I run a Unilite. Love 'em. But Jim has a good handle on ignition too. If you got points already there is nothing in the world wrong with them. They make fire and that's half of the equation.
Yeah,,they work great,,,,until it doesn’t . Then you’re parked,,,with no warning ! Like the man said,,,carry a spare,,or use points. Tommy
I had a spare but sore as hell after pushing car about a block to a parking lot. Just didnt want to spend 60 bucks for a spare if these were just as good (or bad ).
Sorry chainsaw , I just realized you were asking about the off brand replacement part . I couldn’t advise on if they are a quality replacement or not,,,I only used original Unilite parts back in the day ,,,that was all I could find back then . And yes,,,the factory module is way ,way too expensive. To be honest,,,all it is ,,,is a light that is broken as the wheel spins around. I don’t see why the cheaper replacement part might not be just as good,,,,it might even be the original vendor,,,,,who knows ? Tommy
What ? That they don't last ? Hmmmm...mine is 35 yes old and has been in 4 engines , the 1st was CA's circle track engine(2 seasons) the others have been on the street , at least 150k miles, still works fine......
The point is , if they're installed properly in a vehicle without electrical problem ( bad electrical components , bad grounds )With a power filter and given the operator doesn't do something like weld on the car or arc the battery. , they'll last, simple rules that are supplied with the instructions , you should have no trouble , and you'll have a hotter , more precise , spark.....
I do not know about the module shown . the old Mallory ones had a undeserved bad reputation I believe. I ran a couple on the street never had a failure. have been around equipment that ran a lot! that had them .they were pretty durable. but have seen a few failures .they would run so long the bushing would wear till the rotor cap would wear a groove in the module which made a lot of dust till it covered up the light. even then you could clean out the dust & they would work.
Junk........Never again......And have not since the 80's......... Wish you all the best,as in good luck!
I have ran 3 different unilite distributors in OT vehicles for many years & miles with no issues..... with that being said; I know there have been countless failures & it’s old technology. There are so many better options available now. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
On a side note... I drove a 356 Porsche across country with a pertronix... I will 100% stand behind those! 3 month's on the west coast an back to NY... An yes I had the points, didn't need...
The one advantage I see would be at upper RPM's and no point bounce. But in reality how high do you have to spin an engine to makes the points flutter? Forget the maintenance thing, kinda nice once a year or so to pop the cap and see what's going on anyways
Just to be the devil's advocate here (I still run a unilite) Jim @squirrel runs consistent 10s (he don't have enough roll cage to go faster that that) on points with a car that he uses for a grocery getter. Someone mentioned that the unilite works until it doesn't. All electronic ignition is the same way, they either work or they don't. A lot of guys worry about power surge taking one out, they are a little more susceptible to that than most magnetic electronic units. Mallory used to sell a surge protector for them but you can make your own with an inline fuse. They pull 1 amp per 1000 RPM, so if you are running a *7,000 RPM motor your surge protector becomes a 7 amp fuse. easy peezy. *7000 is a number I pulled out of my butt for an example only.
I ran one years back...with...NO problems. Used it until I sold the car. Don't recall the miles, but it was many years on my daily driver. I do know...that if you run one, do not use a high power ignition box. That will destroy it. Mike
Having a reliable ground connection on the unilite helps, too....but it's still a "black box" that can fail at any time.
Back in the early '90's I went to the Super Shops and bought a Mallory Unilite for my avatar car. After the second warranty replacement I told them to credit me against a MSD 6 series and have never looked back.
There's even a cheaper one made in China for sale on Ebay. I bought one as a spare. Also used the 6100M module that did work for a while. Got tired of buying 605 modules. For the price of 3 of them you can buy a new distributor. Finally installed a Pertronix kit and matching coil. No more problems.
I had two of the big red MSD boxes fail me on trips in two different cars... left me walking in strange towns. Makes points sound pretty good.
Well...... Every one I ever sold failed.. Stopped selling them..period. Fast forward a bit.. Been a bit obsessed with 94 / 96 LT 1 5.7.. Owned 4 of them now..ex cop cars.. Stupid fast for a big ole 4 door barge.. However..... Gm optispark... Every one I've owned has been a most unreliable POS.. including the current 95 sitting dead in the driveway.. Never again will I own ANY vehicle with an optical distributor... 94 caprice 9C1 for sale super cheap. Dave Sent from my SM-G973U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I recleaned all my grounds down to bare metal & replaced the engine to frame ground which looked pretty bad . Have to drive some to see if it helped .
Its been 35 years . I have a resistor.? .Since I talked with Mallory back then , I'd say you need one, don't think I would have used one without their recommendation.
I had one in a SBF for a few years, no problems. I would run it but carry a spare set of points and stuff just in case, that way you know it won't fail.
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