I’m a fan of stock distributors. <y two choices are a Ford points distributor with a Pertronix or a Ford Duraspark with an MSD 6AL ignition box.
You may not need a whole distributor. Just put a vacuum advance on there. When the guy broke it, did he break the casting of the distributor where the vacuum advance mounts? If the body of the distributor is fine, just buy a CARQUEST V-309 or what ever store you go to have them cross reference V-309.
So my prior recommendation still stands, however, one question, is the vacuum advance still on the distributor, just broken? or is it taken off?
If you have nothing there, the points plate could be moving around, or maybe isn’t where he thought it was if he tied it back. Need to get a timing light on it.
However, overall, your build should be very easy on fuel once you get it dialed in, it is a nice combo. Almost like a baby CJ in personality.
I ran the numbers and you end up with 9.75:1 static, 7.50:1 dynamic, and .056 quench, which is on the high side of good, but still WAY better than Ford did it. Absolutely no changes from what I typed before, get that carb set up right, and then have the distributor recurved, you’ll be amazed at how nice it runs.
I will say, that with the money you likely have in that build, maybe send the carb to someone sharp on carbs. Drew Podjenic is a Ford carb rebuilder in Georgia, he restores them, and assuming yours is an original or similar, he can get it all dialed in, test run and back to you…ruling out that. Same time, a guy buy the name of Wes Adams in Oregon (I think) or Faron Rhoads in PA can do the distributor, and by the time you got both back you’d be tearing up the roads
So as far as the distributor, he broke the vacuum advance, and than he welded the housing and added the pertronix unit. So If I wanted a vacuum advance I would need to get a new distributor, hoping to use the pertronix unit if possible, and have to get information on setting it up and what to set the timing at
The engine guy did rebuild the carburetor.
Also based on the number you calculated what gas would you recommend
Can you take a picture of the distributor? Specifically at the area the vac advance bolts on, and then under the cap straight down
I am going to be very blunt, I am not sure I trust your guy with the carb rebuild after welding up a distributor when he likely could have swapped it cheaply. It’s not like you were saving a core, when it’s welded on anyway. Also, I’d like tos ee what he welded if you didn’t mind sharing. Although that 600 Holley is a pretty easy carb to rebuild, the biggest thing I see is guys trying to outthink Holley and changing things around and/or using cheap kits
However, with the engine you have, IF the carb and timing is right, you should be able to run 87 octane all day long. My hunch is you have a carb problem first, combined with a distributor problem
One like this would accept your Pertronix unit:
Then have it tested and re - curved if necessary. Faron Rhoades offers this service, he is on Facebook.
Listen to Royce. If you can get a good, American-rebuilt distributor that has been rebushed (in fact, not just claimed), it’s worth the premium over a parts supply chain one. Then, after you’re running well, dive into any details of advance curve and relative amounts of centrifugal vs vacuum advance.
Later, a pair of these will be your friend. PM me later and I will send you a set free.
R.B,
First, I understand that I am a new guy, and although Royce knows me, I am still the FNG here. I also understand as a guy who grew up in Ware, MA, when talking to New Englanders, I am one or two comments from being put in my place when dealing with people from MA, and expect nothing less 
However, I probably wouldn’t drop a rebuilt distributor in without a professional on it first. The rebuilds are notorious for having the gear at the wrong depth, have unknown advance, and it doesn’t sound like the owner is going to pull the plate and change which slot or check depth and redrill. So he ends up still not knowing where he is. The couple week delay after getting the distributor is wise to make sure he doesn’t spit a pin into the pan and hurt the fresh engine along with being able to know the curve and just set and forget timing.
In the end though, if the upper advance plate is fixed somehow, not flopping around or using the wires to hold it in place, then he can set total timing, leave initial where it lies for now, and figure out why either the accelerator pump or transition circuit is not working, which is the real issue I think. In fact, my gut tells me he has the primaries open too far and is already in the transition circuit, causing the hesitation
I refer to my first sentence again, but knowing what he has in a distributor means just dropping it, setting it at 14, and getting it completely out of the equation
I think you make a good point. Just because I grew up with Ford distributors I have a bias that this is second nature, which it’s not.
Mario, check your private messages.
Thanks for the pictures, here is the tough part. It looks like he did nice work, but if you pull the cap and look at where the Pertronix bolts to, there is an advance plate.
A Ford distributor has two advance mechanisms. Way under the plate is a pair of centrifugal weights and springs that adjust the rotor slightly to advance with RPM.
No need to go this deep, but for an example, here is the mechanical advance
The vacuum advance does it differently, the arm off of it grabs this movable plate and pulls it to advance my moving the points (or in this case Pertronix)
Externally yours looks fine, but if he did not somehow lock the plate that the Pertronix bolts to, if he did not somehow lock that plate since the vacuum advance no longer hold it, it could be moving around, or at best, imprecisely located by the Pertronix wires.
If you look at the little arm and clip at the 2:00 position, behind the red ignition module, you can see how the vacuum advance holds the “points” plate in place at rest. If he welded up the hole but didn’t fashion a lock for the points plate, then you could be dealing with some of the odd ignition advance behavior you are seeing (pinging and or starting hard)
If you are willing to pop the distributor cap and snap some more pictures, we can see what he did in there
When I pulled off the air cleaner , I noticed this
Spot under the accelerator pump and around carb on manifold
I hope the non-Ford screws I see tacked the vacuum advance plate (that the Pertronix mounts on) to the plate below it. You need to do that when you convert a vacuum advance distributor to pure centrifugal. Make sure that plate can’t swivel at all - beyond the tiny play between gear and camshaft. It appears your guy knew that; that socket head screw seems to be disabling the plate’s pivot.
So this install looks correct
Is that plate the Pertronix is attached to anchored well in all dimensions?
My guess is the allen head bolt, as RB pointed out, is locking the plate. However, you could try to twist it with your fingers. The plate that the Pertronix is bolted to, should not move at all, if it is loose, you will know it as it will rotate around. Likely good
That accelerator pump sure doesn’t look like a rebuilt carb though! How long ago was it done? My guess is that you likely don’t get two good streams, and it could be adjusted incorrectly too.
You need another distributor. The guy wasted a lot of time turning yours into a useless one.
I gotta agree with Royce. A mechanical-only distributor is used for high speed racing applications and is terrible on the street, giving poor gas mileage and street performance.
So is it better to get the stock rebuilt distributor and add my Pertronix unit ( is this something that is straight forward, or see if I can get help with this). Or is there another distributor I should look at
