So for our Y Block Fans, What distributor did you go with and why? I have a 292 and wanted to do some research on what has worked well. In the box ready to run style, or did you use a petronix rebuild?
Pertronix. Some of the old timers don't like to feel dizzy so go ahead and make it for a distributor though.
Was kind of letting our friends in OZ play along, kind of like a Carby. For others its spinning around in a chair....the result...
T Bird 312 guy here. Tried the Pertronix - twice actually and fried em both times. Back to points and a properly set up curve in my "dizzy" That's my story and I'm stickin to it ! Oldmics
Pertronix has been working well in my Model A and SBC for years but it fried in my 1959 292. Back to points
How about on a Load-a-matic 368 Y-block? I have the engine on a stand right now so any suggestions? Still running the teapot carb and it runs just fine, but I was thinking Pertronix while its apart. Now maybe not.
Oldmics,are you using the stock distb or something else,I just had a 312 rebuilt, nothing fancy its in a 2 ton truck,its 30 over and all else is stock,running an Eldebrock 4 barrel and it looks like the dist out of the 272 was used it only has vacume advance, does the 312 run with vac and mechinal advances. Thanks. Aaron
For the 368 - find a 57 dizzy from a 368 that has both advances OR change out the drive gear on any old Y Block dizzy (57 and later of course) to the 368 drive gear to have both advances,then change out the T Pot carb and away you go! Again,I would stay with points. (I also have a 57 M335 optioned - 368 Mercury wagon) Oldmics
Aaron Its just a stock dizzy BUT make sure you use a 57 and later dizzy that has both vacuum and centrifical advance. Oldmics
What Oldmic says. I changed to a 57 distributor , points for me . To install a newer carb you have to use a riser block because of the manifold . I have a couple of original 56 dist. and a teapot carb that would be available . Also have 3 368s but they are not available
I converted my 57 to a 70's Duraspark electronic ignition sys. A bit more work than a Pertronics but it works great.
Had a ball bearing points plate, added a pertronix II. Went to Advance Auto and got a rebuilt '62 w/ points for less than $50 about a year ago. Both have been dialed in, the one out of the box was right on. If I finish the car, I may get to report which is better, but starting off with the points first til broke in and all adjusted.
Just reread and you say find a 368 dist with "both advances". Meaning what? Mine has what appears to be two stacked vacuum advances. Is that what you mean? Someone already converted to 57style spin on oil filter so maybe changed distributor too? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Thank you Oldmic,this one is just the vacume and I had read that the later one was needed but never got conformation on it,what puzzled my on this engine is that it ran like the hounds of hell were after it the truck is set up as a roll back car hauler and I had my S15 loaded on it and the throttle just didn't have a bottom to it this bitch would run, but it left oil everywhere it went, it needed rings,rocker shafts, valve guides and bearings and ran with only the vacume advance on it, but I'll look for the later one for it. Thankyou.
Meaning that the 1957 distributor used both vacuum and centrifical advance. The distributor that you have that is two stacked vacuum units is the older "load o matic" unit. The 57 distributor is easy to calibrate for advance curves and works well with the 57 and later carburetor. For best performance replace both the dizzy and carb. Oldmics
Theres really nothing wrong with a load o matic setup IF and I repeat IF it works properly. The load o matic distributor requires serious (read expensive) calibration equipment and the proper knowledge to setup which few people have these days. They also need to be spotlessly clean to continue to function as designed. While I have the proper equipment to do so I have not set one up. On a 50 plus year old car they are misunderstood , neglected and usually pretty cruddy leading to improper performance. Oldmics
Ok, I read up on the load o matic dist, they work on the orginal carb but I wouldn't think they'd work on an 4 barrel Eldebrock would they,the Elde isn't set up with the venturi vacume.
MSD distrbutors are nice when you can get them. Converting the late model stock distributors to duraspark is very good option ,seeing how its the same trigger system that msd uses in all their distributors. A good distrbutor guy can pull it off. You can trigger an msd box with or an hei amplifier with it. The other option is to take a 302 distributor and lengthen the shaft and use a y block gear as the bodies are the same. They need to be 5" from the block register on the distributor body to the bottom of the gear.
Which is exactly one of the reasons to upgrade to a 57 and later dizzy which has both vacuum and centrifical advance. Oldmics
Thanks for all the info Oldmics. I feel much better prepared for swap meet shopping now. As mine runs really well except for being a bit cold blooded maybe I'll leave well enough alone until I gather parts and then consider a complete swap.
I've recently picked up a Mallory Rev-Pol distributor for my Y-Block. Waiting for a few parts for it, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs. Keep you posted
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