Small Mopar Procomp Dist ??

[barthmonster]

Has anyone tried the Procomp small mopar 'ready to run' distributor and are they any good ?? I do realize that MSD makes one like this also ($400).

ebay item # 150303725167

I've picked up a stock '67 Polara and it needs a tune-up. What 'budget' ways are there to convert to Electronic Ignition ??

Thanks a bunch !!

Brad

[dwc43]

Budget wise, go to a junk yard, get the dist. ecu dual ballast and the wiring harness and wire it in to your car. Or you can buy all of that at the parts store and a wiring harness from Mancini. Wont be as good as an MSD set up, but it looks like you want cheap and simple and your not racing after all.

[crisser]

You get what you pay for.

[wilks3]

Or, install a Pertronix points conversion kit.
Eliminates points and the ballast resistor problems.
www.pertronix.com
Summit Racing sells them.

[rampage_82]

Well I can't tell you about the ready to run distributor, but we have run just the billet 8000's, and they are a great little unit. Hell after running these I will never go back to the factory distributors again. However these do take an igniton box of some type...

[barthmonster]

Thanks to all who replied.

I've always liked the pertronix idea, but previous mopar small-block experience tells me that the 156,000 mile distributor is worn-out as far as bushing, etc... I sort of figured if I replace the distributor anyway I may as well go electronic from the get-go.

Looks like it's between the original mopar-electronic setup (available new from summit).

I'm aware also I can get a re-manufactured original distributor and wire it as a trigger for a CD ignition like a Crane HI-6R or Jacobs box...

[dwc43]

All you have to do is cut the plug off the two wires and attach it to the signal wires and you can run it with an MSD box or other type box. Don't bother using a stock type orange box. They pull timing out at higher rpms and they are known to be failure prone. Use a stock black box or a Mopar Performance chrome box. I'd pass on the pertronix unit too. Not a good set up.

[chirorod]

there's a super cheap way to go, if you don't mind not being all mopar. with mopar setup, there is resistor failure. go to the salvage yard. get an electronic dist with vacuum advance from a small block. you're going to need a dist anyway. buy a new 75-80 gm (curse word) ignition module. if they need specific at the parts store, because they can't think, ask for a 75 chevy 350 module. it's a little black thing with 4 prongs on it. make up 4 wires. 2 go from coil to module. 2 go from dist to module. they had some failure rate due to heat, probably because these mounted inside the gm dist. you won't put this inside dist, because it doesn't fit in the mopar dist. instead, take something like a computer heat sink. mount it on the firewall, either side, and mount module to heat sink with some thermo paste. that's how I bypassed the lean burn on my 86 fifth ave. purrs now.

[dwc43]

The gm hei is not any good past 4000 so I don't think I would want to go that route either. Cheap gm junk, that's for sure.

[cageman]

Really, I run 7500 all summer long with my HEI. plus I have it on all of my fleet, that little HEI module is the cats ass. I recently bought a pickup with an orange box on it. I didnt like all the wires so I went to Oreillys, bought a 12 dollar hei module and five minutes later I had a WAY better running truck than I did before. I LOVE HEI modules. I bought another one that same time and got rid of the lean burn on the 85 dippy 318 I put in a 70 Dodge truck. That thing runs like a top now.
My valiant, it has an HEI module on it too, a fancy 40 dollar one. I just put a set of gauges in it and one of them is a shift light in a digital tach, I set the shift light at 6500, it came on a couple times going through the gears, I then hit recall and I buzzed the little 273 7200, Oops, I guess I was late shiftin that one. Cant read the digital letters going through the gears, so it is a nice feature that tach has. Im sure the 273 is capable of more, but the magnum heads Im not so sure on.
I also have never used a heat sink, I just screw em to the firewall. It is the best bang for my 15 dollars I have done to each and every one of my vehicles. My coronet has it, my Modified has it, my Valiant has it, My 70w100 has it, My other 70 w100 has it, my 69 w100 now has it, my 70 sb d100 now has it, my 63 sb d100 has it, my diesel truck used to have it when it was gas, now it is on my 69 slant six d100, my brothers 340 powered race car has it, it turns 7000 grand every race too, my 71 charger race car has it, and next week my 69 flat bed truck is getting a set done too. NOT one has gave me problems, ever. I dont have enough fingers to count how many times I have had to walk because of a chrysler ignition box has went out, or even the couple races I lost. I had better luck with points, lol

[crisser]

Originally Posted by dwc43

The gm hei is not any good past 4000 so I don't think I would want to go that route either. Cheap gm junk, that's for sure.

