Mallory Electronic Ignition for 1940 Flathead

C

Capuano

Member
I purchased a Mallory 3772101 Unilite Electronic distributor for my 1940 Ford Flathead. The instructions were a little vague. Called for tech help and they just install distributor and adjust by sound for timing. I am sure you guys can do better than that and have experience. I have no top dead center mark on engine.
Any suggestions would be helpful.
 
I would establish a timing mark by the hard stop method and use a timing light. 4 degs will be about 1/4 inch in advance of the pointer. Any other method is a guessing game. The helmet distributor with points, condenser and skips coil is very reliable. I would reconsider using the Mallory, for if it fails, your going to find yourself on a flatbed on your way home.
 
>>>Called for tech help and they just install distributor and adjust by sound for timing.>>>


If they mean 'play it by ear', that's what I've always done even with timing marks and a bright strobe. If I think it pings too much, then I back off a smidgen at a time till I think it doesn't ping too much. 8^)
 
Thank you for the responses. I fully understand using points instead of electronic device. Hopefully the new MALLORY distributors are more reliable.We will see when installed correctly.

As as backing off, do you mean decreasing the advance or increasing the advance. If you are backing off does that mean turning the distributor housing counterclockwise or clockwise.

I will try both the vacuum gauge and the sound method and pray a little.

Again thanks for the common sense
 
Retard the timing by rotating clockwise. The distributor spins counterclockwise. My error, retard by turning counterclockwise.
 
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Timing by ear is as old as the term "hot rod", when kids who could barely afford to buy gas at $0.29 per gallon knew that the more advanced they could run their spark, the better their chances against their buddy at the next stop light. Instead of a dwell meter, they meticulously filed and gapped their ignition points. Instead of a timing light, they advanced the distributor and then went out and floored it in second gear. If they did not hear pinging, they kept advancing until they got it to ping, and then backed off a degree or two. That is "setting the timing by ear". It worked back in the day, and 60 years later, I just set timing on my '41 coupe the same way.
 
flatjack9 said:
Retard the timing by rotating clockwise. The distributor spins counterclockwise.
Click to expand...

I believe you have that backwards. :D

You rotate the housing WITH the rotational direction to retard the timing, against the rotation to advance it. So, given that the Mallory has mounting "slots", you'd rotate the housing in a clockwise manner to advance the timing.

On a crab distributor you loosen the points-plate screw (right side of distributor) and push the plate down/clockwise for increased advance. This causes the points to open sooner - creating advance.

On a SBC, the distributor rotates clockwise, so you rotate the housing counter-clockwise for advance.

Hope this helps. :rolleyes:

B&S
 
vacum gauge as its tuning to your engine in real time basicly advance dizzy slowly keeping eye on rpm depending on how far its out you may need to readjust idle speed advance to highest steady reading then turn back 1" of vacum [so if the highest steady reading is say 19.5 " then set to 18,5" again its also possible to set idle mixtures the same way [ screw in a small amount on each screw and watch when vacume starts to drop wind out each screw in turn a small amount untill vacume starts to drop again and set screws to 1/2 way between its fidily but with a bit of practice you can get them fairly close
 
Bored&Stroked said:
I believe you have that backwards. :D

You rotate the housing WITH the rotational direction to retard the timing, against the rotation to advance it. So, given that the Mallory has mounting "slots", you'd rotate the housing in a clockwise manner to advance the timing.

On a crab distributor you loosen the points-plate screw (right side of distributor) and push the plate down/clockwise for increased advance. This causes the points to open sooner - creating advance.

On a SBC, the distributor rotates clockwise, so you rotate the housing counter-clockwise for advance.

Hope this helps. :rolleyes:

B&S
Click to expand...

Yep,, my bad. I'll edit
 
By vacuum gauge makes more sense. I use the same technique as "Ggmac" and "aussie merc" and it works very well.

Actually, it is really the only way to set initial advance on a modified engines where the factory specifications no longer apply.

Getting the proper total advance at highway speeds is a completely separate exercise.
 
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I think it is important to note that while you can set the initial timing via the above method (vacuum gauge), you may or may not be able to use the setting you come up with - depending on your total advance curve and what the engine actually needs or receives from the distributor on the highway, at higher RPMs and under various load conditions.

Some distributors are very configurable (the Mallory having the classical weights and springs like a SBC), stock flathead distributors like a Crab with a 11A advance mechanism are not. The mechanical advance side is pretty much locked in . . . the only real way to change the total advance is via how much initial advance you plug in.
 
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