Electronic Distributors From Rick Ehrenberg

[crackedback]

i've welded, changed springs and recurved many distributors,this is going nowhere.
Your 100 % correct...i'm done.

Then why the questions about the curve, or statements that there is no issue with the curve (good curve), if you know what you are doing? Pot stirring?

You KNOW this thing is a POS in OOTB form yet still ask questions about advance at 950rpm which is irrelevant. That's part of the shitty 26*. If you like to run your stuff with so little initial timing, then it's not running as well as it could, simple as that.

Another reason I tend to not post as much around here.

 

[12many]

Talking about tweaking the curve via welding, or using a limiting plate, it's been jeez, at least 30- 35 years ago I recall reading somewhere about filing the slots on the sides and using cheap brass furrels (vs. actual bushing for that purpose) which are slipped over the pins as an option to limit advance. I can't recall if bushings for mopars were available at the time, I never tried that, maybe was a GM thing?, just wondering if that is still done (using furrels or actual bushings) $25 for a plate ain't much money these days

 

[halifaxhops]

The bushings are a GM thing, mopar has pins on the weights that go into the advance plate.

 

[Ironracer]

Yeah? Then read his description. He says his distributors are to be set at 8* BTDC. Hardly a performance oriented curve. I think what he knows more is how to fleece people out of their hard earned money while giving them an absolute minimum performance product all based on his"fame". Sounds about right to me.

Crap I'm running one of his reproduction 340 distributors with the heavy advance weights and a curve.. what I bought that thing it didn't say running at 8° advance. I'm running more like 12° ... hmmm

 

[Ironracer]

Yeah? Then read his description. He says his distributors are to be set at 8* BTDC. Hardly a performance oriented curve. I think what he knows more is how to fleece people out of their hard earned money while giving them an absolute minimum performance product all based on his"fame". Sounds about right to me.

Yeah? Then read his description. He says his distributors are to be set at 8* BTDC. Hardly a performance oriented curve. I think what he knows more is how to fleece people out of their hard earned money while giving them an absolute minimum performance product all based on his"fame". Sounds about right to me.

So why she bust out the timing light the vacuum gauge and maybe a mityvac vacuum pump to try to see what the vacuum advance is doing and possibly adjust the distributor I got from him last year

 

[RustyRatRod]

So why she bust out the timing light the vacuum gauge and maybe a mityvac vacuum pump to try to see what the vacuum advance is doing and possibly adjust the distributor I got from him last year

Well see here's the thing.....a "performance" curve includes "some way" to limit total mechanical timing. You cannot do that with sprAngs. Don Gould has the only way I know of with the FBO limiter plate. 8* is well within a stock HP range. Not so good with long durations and tight lobe centers. All springs do is change what RPM the advance maxes out. They don't limit the advance. You need to limit it for a true HP curve for a true HP engine with more compression and lots of duration. Big duration cams always want more initial. Cranking up initial without a limiter on the mechanical makes for too much total.

 

[Ironracer]

Well see here's the thing.....a "performance" curve includes "some way" to limit total mechanical timing. You cannot do that with sprAngs. Don Gould has the only way I know of with the FBO limiter plate. 8* is well within a stock HP range. Not so good with long durations and tight lobe centers. All springs do is change what RPM the advance maxes out. They don't limit the advance. You need to limit it for a true HP curve for a true HP engine with more compression and lots of duration. Big duration cams always want more initial. Cranking up initial without a limiter on the mechanical makes for too much total.

I'm wondering if I have the same one as in that post I got it a year ago and it said it had an advanced curve that was all in by 1800.. I don't recall reading it recommended to be installed at 8 degrees is that's definitely not enough initial timing. But it's possible. Edited his sales ad in his selling the same crap as the one listed in the original post... I guess the only way I'll know is to get the light map it out. Thanks Brother

 

[RustyRatRod]

I'm wondering if I have the same one as in that post I got it a year ago and it said it had an advanced curve that was all in by 1800.. I don't recall reading it recommended to be installed at 8 degrees is that's definitely not enough initial timing. But it's possible. Edited his sales ad in his selling the same crap as the one listed in the original post... I guess the only way I'll know is to get the light map it out. Thanks Brother

It's good stuff, don't misunderstand. But "most" builds benefit from more than 8* initial. I would put a light in it with the vacuum advance unplugged and the port blocked off run the engine up in RPM and see "where" it stops advancing.

