Distributor choices

[Jonk67]

I was still running my original dist. with a Crane XRi electronic conversion and it's been recurved/ tuned up by an old guy with a Sun machine ~4yrs. ago, so I think it's working close to it's peak. I've moved my battery /solenoid to the trunk and now have to run the 'I' wire all the way back up to the dist. to give it the jolt at start up. Trying to finish all the little stuff to get to my first start on a new drivetrain. The stock dist. isn't bad but I don't trust it up to 6K RPM that it may see and I think a newer unit will give me a hotter spark of course.

Rather than go through that additional trouble when i intend to replace the dist. not long after I'm running again I thought I'd pick one now and save the wiring headaches. I'd like to do some 1/4mi., open track, etc. fun with the car and want it running at top tune for this, plan to do some dyno sessions once all upgrades are done (headers that fit AOD, etc.).

I'm looking at stock small size cap dist., don't have room or like the look of the HEI caps. I am debating between using a dist. with a box or w/o. Brands I'm focusing on are Summit and Crane, haven't had good luck with MSD and friends have had issues in the past.

These are the 2 w/o box I'm looking at:
Summit SUM-850303-1 - $180
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-8 ... /make/ford

Crane Pro-Curve 1000-1601 - $380
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/crn-1 ... /make/ford

Of course the $200 difference is a major sticking point for me, is it worth the extra $200 to have the adjustability of 27 electronically programmed "mechanical" advance curves and three electronically programmed "vacuum" advance curves. I had planned to run a vacuum advance as it will primarily be a street car but if there's an advantage to switching to mech. for race days I may consider that.

Should I just trust my stock recurved dist. (points or Crane XRi conv.) and add a box?

Summit box - $135
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850610/overview/

Crane Hi6 box - $250
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/crn-6 ... /overview/

Experiences, recommendations?
Jon

 

[66benchcoupe]

Of course the $200 difference is a major sticking point for me, is it worth the extra $200 to have the adjustability of 27 electronically programmed "mechanical" advance curves and three electronically programmed "vacuum" advance curves. I had planned to run a vacuum advance as it will primarily be a street car but if there's an advantage to switching to mech. for race days I may consider that.

Should I just trust my stock recurved dist. and add a box?

27 electronically programmed "mechanical" advance curves and three electronically programmed "vacuum" advance curves on the Crane unit sounds great to me! But your stock dist should be fine to 6k. Check it for any play in the bearings. Adding a box is the cheaper alternative but I like what Crane is advertising. I wonder who's running one and if it works well?

Robert

 

[TruNorth]

I run both the MSD billet distributor you posted (I am sure the Summit brand is a rebranded MSD it looks identical to mine) as well as the Crane Hi 6 R. They work really well together in any case.

 

[TruNorth]

Also, I did run the regular Crane Hi 6 S in the past and had it fail after getting wet, the "R" version is fully potted and durable in the engine bay, which is what I use now. The nice thing about the ready to run is you just need to jump two wires past the ignition box and presto its back in action (without the rev limiter or hotter multiple spark etc though).