Greetings,
when connecting the black and white wires from the distributor to terminals "W" and "G", is there a preferred terminal for each?

Also, can some one explain the preference for the single pick up distributor as opposed to the dual pick up model.

Thanks for all the help.

Neil

Hooking it up wrong will let the motor run but rough. If it does just reverse them. Easier to guess and check then worry about figuring it out before hand.

The later year ignition systems used the dual pickup distributor. It doesn't have provisions for timing advance as it's computer controlled.

Appropriately-sized spade terminals.
The dual-pickup distributor has no vacuum or mechanical advance mechanisms; it's originally for use with the Lean Burn system that controls ignition timing, and can also be used for current-day aftermarket engine management systems that do likewise. If you're not using either of those, use a 1-pickup distributor, preferably a new one as described in the HEI upgrade article.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thank you both for your rapid responses and explanation.

My 81 has a duel pick-up dist.with vac.and mech. adv.

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81 LeBaron Salon,88 5th ave,79 Aspen SE wagon,79 W150
Don't worry, nothing is going to be alright.

Interesting -- never seen such an animal, nor any documentation on it. Pics?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Now that I look at it... So does mine!

I have no idea of its origin, other than it came from a /6 drag racer, my late friend Jerry Elhard and he swore by the dual pick up distributor but I never knew why.

Oh, that's a shame, I didn't know he'd died. He helped me with my first HEI conversion many years ago.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I am not equipped with enough information to properly eulogize Jerry. I can say that he was an enthusiastic Slant Six aficionado who found time to network with and help like-minded folks with their project cars.

If the measure of a man be "He who has the most toys wins!", then Jerry was certainly a winner as he had a large shop full of the toys that folks on this site would truly appreciate.

JERRY W. ELHARD April 29, 1943 ~ May 9, 2014

Jerry was a really cool guy and a slant enthusiast. I met him when I worked at Wildcat Auto Wrecking many years ago. He also had a fondness for the Toads...

I have one of his distributors with the dual pick-up. Jerry worked at a distributor shop on Mississippi Av in Portland for years. I think he built these distributors from lean burn and single pick-up electronic distributors part.

He claimed that they made a bigger and hotter spark and also improved his 1/4 mile time. Whether or not this is accurate these distributor work well. The only issue I've had is the extra wires to the second pick-up can cause binding and effect advance. Just make sure the plate can move freely. Mine works fine with my Tach.

Jerry spent a lot of time helping me with my projects and was a real mentor to me in the era before Slantsix.org. I think about him a lot when I'm spinning a wrench.

Cheers,
Barnaby

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These ones go to eleven...

Aha! That would explain why these "nonexistent" distributors exist.
Mmmm...I hafta say no. There's nothing about a dual-pickup setup that can possibly make the spark "bigger" or "hotter". It's nothing at all like the old dual-points distributors, which could extend the engine's RPM range upward by increasing coil saturation compared to a single-points distributor. The one and only thing the dual-pickup setup can do is provide an advanced spark during cranking, on an engine set up to look at the "start" pickup when the starter's engaged and the "run" pickup at all other times.
Mine too!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

It's hell to grow up and find out you don't know everything.

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81 LeBaron Salon,88 5th ave,79 Aspen SE wagon,79 W150
Don't worry, nothing is going to be alright.

It is? I don't agree. I love learning new stuff.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Per that compatibility list it was used early to mid 80's. I wonder how they were hooked up. Looks like the pickups are 180deg apart.