 

[Ironracer]

It's good stuff, don't misunderstand. But "most" builds benefit from more than 8* initial. I would put a light in it with the vacuum advance unplugged and the port blocked off run the engine up in RPM and see "where" it stops advancing.

That's the port at the carburetor and the vacuum advance for just the port at the carb?

 

[RustyRatRod]

That's the port at the carburetor and the vacuum advance for just the port at the carb?

Yes sir.

 

[Ironracer]

It's good stuff, don't misunderstand. But "most" builds benefit from more than 8* initial. I would put a light in it with the vacuum advance unplugged and the port blocked off run the engine up in RPM and see "where" it stops advancing.

What would you recommend as a good Advanced car for that particular engine? If you got the time and feel up to it I can relist it for you I know every darn part that went in that thing I felt it myself.. I just don't know all these odds and ends..

 

[RustyRatRod]

What would you recommend as a good Advanced car for that particular engine? If you got the time and feel up to it I can relist it for you I know every darn part that went in that thing I felt it myself.. I just don't know all these odds and ends..

It's something you're gonna have to play around and experiment with. No 2 are alike. Do you have an MP engine book? I would get one if you don't.

 

[Ironracer]

It's something you're gonna have to play around and experiment with. No 2 are alike. Do you have an MP engine book? I would get one if you don't.

I had one when I built my first motor to 383 in my 68 Coronet that was in 1990. Can you recommend a good place to get one on the Low Buck?

 

[RustyRatRod]

I had one when I built my first motor to 383 in my 68 Coronet that was in 1990. Can you recommend a good place to get one on the Low Buck?

Surprisingly, no. I do not. I had no idea they had gone as high as I see them. That's stupid. I imagine it's because they are no longer in print. Mancini used to have them for like 10.95 and free shipping.

 

[Ironracer]

Surprisingly, no. I do not. I had no idea they had gone as high as I see them. That's stupid. I imagine it's because they are no longer in print. Mancini used to have them for like 10.95 and free shipping.

I think I got mine and the chassis books for like 20 bucks a piece back in the day. Now my FSM did cost me like 90 bucks and I had to have it mailed to me back then!.. took a while ...

 

[Mattax]

I guess the only way I'll know is to get the light map it out.

Absolutely. Yes. Do it. Post what you find. Everytime I've helped someone with this question about advance curve in any of RickE's distributors, the person hasn't followed up.

Here's the Chrysler built MP timing plot I made years ago Another Boggie One

My best guess of the advance for Ehenberg's distributors based on his ebay ad at the time.
Too much advance at light throttle?

Me guessing again at what one of Eherenberg's ebay description means. Performance Distributor in Stock Engine

I know there were other times I've been through this but those three are the ones I can dig up at the moment.

Don Gould has the only way I know of with the FBO limiter plate.

Welding is another way, and I know you know that.
Sometimes your parts bin, or someone you know, has a plate with shorter slots - that's another way.

8* is well within a stock HP range

I think this is the idea behind the advance curve in the MP vac advance distributors (which in some ads RickE claims to be copying)
The non-smogged 4 bbl v-8 had initial timing of 10* BTDC (LA), and 12.5* BTDC (B, RB) at 600 rpm or so.
When DC/MP decided to make up a performance magnetic pickup distributor for street use, they focused on a curve for good driving performance and considered 12* BTC an acceptable initial. That let them use an advance plate that was already in the bins, and covered their perception of what the typical enthusiast at the time had for engine mods. Honestly, I don't think they cared too much about idle quality. That team was very drag race oriented and we can see from the race (aka tach drive) distributor that the main goal with that was an initial timing that allowed easy starting. With both, timing was to be set at 2800 rpm and where idle timing fell was 'good enough'.

This a page from the instructions that use to come with the MP distributor and electronic ignition conversion kit.
https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopa...mopar_performance_instruction-png.1715175314/