I'm building an '83 block with all early style accessories and valvetrain. The distributor from this motor is a dual pick-up. I assume this is one side for ignition and the other for egr. Can I simply remove the secondary plate and pick-up and go about my business? Also, what's up with using the "long" 400 spring? I have a couple 383 dist's kicking around. Or is this primarily a high performance upgrade? My motor is going fairly stock.

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I had the dual pickup lean burn ignition on my truck, which my mechanic thankfully replaced, even though with points. If you have it still hooked into the computer, you probably can't just remove the secondary pickup.

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The Old Goat '83 D150 225-2

AKA Ice Titan

There's no computer present in my '64 and the ignition side has the same connector as my other EI dist. set-ups. That's why I was wondering if I could just do-away with that part.

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Pat,

On the recurve I was trying to get more advance. That is why I used the 400 spring which is longer (longer loop and more coils) than the stock SL6 distributor secondary spring. This was Doctor Dodge's suggestion and it worked! I still can't get the engine to ping, and the mileage and power is improving. The snap and punch is great!

For your car, you just need one pick up and can pull the other pick up.

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

Thanks Ted, consider the lean burn pick-up gone. Do you think a 383 secondary spring will benefit my stock performance?

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I think the secondary pick-up on those distributors was for cranking timing. Does this distributor have an advance mechanism? If it does, you can just use the primary pick-up.

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"Mad Scientist" Matt Cramer
'66 Dart - turbocharged 225
My blog - Mad Scientist Matt's Lair

All post 1981 slants from trucks are of the locked out timing and no mech or vacc. advance type (all timing done by the ESC)...

Pull the distributor and put it on a shelf for that EFI project a few years down the road, get a nice EI distributor or points type and do one of the 3 conversions available (Stock Mopar EI, HEI, or Petronix).

-D.Idiot

Pat,

As long as the 383 spring is longer than the stock SL6 one, it will buy you more advance. Mine was limiting a little two much, I could only get 10 degrees mechanical. Now I can get 20 degrees mechanical.

On the distributor, I forgot about the lock out. I thought you could install a vacuum advance. The timing on those distributors is controlled by the computer.....

It would be probably easier to just get a stock point type dist. and do the conversion to electronic. It is less work. Pull the points and mount your pickup coil.

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

The 81+ distributors come in two varieties I've seen/Have in my Stash...

One version comes with a body like the old EI with vacc. adv. distributors, but have 1) a block off plate where the vacc. pod goes and 2) the pick up is mounted to a stationary plate with no opportunity to use either the mech advance or the vacc. pod...

Version two has a solid body with no opening for the vacc. pod to mount.

If he has version 1, he would still have to get a pre-80 pickup plate, a vacc. pod, a mainshaft with weights and springs then assemble and see where it's all at... at that point and for the price, he could get an EI distributor for the same price... or buy a points distributor and start in on the pertronix conversion... which ever is more comfortable and within his technical ability...

For a 'stockish' build I would try to find one of the 1978 super six distributors or one of the 1976 style distributors with the short advance governor...this allows you to run 10-12 degrees of initial timing, and have enough 'play' in the springs and vacc. pod to dial in a 'performance' curve with a good vacc. adv. for great highway mileage... (Another version is getting one of Doc's favorites with the 11R advance plate for less initial).

-D.Idiot

Mine has the vacuum pod and I'm pretty good with the tech stuff when forced in the right direction. All the response has been great, keep it comin'.

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