The Ford Barn - View Single Post - distributor on 53 f-100

tubman · 11-04-2024, 04:00 PM

Manifold vacuum. If you do get this installed, please check the advance curve. Years ago, I had the "high-zoot" MSD setup on the 276" Merc I had in my '36 3 window. It was never quite right and always ran hot. Back in those days, I didn't know what I was doing and I got sick and tired of it, so when a local guy "made me an offer I couldn't refuse", I sold it. After chasing the problem for a while, he and his mechanic determined that the MSD unit was built with an SBC advance curve (36 degrees total), which is way too much for a flathead.

A session on a distributor setup machine, some stops, springs and weights finally solved the problem.

I will advise against using one of these. The one I had produced a spark so hot that it would "eat" the tower for the coil wire in a month or two. I would suggest an SBC distributor (either a stock unit or better yet a flattop Mallory) and have Charlie Schwendler in New York convert it for you.

11-04-2024, 04:00 PM	#2
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 12,146	Re: distributor on 53 f-100 Manifold vacuum. If you do get this installed, please check the advance curve. Years ago, I had the "high-zoot" MSD setup on the 276" Merc I had in my '36 3 window. It was never quite right and always ran hot. Back in those days, I didn't know what I was doing and I got sick and tired of it, so when a local guy "made me an offer I couldn't refuse", I sold it. After chasing the problem for a while, he and his mechanic determined that the MSD unit was built with an SBC advance curve (36 degrees total), which is way too much for a flathead. A session on a distributor setup machine, some stops, springs and weights finally solved the problem. I will advise against using one of these. The one I had produced a spark so hot that it would "eat" the tower for the coil wire in a month or two. I would suggest an SBC distributor (either a stock unit or better yet a flattop Mallory) and have Charlie Schwendler in New York convert it for you.