This past summer I installed a Mallory Max-Fire Distributor 1248204 and Mallory E-coil 30440. Since my purchase, Mallory has been taken over by MSD and the dist'r and coil are no longer in production. However, the dist'r is still available at Summit for a reduced price http://www.summitracing.com/int/part...8204/overview/ and MSD has a matching coil available. This dist'r will require an external coil and coil wire. I used a coil wire kit from Taylor as I already have Taylor Spiro Pro wires for the spark plugs, not that it would make any difference but I just wanted to match the wires. It should be noted that solid core plug wires cannot be used with this dist'r.

Below are few pics of the installation. The distributor is installed using the same procedure for any other dist'r. One nice advantage with this dist'r is the absence of a vacuum can so you can install it in any orientation you prefer which I did take advantage of in order to run the shortest coil wire to the dist'r for a cleaner appearance. I don't like clutter and wires all over the place. The dist'r also has a built-in multi-spark capacitive discharge i.e. no external box required. I mounted the coil on the firewall just to the left of the wiper motor. I used a standoff kit for the four coil mounting holes to allow the existing windshield washer hose to retain it's original routing. I was also able to retain the factory ignition shielding but did need to put a small notch in the bottom of the shield in way of the dist'r cap fastening screw. It's hardly noticeable. I tee'd into the existing vacuum hose at the back of my intake and connected the hose to the brass vacuum nipple on the bottom of the dist'r. Again, for a cleaner look, I purchased a three pin weather pak plug to complete the wiring from the coil to the dist'r. The dist'r uses the full 12V from the existing pink ignition wire. I did not need to use any ballast wire or block for the coil. I checked this with Mallory tech line at the time of purchase. install complete.

Before I started the car, I had an initial advance curve in mind that needed programming into the dist'r. I could fine tune at a later date. I have an old desktop computer in my garage that I used at one time to tune my Harley. I installed the Mallory software, connected the computer to the dist'r programming plug via a serial cable, turned the ignition key to the 'on' position to supply power to the dist'r and took an initial reading of the advance curve in the dist'r. The user interface with the software is simple and the instructions in the Mallory manual are good with suggestions for curves or selection of a couple of canned curves. I programmed mine with a mech'l advance of 20* based on my initial advance of 12* at that time just to get the car started. I also programmed the vacuum advance limiting it to 10* full at 16" vacuum. The dist'r still requires a vacuum signal even though the curve is done electronically. Car fired right up! I verified my curve parameters with a timing light. It was spot on! Time for a test drive! What can I say, it works as advertised.

 

Thanks for the review! I am glad it works as easy as it seems. I was worried there might be a catch somewhere. I bought a box of parts from a friend and this was in it. It has about 10min of run time on it. He no longer had the software CD, so I will have to find the software somewhere, but other than that it sounds like a pretty simple install and easy to adjust. Better than messing with weights! I like the fact I can keep the chrome shield too.

Just curious, why can't solid core wires be used? I was not planning to I just like to know what they affect.

 

Not sure why solid core can't be used. Maybe 69427 can shed some light on this. In my second pic you can see where I notched the shield. I could have easily avoided this by using a longer coil wire and re-orientating the dist. To set my initial timing, I just programmed the dist to begin advancing at 1200 rpm and then reduced my rpm below that to set the initial. I played with limiting the advance plate on my old hei with filing down screw heads to get the desired mech'l advance. The method worked but how time consuming to file a bit, install, check timing, uninstall, file a bit more, re-install, check timing......... A few hours later, you get the advance you want. Then you had to address the vacuum advance. I accomplish the same thing now in a matter of minutes, not hours. I like to tweak so the cost was acceptable to me and I paid full price at the time. Imho, if someone is serious about curving their dist'r, this is the way to go.

 

I like how the Mallory dist is all in one, no box and vac hook up is under. I also like how it uses a larger cap than the basic msd. I use a hei external coil adapter and mounted my Mallory coil in the same spot, but mine is up. Still I'm gonna move it inside the cab since I deleted the AC/heat.

edit: Also like how you can set it w/o a laptop.

 

Because the dist is computer control timing and RF EMI or w/e

 

Go here at the bottom of the page. There is the link to download the software.

http://info.mallory-ignition.com/support.html

 

Are you mounting inside due to concerns of over heating the coil? I mounted my coil down to avoid any clearance issues with a closed hood.

 

I had no issue on my 77 with hood clearance mounted up, but I have no insulation on the hood so idk if that would matter for some and I used a MSD coilwire FYI. Yah I was gonna try inside for less heat. Heatsinks aren't one-way streets and can absorb heat too and it gets pretty hot under the hood of these cars. I've felt my coil/heatsink and it was pretty hot before, same coil part number.

