New to this cougar forum. Recently bought a 68 cougar xr7 gt S code 390. It has an MSD 6AL distributor and ignition system which I’m not really fond of and want to replace. I need to know if anyone can tell me which stock style distributor I need. Car was built in California but all the smog equipment was removed. I don’t want to put it back to original with all the smog equipment. The engine is a 390. And a 4 speed manual transmission. I’ve seen different distributors with different vacuum advance setups. Even some with no vacuum advance. I think I want a stock distributor with single vacuum advance pod made for a manual transmission. Then I would put a pertronix system in it. Any ideas or distributor part numbers would be very appreciated.
The MSD 6AL is a great ignition. My preference is to run a stock distributor with a pertronix to trigger the MSD. The stock distributor is quite adjustable and looks proper on the engine. Unless you desire the billet look. Just don’t fall into the trap of getting a GM style distributor made to fit. Pertronix makes a new distributor that drops into a Ford with a GM small cap design. It’s too tall. The distributors that are GM HEI with the big cap don’t look very good to me on a Ford. It’s fine on a GM because you can hide it with the air cleaner. Avoid the Chinese no-name distributors on e-bay, they are junk.
Stock your car would have had C8OF 12127-D with a dual vacuum advance. They are out there to be had. You could fit a single advance to one if you wanted, and of course a Pertronix module.
Was looking for same, but seems that model is fairly pricey.
I obtained a rebuilt Cardone unit from Faron Rhodes…he goes through them and rebuilds them, checking clearances, installs adjustable advance, and recurve them based on car and conditions. I would have preferred an OE though.
Havnt installed mine yet…waiting until I install factory style 4 barrel intake.
There’s a C8OF-12127-D for sale on ebay right now.
I paid somewhere around $700-800 for separately for my distributor and the HP6 vacuum advance and then another few hundred to have them rebuilt and restored. The distributors appear more often than the vacuum advance units from what I have seen. Sometimes good deals pop up.
Royce is correct that the manual uses the dual vacuum advance unit with the C8OF 12127-D distributor. The single advance was designed for the automatic transmission 390 GT’s. The distributor for the automatics should be the C7OF 12127-F. This distributor is harder to find then the C8OF 12127-D. Some of the literature out there is not correct so it can be confusing.
Thanks for the info. I was afraid the dual vacuum advance was what was on this engine. I’m just not sure how the dual vacuum system is hooked up but I will just have to study up on it. But I’m wondering if the dual vacuum was for the California smog system which I will not have. Any one know a part number for the pertronix distributor. Thanks for your help.
Royce will check me on this, but I believe the dual diaphragm was to aid overheating that the early hotter emissions thermostats (and possibly leaner jetting and lazier centrifugal advance curves) and was coupled to a special coolant sensor. If you’ve got your engine - cooling system combination running nicely, the dual diaphragm is a concours-only item that can be set aside and replaced.
R.B.
Ok. That’s what I wanted to know. Thanks for the info. Now I can concentrate on a single vacuum advance distributor.
Complete Pertronix distributor? If you are running a stock air cleaner assy it will lay on top of the distributor because it’s taller than the stock Ford. If that doesn’t bother you, then go for it. BTW, the Pertronix distributors do not come with an adjustable vacuum advance. To me they are junk.
Ok, maybe trying to find a good used distributor with right advance set up is rather unlikely. Not sure of brand of new one that would be comparable to a good used one. Maybe a card one??? With a pertronix unit in place of points. Ideas???
As I mentioned earlier, I obtained a cardone unit through Faron. This link has a few others that build / recurve them, you can add your Pertronix unit. I only went this route as I didn’t want to pay the price for a correct OE unit, but wanted factory look. My OE distributor was replaced in 2008 by original owner, so I didn’t have the factory unit anyways.
When I was looking, was told Mustang Barn also provided distributor rebuild / recurve services.
Thanks for the info. Ever heard of WAI world power distributor??? Hate to buy a new one and then have to pay to have it modified to work properly.
I’ve never heard of them, but that doesn’t mean much.
I don’t know if old Ford distributors wear out on the shaft/bushing or advance mechanisms, so I wanted someone to go through mine to check just to be safe. Think I paid 250 for everything…still quite a bit cheaper than finding a correct OE unit in my situation. Others may want/need the OE unit though.
Ok. Thanks. Think I’ll keep looking for an original distributor for awhile. Maybe one will show up on eBay.
There are many common FE distributors that can be re - curved to match the specs of any that you would want. The most common is the C7AF 12127-AA. All over eBay. They were originally for 390-2V Galaxie, full size Mercury, and some pickups. Ford made millions of them.
Still searching for a distributor for a 390 4v, 4spd From what I have received on this forum and other research, it looks like the C-80F-12127-D is probably the one I need. But I’m not sure about the double vacuum advance as to how to install both vacuum lines. Is it possible to just use one that would be for ignition advance or do both have to be hooked up to work?? Anyone know what both advance ports are used for?? Thanks for any info.
If you could find a brand new C80F 12127-D distributor and installed it as shown in your copy of the factory shop manual it would run great and work fine.
Unfortunately Ford quit making those 50 something years ago. To find even a rebuildable core these days will be rare and expensive. That’s why, unless you are striving for a super correct restoration where every OEM number is correct, you would want to start with something like this:
Then install new bushings and a new vacuum advance. Either points or a Pertonix can be used. Get the advance specifications set by someone like Faron to use today’s gasoline. Because you don’t have any 50+ year old gasoline either.
The single advance / dual advance thing was used as a way to meet emission standards of the day. You want a single vacuum advance that will connect to the ported vacuum on your carburetor, single type. You are not governed by 50+ year old pollution laws, they don’t apply to collector cars.
There are ways that modern vehicles use to eliminate vacuum advance. You can’t afford all that stuff so no reason to consider it or discuss it.
Thanks for the good info. I’m not into completely original so the single advance is what I’m looking for. Are the aftermarket advance mechanism any good. Any brand better than others?? I will use a pertronix set up.