Is this Dizzie correct?

Unilites SUCK:barf:

Yep, that's the right one. Uni-lites dizzies are not my favorite.

Much better than the one you called me about last night. That one for a 351c will also fit a 385 type FORD BB 429-460. Not for SBFs.

I have to disagree. I ran a Unilite Comp 9000 on the Chevelle for 14 years before it broke. It was great. It finally broke the stop tab for the advance and that's when I changed to the MSD I have now. Again, with the Mallory stuff I was running a total of 36 degrees and turned 121mph on just the engine. When I installed the MSD I had to bump the timing to 43 degrees to turn the same 121mph. I'm not sure why it takes more timing but it does. The only reason I went with MSD is because the Mallory distributor I had is now almost $400. The MSD was only around $160.

I don't know what the difference is, but I just checked Summit. The comp 900 is now over $500. This Unilite ( non-Comp 900) is about $270. I'll punt for now.

I say just go with MSD stuff. It's less expensive that way. I have it on the Cobra as well as the Chevelle and even though I say I don't like it I haven't had any issue yet besides needing to give the Chevelle more timing. I'm running an MSD Billet distributor on both cars with the 6AL and then I also have the timing retard on the Chevelle for the nitrous. I have the stuff on the Cobra for 2 years.

Here's what Joe was suggesting. Looks like some pretty good stuff, with a "pretty good stuff" price tag. :smack: Other than the 6AL (whcih there seems to be a couple choices), any specific recommendations for a an appropriate level of function with a little lower cost?

A little question. Why do we feel we need a mulitspark box??? Hell, it only does the multi spark thing to about 2,500 rpm then goes back to a single spark after that.:sm_up_there:

I don't know much about this old school ignition stuff. But, if we don't need a multispark, it frees up a little budget for perhaps one step higher Dizzie, like the one Joe pointed out as opposed to an entry level one. I'd certainly like to be done with ignition for as far below $500 as possible TCI, including wires.

That's all good but it's not needed for what we are going to do with the car. We can use a 6AL instead of the BTM (which is about $150) less because we can manually set the timing to what we want. We'll be using a mix of 91 and race fuel I'm sure so we don't have to worry about detonation which is why most guys run the BTM.

We also don't need the electronic adjustments. We can just change the springs to adjust the amount of timing and when it comes in. The mechanical Billet is also about $150 less. We also don't need vacuum advance because it will not be criusing on the streets.

The coil is fine though. :sm_laughing:

Without it the blower will blow out the spark. I had this happen on the Cobra with only 10psi of boost. I added the 6AL and no more blow out. If you want to try it without one we can we'll just need to close up the spark plug gap but I recommend that we install one to start with.

Blow out the spark? What gap were you running on your plugs?

What kinda money to you want to spend?


I know you don't want to hear this, but back in the 80's we ran STOCK (recruved) dizzies with a good coil with roots blowers. We ran a .035 to .045 plug gap with out any problems.

If we are going to spending money for real trick stuff is fine, but lets be sure we need to. So why don't we find the Dizzy we want to run and go from there. Just my 3 cents.:judge:

.035.

Ok, then what MIGHT have helped you was the CD part of the 6A box increasing your dwell on the spark and voltage to jump the gap with the cylinder pressures you are running. Just another thought.:D


Multi spark is only good for low rpms. It only really helps because it can fire a cylinder with poor fuel air mixture. But only at the lower rpms.

MSD makes a "Streetfire" HEI that is $150.00 brand new, all day long.
I can install any curve you want, or pin it at 36*, or just use light springs.

That makes ZERO sense to me.Zip,nada,zero, no comphrende.:huh:

You just love those "HEIs" don't you?:p


I don't like the coil in cap idea. But the spacing of the contacts in the cap is good. The wider the distance the better.:thumbs_up:


I just found an HEI dizzy in CIs catalog for $94.95.:rolling:

Frankly, I still love my point dizzys. But as for HEI, the magnetic pickup is FAR superior to any optical pickup. Remember Optispark?:suicide:

I guess these guys may not know I have a Sun Dizzy machine.;)

Opti-no-spark????:laugh:

I remembered you have the Sun Machine. :drink:


I will be bringing you my Dizzy in the NEAR future. :drive:

That's how I feel. But that's the way it is. I only ran 117 with it at 36. I them bumped it to 38 and ran 119. Then I bumped it to 43 and ran 121.

Here's the video from that day and yes, that is my Cobra racing my Chevelle. My brother drove the Cobra in the first pass and then the Chevelle when he I raced.

Chevelle vs Cobra

Wasn't that the Ford ignition that they used in the early 80's?

The GM Optispark is an optically-triggered ignition distributor used on the LT1, LT4 and L99 engines.:drink:

I just looked it up and it was the Duraspark ignition that I was thinking of.

That was crap. Same with the "Thin Film Ignition" POS.

Ok, so here's how I see it.

I'll pass on the Multispark for now, because it's the kind of thing that can be easily inserted into the ignition system later if it proves necessarry.

So as I understand it, we have two ways to go

1 - Dizzy and External Coil
2- Coil in Cap

Right? What are the pros and cons of those setups?

OK, you got me on the one. What is Thin Film Ignition???:huh:

The only advantage is the HEI will be cleaner to install because the coil is in the cap. That's about it. Phil and I were looking for an HEI at the Hot Rod swap meet in Long Beach last weekend but he didn't like the new ones that they had there. They looked cheap (remember he has worked Chevy's for the past 16 years) but then again we did see brand new ones for $70. He ended up buy a used stock HEI for $5 so he could repair the stock one he has already.

That's that stupid TFI ignition module POS that plugged into the early 80's HEI dizzy. My 84 Lincoln had that. There was even a class action suit about it.

Don't forget the spacing of the contacts in the cap. The wider the better.;)

Gm had coil in cap. The Ford HEI used an external coil. It really doesn't make a big dif at all.

BTW, unless I'm totally missing it, there is no MSD Street Fire for Ford. :huh:

Yes, but at 6000rpms I don't think that will be an issue. Besides most of the new distributors come with the larger caps anyways.

Ok, I've been poking around, what about this MSD HEI for Ford? So it includes the coil, which is external???

This would be virtually equal in design.
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

I'll see what else I can find.

That's a fine looking unit as well.

When you consider the coil,cap,rotor,picup parts, it's really just $100 for the drive. Not a bad deal for new. Just a melonised gear is $35.00

Post spacing is about crossfire at higher voltages.

Cross fire can blow an engine real fast. A lot of spun rod bearings are caused by crossfiring. Before anyone disputes this --Smokey discovered this as a cause of spun rod bearing on his Chevy race engines back in the sixites.:drink:

Not gonna make it out. I need to finish working on my dad's truck which has turned into one of those not so fun projects. :smack:

Try rebuilding a Winnebago for 6 months. I am replacing paneling now. Rear leaf springs (12,000GVW) are next I am SO tired of this thing. (But the $$ are good):thumbs_up: