looking for the smallest distributor for a 302

Alan Vanhollebeke · #1 (**permalink**) 05-27-2003, 07:23 PM

Title says it all. the engine compartment of the GT40 is tighter than I expected & there's not enough room for my MSD pro billet.

Who makes the smallest dist for a 302??? Mallory/Accel???

Rick Parker · #2 (**permalink**) 05-27-2003, 08:29 PM

Mallory is smaller diameter.
You could eliminate the distributor altogether, use crank fire and coil pack with MSD box and electronic ignition advance feature, much like current OEM.

Rick

Double Venom · #3 (**permalink**) 05-27-2003, 08:35 PM

Nice set up too!
Need to make up a "cover" for the distributor hole in the block though. Or, are they supplying those now?

DV...I need a cookie!

petek · #4 (**permalink**) 05-27-2003, 09:10 PM

Alain, go with the crank trigger. It'll clean up the tight area in the front of the engine and you won't have to worry about engine timing at all.

Hmmm... or change over to a Chevy motor!

Tinker51 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-28-2003, 12:26 AM

If you use a late 70's truck distributor you get the small cap but it is set up for electronic ignition. I don't recall the Ford part number but I can get it if you need it.

Cobra20646 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-28-2003, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Double Venom

Nice set up too!
Need to make up a "cover" for the distributor hole in the block though. Or, are they supplying those now?

DV...I need a cookie!

Which brings up my question........

how does the oil pump get energized? I guess that "cover" comes with the gear and shaft huh?

- Jim - did I hear someone say cookie?

Alan Vanhollebeke · #7 (**permalink**) 05-28-2003, 05:34 AM

I may have found a very compact unit.
It is a special mallory unilite made for supercharger clearance and it is only about 6.5 inches tall.
It has a flat top cap with all the wire posts sticking out of the sides.
Of course it is a 300$ dist, but that's still less $$$& work than converting to crankfire.

Double Venom · #8 (**permalink**) 05-28-2003, 05:44 AM

Well, darn Jim, that is a good question! I believe Don simply cut a distributor in half and then made a cover for it. Think I'll see if I can get a picture of his work today and post it. (It's the 351 motor he put together for the Daytona Cp. that Tony won last year at the Fling.)

DV... cookies, I definately need some cookies!

SFfiredog · #9 (**permalink**) 05-28-2003, 12:52 PM

before you go out and buy a new distributor MSD makes a new, smaller base cap that will fit your pro billet. I don't have the part # handy but you can find it on the MSD website.
--Mike

Alan Vanhollebeke · #10 (**permalink**) 05-28-2003, 05:10 PM

Thanks Mike, I'll check the msd site.
I called mallory tech today & they weren't very much help.

DavidWard · #11 (**permalink**) 05-28-2003, 06:51 PM

MSD-8579. It's small cap and low profile.

David

Alan Vanhollebeke · #12 (**permalink**) 05-30-2003, 05:14 AM

the MSD 8579 is the dist I have. I called MSD & they don't make a smaler cap for it.

Also double xhecked with mallory & the flat top dist they make is for supercharged apps &only has around 20deg of advance.

looks like I'm going to have to try a mallory unilte & hope the cap is smaller than my MSD. I asked the tech guy at mallory what the size of the cap was, but he only gave me max diameter & not the spec I wanted wghich is distance from spark plug posts on top.

trularin · #13 (**permalink**) 05-30-2003, 05:51 AM

Mallory UniLight ( spelling ). Fits under my Cobra air cleaner. No other one does that on mine. Tried Accel and MSD, too high.

Hope this helps.

Trularin

Tinker51 · #14 (**permalink**) 05-30-2003, 12:15 PM

Seems to me I have seen aftermarket caps that was "rewired" internally so the plug wires were out the side instead of the top and set up so the wires for the right bank were on the right side etc etc. I seem to recall seeing this on several hot rods recently. Don't have any info but maybe someone here does. Maybe that will work for you.

SFfiredog · #15 (**permalink**) 05-30-2003, 12:26 PM

Sorry Alan,
I thought you might have the standard (large)MSD pro-billet distributor,
not the 8579 smaller profile unit. The 8579 fits will plenty of room to spare on the CAV GT-40 I worked on. Your car must be tighter.
The Mallory Unilite has the smallest diameter and height of all the aftermarket distributors available. If that doesn't fit you will be hard pressed to find something that will. One other solution, as the other members posted, is a DIS set-up. Elecromotive makes a neat set up and has all the components for a complete small block Ford installation. Check out www.directignition.com for details.
HTH,
--Mike

Alan Vanhollebeke · #16 (**permalink**) 05-30-2003, 04:31 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I am going to order & try a unilite. If it is just about 1/4 inch smaller in diameter between plug wire post, it should fit.

Rick Parker · #17 (**permalink**) 05-30-2003, 09:51 PM

Alan:

What is it interfearing with? What is the actual fitament problem?

Rick

Alan Vanhollebeke · #18 (**permalink**) 05-30-2003, 10:21 PM

There is a 2x2 frame crossmember that is horizontal right under the rear window. It has a half moon type cutout in it for dist clearance, but with the MSD two or the plug wire posts come so close that there's no way you can put wires on them,,,,,& even if you could, the first time the engine rocked a little it will hit.

I need the posts for the plug wires to be closer together than the MSD unit does.

trularin · #19 (**permalink**) 06-03-2003, 05:22 AM

Alain, I should point out that I have the standard cap Mallory uses, but the wires are at 90 degrees.

I found as much as an inch difference between the Mallory and Accel.

Hope this helps.

Alan Vanhollebeke · #20 (**permalink**) 06-03-2003, 05:29 AM

Thanks, I have a mallory unilite ordered & it shouuld be here Thursday. I'll try it right away to see if it will work.