Need advice/help with selecting a new distributor for my 67. The one i have now has been converted from points by the previous owner. My setup is a 79 351W, holley double pump 600 cfm, cam (unknown, may be a e-303), stock heads, edelbrock intake, msd ignition box , msd coil. I am aware of the " If it isnt broke dont F*** with it " deal but i do have a chance to get one. What aftermarket distributor should i be looking for? I would like to stick wuth msd because that is my setup but im open to hearing all opinions/Options . Thanks in advance l - johnny
If your setup is working, not only will you not experience an improvement by putting something else there, but you are likely to introduce significant trouble.
While the actual hardware you’re using is not going to affect your power levels (except in regard to reliability!) you may discover that setting your timing, changing your spark plugs, and verifying that your plug wires are in good shape can grant you significant power and throttle response!
Even the old single points-type distributors actually work very well, so long as you’re working with an engine that isn’t revving much past 5k. They make a very hot, fat spark and (aside from the maintenance) are in many ways superior to more modern triggering methods.
That said, your MSD box should really be doing a great job, at least until it dies. The new stuff being made for our cars is often pretty sketchy at best.
Whatever you do, avoid going to an HEI unit. I freely admit, I hate the way they look - but on a function-only and genuinely unbiased take, many of them are very badly and cheaply made junk. The ones with the coil built into the top also tend to overheat and burn up the coil with monotonous regularity. They do not fit with most original air cleaners, and you have to get a big curved Monte Carlo bar to go around it (which won’t stiffen your suspension much).
One possibility here if you are determined to ignore all “leave it alone” advice, would be to look at Progression Ignition’s bluetooth-programmable units. They will allow you to adjust timing and ignition curves with your phone, even while you are driving around. Is it worth the admission price? Probably not. But it’s neat. =)
The distributor from a mid - 1970’s 351 pickup truck has the Duraspark module that is used in every MSD ignition distributor. So it is perfectly capable of triggering any MSD or aftermarket box of any brand. The factory distributors have superior engineering and adjustability compared to anything the aftermarket offers.