The 1`st 2 years had that problem. `75 and `76. The `77-`80 is fine. The aftermarket modules are fine. Remember, don`t rob a module from a `81 and up HEI. It won`t operate well at all. Those were used with the CCC computer in those years and used the computer and not dist. weights to advance timing.
All and all, the HEI is the simplist system out there.

[crisser]

The module to use is the top left. The others are used in conjunction with a computer.

[John Kunkel]

Originally Posted by dwc43

The gm hei is not any good past 4000 so I don't think I would want to go that route either.

The stock Mopar black box that you previously recommended is rev limited too.

[dwc43]

Originally Posted by John Kunkel

The stock Mopar black box that you previously recommended is rev limited too.

Not like the hei junk, nor is failure prone like the orange box. Chrome box is the best choice before going MSD though.

[cageman]

How much is a chrome box, I doubt it is any better than my HEI. Heck I probably have as much money in all of my ignitions as one chrome box sells for.
Hasnt happened yet, but if my module were to ever take a crap, I could be anywhere in the country and get an HEI module, couple screws, unlpug a couple wires, and I would be on the road again, I sure like that, I carry a leatherman, so I could easily do it with that. But like I said, IF.
Now that mopar box, you need to have a spare in the vehicle, otherwise your screwed, same with MSD. You need a backup if you depend on that vehicle. Or you could be cool and have one screwed to the firewall ready to go, just like nascrap does. They must sell a lot of MSD off of Nascarp. Everytime I actually watch some of the race, somebody's MSD takes a crap, cant even make it 500 miles, sheesh. No thanks. Common sense says stay away.
I understand some people like to keep it all dodge, but if you have points or a lean burn, or even a stock chrysler box, an HEI module is an improvment for little money.

[dwc43]

What are you talking about? You can get an ecu at any parts house for about $30 bucks or so depending on where you live in the country. Not hard to find at all.

[John Kunkel]

Originally Posted by dwc43

Not like the hei junk,

You really like to use the word "junk", I'll wager that over on some GM forum they're extolling the virtues of the HEI over any other and don't seem to have experienced the failures you claim are rampant..

[dwc43]

Originally Posted by John Kunkel

You really like to use the word "junk", I'll wager that over on some GM forum they're extolling the virtues of the HEI over any other and don't seem to have experienced the failures you claim are rampant..

I've seen it go about 50/50 with the gm junk crowd. Half are somewhat in the know with the brand they like to use and the rest don't. Most of the mag articles I have seen do not like the hei.

[cageman]

Because it is stock, and they sell advertising in magazines, get it, if they dont plug their advertisers, there wouldnt be the great magazines you read, and think is gospel. I dont read any magazines, I think they are all crap, pushing crap down our throats I dont want or need, all in the name of advertising.

[John Kunkel]

Originally Posted by dwc43

Half are somewhat in the know with the brand they like to use and the rest don't.

So, they're like you.

[barthmonster]

Thanks to all who responded.

Car has possible head-gasket issues (water in oil) so it's going to be a winter or spring project now. Leaning towards a stock-style point distributor used as a trigger for an inexpensive CD ignition like maybe Summit Racing.

[dodger1]

I would also consider FBO ignition set-ups. They use a Chrysler electronic dist. with a dialed-in advance curve (you supply the engine specs) and ECU. Heard lots of good things about them, and they are not expensive. I think their website is www.4secondsflat.com , take a look, you may find what you're looking for.

[63Fury]

Originally Posted by barthmonster

Has anyone tried the Procomp small mopar 'ready to run' distributor and are they any good ?? I do realize that MSD makes one like this also ($400).

ebay item # 150303725167

I've picked up a stock '67 Polara and it needs a tune-up. What 'budget' ways are there to convert to Electronic Ignition ??

Thanks a bunch !!

Brad

Brad,

I took the gamble and used that axact one off ebay and it works great! I couldn't be happier. Cheap and easy to install. I'm running it with a superstock accell coil and 8 mm wires, no missing all the way up to 6200 rpm. Also I was happy with the quality when I took it out of the box.

[barthmonster]

thanks so much !