 

It doesn't get above 100F here and rarely over 90F so underhood temps I'm hoping won't be an issue. My stock 7-blade clutch fan blows copious amounts of air so I hope some of that is reaching the firewall. Like I mentioned earlier, I haven't got a lot of miles on it in any hot weather.

 

I don't think it'll be a big issue just heat reduces output and in a competitive perf app you want it all

Here is an older pic that shows mine.

 

There's some boring-to-most-people physics that explains it in greater detail, but essentially when the plug begins to arc over there's a big current spike through the plug wire (because of no current-limiting resistance in the wire, or plug), and this makes a pretty efficient radio/EMI transmitter. And, due to the close proximity of the distributor module wiring harness to the plug wires, the harness wires function like a receiving antenna (connected straight to the distributor module). You can end up with high amplitude, high frequency electrical pulses entering and traveling through the harness into the module, where it tries to tell the module to do odd signal shape processing, and also possibly conducting high amplitude negative spikes (similar to connecting the battery backwards on and off quickly) which the internal integrated circuits are not always sufficiently designed to deal with. The internal ICs tend to lose their mind when signals of excessive amplitude or incorrect polarity bombard them. If the module IC loses its mind and temporarily shuts down, it's a short term inconvenience. If the module IC keeps functioning, but turns the coil off (the plug firing point!) at the wrong times (and burning or breaking a piston), it can be a long term, expensive inconvenience.
It's just always safer to have some resistance in the wire/plug circuit to reduce the efficiency of the plug wires acting like radiating antennae.

 

Mallory has always had good stuff I used the Unilite in my vette for years. The first digital dizzy was the MSD e-tech which I still use. The setting are just small dials.

The next better model was the Crane cams digital with better setting choices than the MSD

Mallory is nice because of the laptop changes, but I have to have small caps

 

Can you be a bit more specific? Thank you for chiming in with your explanation.

 

I have the ability to program my mech'l advance in three steps. Example: 10* starting at 800 rpm, another 5* starting at 1800 and another 3* starting at 2500 rpm and ending at 3000 rpm with 14* initial for 32* total. This curve is not linear. Do you know if there is any great advantage in programming a non-linear curve such as my example where the advance ramps quickly at lower rpm as opposed to a linear curve?

 

I've never messed with non linear advance. I presently use a 20 I plus 12 with 6 degrees of vac added at 16 inches

 

resdoggie

I just installed one of these dist and sent you a pm.

 

Up until you mentioned that this unit had a non-linear (or curvalinear) advance schedule, I was pretty intrigued. But, with that scheduling limitation, I'm doubting the real benefits of this system. Is there some limitation as to how many advance 'points' are entered into the distributors schedule? If not, one could just create a smoother advance curve with many more scheduling points.

But, your info on the system and your discussion about what it can do and what it can't do is very useful to those considering it.

 

Three advance steps. It seemed like a nice setup, but mine is junk and I've tried/tested many things. Nothing left to try, so I'm gonna pull it, sucks I made a new set of wires and they will prob be just too short for the taller HEI or a small cap MSD.

 

I use a linear 'curve' for the mech'l advance but the dist'r programming will allow up to three set points to design a real 'curve'. I may try this in the near future.

 

This is what I am using in my ZZ383

MSD 6530 Programmable unit. You can make any curve you want. Also has many other features mainly for drag racers, eg rev limiter , settings for burn out stage , launch etc which I don't use.

Boost / Vacuum curves every .1 degree vs .1 change in boost/Vacuum

Engine advance .1 degree vs 100 RPM change.





Now this is different in setup since you need to lock out your distributor advance completely. This unit you set the timing to the max advance the engine will ever run at, and it works by adding timing retard as programing.

This is more expensive to setup , requires additional space for mounting hardware. You need to add a map sensor, locked out distributor ( or mod existing dist for lockout ), but once that is all done connect your laptop and enjoy making any curves you want for centrifugal and boost/vacuum advance.

The really nice thing is your can store your curves on your PC and program as required based on your intended use.

It take just seconds to load another curve and you are ready to go. You don't even shut down the engine. Just load and go.

I have stored curves for Drag / Road Course / Street use.

At the drag strip I do most of my tuning testing since I don't need any tools other than the laptop. I tune for MAX MPH

Here is the instructions of the unit I am using. This is the next step up from the MSD e-curve units.

http://documents.msdperformance.com/6530.pdf