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Electronic Distributors - how to choose?

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MGNoir

Jedi Hopeful
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I'm contemplating shifting to an electronic distributor and am wondering about the different options.

There seem to be varying options, from the "drop this inside your existing distributor" versions to the "replace your whole distributor with this new one" versions. Right now I'm looking at this one.

So what's the suggestion? What are people using now and happy with, or not happy with?
 
Looks good, send me one I'll use it.
 
what I would suggest is contacting Jeff at Advanced Distributors. For the price of a Flamethrower, he completely rebuilt and recurved my stock unit and installed an ignitor in it.

From what I understand, the internals on these flamethrower units are not the best and will wear quite a bit over time. So, for the same price, I had my stock unit recurved for my particular application, rebuilt to be better than the new ignitor, and I like knowing I still have the original unit in the car /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Atrus said:
what I would suggest is contacting Jeff at Advanced Distributors. For the price of a Flamethrower, he completely rebuilt and recurved my stock unit and installed an ignitor in it.

From what I understand, the internals on these flamethrower units are not the best and will wear quite a bit over time. So, for the same price, I had my stock unit recurved for my particular application, rebuilt to be better than the new ignitor, and I like knowing I still have the original unit in the car /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
Click to expand...

So this is putting an electronic component inside of an existing distributor correct? Keeping all the "stuff" of your original but removing the mechanical points components?
 
Yes, but Jeff will replace the bushing and correct the springs and weights to make sure the advance curve is suitable for your engine.
 
Yup, Jeff completely disassembles and cleans the housing. He has custom bronze bushings made, and he actually has a nifty fix if yours is cracked where the retaining clamp fits. He puts in the pertronix unit - fits completely within the stock housing. Additionally, he tightens up the pins that the weights ride on, and recurves it for your application. I am more than pleased. Quick turn around, very friendly person.
 
Atrus
Was the cost more or less than this Moss Pertronix unit & whats his web address/contact # Thanks Mark
 
I see nothing wrong with anything to get and keep em on the road. Do I like orginals best, yes, do I have one no. Do I care, no.

To the great unwashed it looks cool and orginal, only us guys would really know and we understand.
 
I've used the Flamethrower unit, the 1-2-3, Aldon and Jeff's reworked stock units, all worked well. Jeff does a nice job on the dizzys. Jeff's website is advanceddistrbutors.com
 
Gearhead... To answer your questions...well, I am not sure on the forum rules so I won't openly say a vendor is over or underpriced, I'll just say that traditionally, I've been ordering from Jeff Zorn at Little British Car Co /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

But yes, the pertronix flamethrower from Zorn's store was like $175 or so? I paid a total of $189 (including shippng, etc) for everything. I really say just to contact him, I am very happy that I did. Keep in mind too, he recurves it, which a new flamethrower may not be optimally curved for your car.

As Hap mentioned, advanceddistributors.com
 
Good stuff, looking at Advanced Distributors.

Can someone explain the idea of recurving? I'm assuming it's matching the distributor better to my car's setup (which is just stock). What exactly is that "matching" and what is the resultant effect? Would I (who is not an experienced LBC owner) really be able to tell any difference?
 
I am in NO way an expert, but basically, springs wear. So, the springs you had new decades ago don't work as well. The thing to keep in mind when buying a new distributor is there are many different curves for various models and years. The Lucas distributors were used in many many applications. So, to get a distributor off the shelf, it'll work, but not as optimally as one that's curved for your year/application. I too am stock, and Jeff set it up for a "performance stock/slightly modified" setup. I do plan on some modiciations to the engine in the future, but mine works just fine for my stock car right now.
 
MGNoir said:
Good stuff, looking at Advanced Distributors.

Can someone explain the idea of recurving? I'm assuming it's matching the distributor better to my car's setup (which is just stock). What exactly is that "matching" and what is the resultant effect? Would I (who is not an experienced LBC owner) really be able to tell any difference?
Click to expand...



There are small spinning weights in your mechanical distributor, as the RPM increases, the weights spin faster and move outwards against springs. The center of gravity of the weights in relation to their pivot points, their actual weight and the strength of the springs all affect the movement of these weights. This is important because the moving weights control your ignition advance. By altering things inside there a skilled technician can match the ignition advance to the power characteristics of an individual engine. The stock setup is good for a healthy stock engine, any changes, including severe wear would benefit from a recurved distributor.

Fully electronic ignitions can do this by software and some systems that are 1/2 way between pure mechanical and fully digital use an electronic replacement for the points assembly, but mount it on the mechanical advance plate.
 
After getting some info from Jeff, I think getting my existing one redone as electronic would be the way to go. Best of both worlds with a visually stock distributor under the hood with the various advantages of an electronic setup inside.

Now I just need to get someone to buy this new unused Borg & Beck clutch kit (190-980) I have to finance the operation!
 
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