anyone run distributer from FBO systems?

[pjc360]

I just purchased a brand new mopar distributer from Don at FBO systems and i noticed it is not the same style that my older mopar distributer is... The insides are different and the adjustable mechanical advance mechanisim is different. Is mopar selling a different style distributer these days?
Anyways he curved and phased it according to my engine and gears and i must say my engine is running pretty darn good... He told me i had to run the vaccume advance off of manifold vaccume and i followed his instructions and took it out for a drive and it is running really good.
The only complaint i have about this distributer is that the distributer cap does not fit snug onto the distributer... The wires coming out of the distributer pick up assembly sits too high on the distributer and the cap hits the liitle rubber mount piece that brings the wires from inside the distributer to the outside of it. I'm just wondering if anybody here has also ran into this exact same problem with one of his new distributers for a small block mopar and if so what did you do to get the cap snug onto it? If no body has had this same issue then what do you recomend doing?
I was thinking off cutting the rubber down with my pocket knife... Not deep enough to hit the wires but just enough off of it to make the cap more snug onto the distributer.
I still have my older mopar performance distributer wich has the mallory style adjustable mechanical advance, but once i started changing spring combo's i could not get it to run right and got frustrated with it and bought aa new one from don at FBO thinking i would get the same style distributer... I'm going to buy a new pick up assembly and reluctor and vaccume advance can and put it on my older mopar distributer and i'm going to box it up and send it to don at FBO systems and have him custom curve and phase it on his distributer machine and send it back to me.
I probly should have done this the first time, if i would have known the distributers he sells were different then thats what i would have done... I just figured the mopar performance distributers were still the same style as the older one i have wich has the adjustable mechanical advance with torx screws. But for 89 bucks i can send him my older mopar distributer with the mallory guts and have him set it up on his distributer machine and send it back to me, i will have 2 basucally brand new distributers but it ccant hurt to have a back up distributer i guess.

 

[Mad Dart]

Yes I have ran a few of Don's recurved distributors. They are always spot on.

You can either file down the distributor for the grommet to sit flush or cut the grommet. I usually can bend the distributor clips a little so the cap fits more snug and that sometimes can take care of it. I also bend the alignment clip out a bit for a better fit.

If you send him your distributor, make sure he just doesn't swap it out for one of his.

 

[pjc360]

oh i wont do that, i will tell him i want him to curve and phase the one i send him and then have him send it back to me, then i will have a back up distributer and if i run into a pinch i'll just sell one of them. Thanks for the advice on filing it down! never even thought of that.
I'm going to go give it a try right now, i'll file it down and bend the alighnment clip out a little bit. I'll post the results when i'm done. Thanks alot.

 

[pjc360]

ok, update. I filed the slot down in the distributer and pulled the locating tab out a little bit and now my distributer cap sits more snug.
But i raan into another problem. I put the distributer back in and was timing it, i set my initial timing at 16 degrees and checked the total it was at 34-35 degrees, i called it good and bolted the distributer in tight and hooked the vaccume advance to manifold vaccume and while it was sitting there at an idle i could hear a slight popping coming thru the exhaust... So i put the vaccume advance on ported vaccume and it went away? I have always run my vaccume advance off of ported vaccume, but don at fbo insisted that it is wrong to run off of ported vaccume and that i need to run it off of full manifold vaccume.
So why was it popping out the exhaust? My guess is that it is getting too much timing at an idle with 16 degrees initial and the vaccume advance, so should i turn down my initial timing to 14 degrees and hook it back up to manifold vaccume and see if that takes the popping away? or should i leave it at 16 degrees initial and turn down the vaccume advance untill it stops popping while running on full manifold vaccume? Or should i just leave it on ported vaccume and forget about full manifold vaccume even tho don says the correct way is to run it off full manifold vaccume.
It is running pretty good off of the ported vaccume but i do have a little hesistation upon easing into the throttle from a slow speed, but i have yet to determine if that is carb or the ignition. Going out to try and figure that out right now.

 

[Demon 408]

The problem could be too much fuel (dirty needle/seat) causing popping in exhaust. Or floats are not adjusted correctly. Something to check...

Check your inital with vacuum plugged off at carb.

 

[pjc360]

I always check my initial timing with the port plugged. I know the popping was timing because i turned the vaccume can a turn at a time untill the popping went away while hooked up to manifold vaccume. By the time it stopped popping out the exhaust i was 2 turns counter clockwise (vaccume advance retard) from where don at it set. I started it and grabbed my timing gun without any vaccume advance it is sitting between 12 and 13 degrees initial and with the vaccume advance hooked up to manifold vaccume it brings it up to 17 to 18 degrees initial.
That is only 5 degrees being added by the vaccume advance can, is this normal and should i run this way? I'm thinking i might need to put it back on the ported vaccume, somone please help i'm confused here.

 

[pjc360]

I got this problem squared away now... I decided to turn up my initial timing to 16 degrees and run my vacuume advance off of the ported port instead of the full manifold port on my edelbrock carburetor. I then turned my vaccume advance can back up with the allen wrench and i checked my timing with the vaccume advance hooked it up and took it all the way up untill it stopped advancing and it was sitting at 54 degrees total.
So i do need to turn my vaccume advance canister down a tiny bit more to get it set at 52 total with vacuume advance hooked up. I took it for a drive and no more surging.... And it idles better, its not popping out the exhaust anymore.
I dont know why don ay fbo said to run my vacuume advance off full manifold vacuume because my engine runs much better when its on ported vacuume.. So whatever i'm just going to leave it on ported vacuume because its running good right now. no more surges at light cruising speeds and no more popping out the exhaust while at an idle.