vs from rock auto earlier this year.   However, it has an atrocious advance in it.  I've been contmplating trying to weld the mechanism, to create my own 15L.   

    Now the tricky part.  I actually had a bit of trouble finding the Mr. Gasket spring kit 925d.  Nobody has it in stock anymore and I finally got one from oreilly, but only because I bought something else in tandem for them to ship it.  So I just got it last week. 

    I've been deciding on what to do with making a harness.   Amazon has three of the plug ends, but if you notice, while the one that goes from the box to the distributor seems to be the same plug,  the catches are actually 90 degrees apart.   It can be modified to fit, like everything else, but I added up the cost and the plugs are about half the price of the painless harness as you can find that on Amazon for less than a hundred now.   

    So I haven't decided yet on making another harness like I did for Gal A, or just going with convenience.   When I made the harness years ago, all those plug ends came from pick n pull.  Can't hardly find that stuff anymore!

    If multiple things can go wrong, the one that will go wrong will be the one that causes the most damage.
     

    Yesterday 2:30 PM  #14

    TKOPerformance
    Hyper FYIFORD ADDICT

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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 8,083

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    I'd try eBay, or there are probably a couple guys on here with a 3D printer that could just print new connector bodies.

    Convenience IME tends not to be as convenient as it should be.  I'm in the process of cutting more material off my radiator support for the third time.  This was supposed to be a bolt in 24" radiator.  It has not been.  I don't mind modifying the radiator support, but if I'd know that going in I probably would have bought a cheaper generic radiator with the understanding I was going to have to make it fit.  

     

    Yesterday 3:37 PM  #15

    6sally6
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    From: Surfside Beach,SC
    Registered: 4/02/2013
    Posts: 7,043

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    rpm wrote:

    Dennis wrote:

    TKOPerformance wrote:

    Stock with a Pertronix Ignitor and I think a Mr. Gasket spring kit to get all the advance in by 3,000 RPM.  

    Does the spring kit actually work properly?  I put one in my distributor many years ago and it made way too much advance.

    I'm running a cheap Chinese stock clone with good points and condenser that I sent to a distributor shop for recurve.
     

     
    Springs do not affect the amount of advance, it controls when the advance happens. The travel slots in the arms on the shaft determine how much mechanical advance occurs. If you have a vacuum advance distributor, the vacuum advance with apply more advance on light throttle.

    Y'all know that ANY spring kit will work !?!  The timing tape is specific to SBF...(we've been through the piston stop/TDC deal)
    Nobody talks much about the NEED to limit the amount of total advance to no more than 45* degrees are so. The site I posted covers all that and how it can be done.
    Re-curving the timing is still one of my best mods on an engine...SBF...Shivel-lay,,,MoPar...ANY !
    6sally6
     

    Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
     

    Today 5:09 AM  #16

    John Ha
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    From: Mitchell, SD
    Registered: 4/02/2013
    Posts: 1,090

    Re: what distributors are yall running?

    I have Duraspark 2 (blue strain relief box).  I got my distributors from O'Reilly - they're remanufactured Ford units that Cardone sells (they have the Ford logo and part number in the casting).  I tried recurving them myself with the kits.  I had mixed results.  The spring kit worked well on the 351 but not so well on the 250.  On the 250 I fiddled with it for months - it was great in-town but fell on it's face around 75 mph.  So I sent that one out to the Mustang Barn (Dan - dan@mustangbarn.com) to be professionally recurved and it's really livened up the engine.  There's a fellow on fordsix.com that does them too (Bill of Ambler Race, user name wsa111)

    I thought about changing the connectors between the Duraspark box and the distributor but decided to leave them alone.  My reasoning is that if the box fails, I won't have to change the connectors on the box to get the car running again.  This is probably not a big deal if you never drive the car more than a few miles from home, but if you drive it longer distances and may need to buy a part to fix it, it will be more convenient to have the OE connectors.

    And a comment about the timing tape - it has to match your balancer diameter.  If it doesn't the markings won't be accurate.

    Last edited by John Ha (Today 5:17 AM)

    Founding Member of the Perpetually Bewildered Society
     

     

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