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Prestolite Distributor replacement

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hillsidehemi View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hillsidehemi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/01/2022 at 5:36pm
Originally posted by nickleone nickleone wrote:

Have you looked at ROCK AUTO?

Nick


Odd ball 76 to I think 78 distributor.  Nobody has them and all they offer is a rebuild service.  Don't want to wait for that and I don't think it would fix my issues anyway.
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hillsidehemi View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hillsidehemi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/01/2022 at 5:39pm
Thanks for the replies and quick answers.  I found a replacement vacuum can for the prestolite from a member here and I think that might fix my problem for the short term.
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FSJunkie View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FSJunkie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/02/2022 at 1:46am
The path of least resistance is installing a replacement vacuum advance now that you have one.

Prestolite is not known for reliability, but my system has taken pretty good care of me in 50,000 miles of daily driving. Take care of the wires and connectors by keeping them clean, tight, and protected. Keep a spare module in the trunk. I've never had one outright die while driving, but I have had them develop hot idle misfires that signal that it's time to replace the module before it gets worse. I always had plenty of warning and replacing the module is a snap. 

I don't think updating to the 1978 to 1991 Duraspark II system is much of an upgrade. The Duraspark system was superior back in the day, and it has better parts support than Prestolite, but I've had absolutely terrible reliability from new replacement parts. So many were bad out of the box or failed within a year. It really soured my taste for that system. 

There is much to be said for Delco HEI. I think it's possibly the most reliable ignition system, ever. I worry about the qualiy and accuracy of new foreign-made HEI distributors, though. There are many cheapies out there. 

Points work too, but are high maintenance. You may or may not be fine with that. You don't need a ballast if you use a 3 ohm coil. Or, put a Pertronix module inside the points distributor. 


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1966 Marlin
1972 Wagoneer
1973 Ambassador
1977 Hornet
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Mr_Roboto View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mr_Roboto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/02/2022 at 6:31am
Another option to consider is doing a Duraspark Distributor. This may seem to be kind of pieced together, but it was actually a factory setup at a point. Get the cap/rotor/adapter/coil from an 83ish Ford 300. After that use a 4 pin HEI module an an external heat sink.

https://fordsix.com/ci/DSIIswap. - https://fordsix.com/ci/DSIIswap.html

My Eagle is set up somewhat similarly, except the box is an MSD 6AL.
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vinny View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote vinny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/02/2022 at 12:09pm
I have a spare 232 engine that had an old Prestolite distributor, not the one you guys are referring to. They are very reliable. A fellow that had a problem with the one you refer to asked for mine and I sent it to him. The defective distributor comes back with a surprise $50 bill under the cap. I pull the gear off it to put on the HEI that I had removed from a subsequently scrapped Chev 250. Good deals all around.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FuzzFace2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/02/2022 at 8:32pm
Yes Ford after 75 used the DSII IGN system and they work pretty good just like the Prestolite till they fail.
I have a factory 75 Gremlin with a 304 that uses Prestolite dist. and had I think the pick up coil in the dist. go bad because changing the box and checking wires & plugs did not get the spark back.
I say "think" as I needed to move the car and swapped in a Mallory pointless dist.

Speaking of points the new points you get today are junk, more like the condensers are bad.
Over time they go bad sitting on the shelf and being used in the dist. they also dont last forever.
So just know if you go with points you can also have issues.

Now for the DSII boxes and bad ones out of the box. 
This is also a issue with Fords, yes I have a 81 F100 pick up I did a 4 year cab off frame rebuild on.
Mine was leaking the potting down the inner fender and before it stopped working I replaced it.

Now what everyone should know there are low price parts and a high price parts and you get what you pay for. I went with a top of the line NAPA box and it has been running great for a year now and I put miles on this truck summer, high 90's, and winter, low 20's.

Oh you have to ask for the top of the line parts because the counter people always go for the cheap ones because that is what everyone wants but not you!
Just my .02
Dave ----
TSM = Technical Service Manual

75 Gremlin X v8 for sale
70 Javelin 360/auto drag car
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mr_Roboto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/03/2022 at 11:17pm
Originally posted by vinny vinny wrote:

I have a spare 232 engine that had an old Prestolite distributor, not the one you guys are referring to. They are very reliable. A fellow that had a problem with the one you refer to asked for mine and I sent it to him. The defective distributor comes back with a surprise $50 bill under the cap. I pull the gear off it to put on the HEI that I had removed from a subsequently scrapped Chev 250. Good deals all around.  

Nothing wrong with a big cap HEI. I really wish GM would have made a computer controlled variant for people like me who want to do EFI stuff. I think they would have been really great for EFI retrofits.

The aftermarket for a large cap HEI is about as limitless as any ignition system out there I'd argue, and you can do neat stuff like get an adapter that lets you run an external coil which is handy and corrects what's probably one of the more contested parts of an HEI (running the coil in the cap.)

I had looked at PNs before but never found one that was EFI ready. If anyone knows of one that'd be really fantastic, it would save me some fabrication.


Edited by Mr_Roboto - Jul/03/2022 at 11:23pm
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tomj View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2022 at 12:08am
The Duraspark distributor is fine, but the module is as FSjunkie says. 

I have a 195.6 OHV distributor hacked up with a Duraspark reluctor setup and a 4 pin HEI module attached beneath. It works great. Tight fit. I didn't do the conversion. 
1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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