| Author | Message | ||
| Edward G. Salla (350hpmondial)
Junior Member Username: 350hpmondial Post Number: 63 Registered: 2-2002 |
Ha Ha (Answere to previous post) Nice photo's Ben. I'll have "my mom" make me one next week. By the way, I just spent $50.00 for plug wires for my Mondial Turbo. (I cooked two factories on my exhaust manifold, watch your routing.) Ferrari of Dallas wanted over $1,000.00 for a set. 8mm's will fit into the factory 308 caps, but you have to be patient and use a lot on Silicon lube. | ||
| Bill Sebestyen (Bill308)
Junior Member Username: Bill308 Post Number: 138 Registered: 5-2001 |
Ben, When you say "up to 10000rpm with in .01 degree timming", what do you mean? | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
Intermediate Member Username: Peter Post Number: 1772 Registered: 12-2000 |
When you say adjustable timing, you mean advance? (min/max) | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
New member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 12 Registered: 5-2001 |
Here are some of the advantages. 1> Caps cost less then 30$ 2> Rotors less than 10$ 3> Can use 8.8 wires or Solid copper wires 4> Goto any local store for parts 5> up to 10,000rpms with in .01 degree timming 6> Adjustable timming 7> No points or Magnetic pickup to set. It uses an LED that never wears and never needs to be set. 8> You can install a rev limiter 9> You could install a valet switch, its a rev limiter you can set to 3000rpms so friends or the parking man cant hotrod your car. 10> If you want to add MSD or accel multi-spark you only need to buy One unit. 11> easy to troubleshoot, if it doesnt work there can only be two choices, the coil, or the pickup sensor. | ||
| pete gorrell (Rufus)
New member Username: Rufus Post Number: 7 Registered: 2-2002 |
The ignition advance on Ben's car (and mine) is preset and unadjustable. The HP dropped from 250 to 214 (probably less) from this and cats -- mostly the retarded ignition. If your car qualifies as historic or whatever and doesn't have to be tested any more, then you'd want the power back. This is the way to get it. There are 3000+ GTxi's out there. Surely quite a few would want this mod! | ||
| Robert Davis (H2oquick)
Junior Member Username: H2oquick Post Number: 140 Registered: 8-2001 |
Sorry, in previous post I said 2 distribs...I think it was one...I am going to see the car this weekend...I will try to take some pics of the setup. | ||
| Robert Davis (H2oquick)
Junior Member Username: H2oquick Post Number: 139 Registered: 8-2001 |
As I posted earlier, a person who has worked for Mr Gasket company in the past has already designed a unit like this one on a 78 308GTS. It has been road tested about 25k miles or so on the unit. It uses 2 Mallory unilite distribs with 2 hyfire ignition boxes with a switch to use one or both. I am not sure if they put a patent on the idea, but Mallory is a division of the Mr. Gasket Performance company. I have seen this with my own eyes and have road in the car. | ||
| Jerry W. (Tork1966)
Junior Member Username: Tork1966 Post Number: 149 Registered: 7-2001 |
Ben, What is the advantage of a set up like this vs. an original system that is tuned as it should be. Is there a noticable improvement in driveability? Does it start easier? Easier to adjust? Thanks, Jerry. | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Member Username: Irfgt Post Number: 993 Registered: 2-2001 |
There will not be enough demand to go through the expense and trouble of a patent. Great Idea but low demand. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Intermediate Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2303 Registered: 2-2001 |
Ben, I see this as Peter GT4 does. You have something here. You should be trying every avenue to first Patent it then market it. | ||
| Tim N (Timn88)
Member Username: Timn88 Post Number: 666 Registered: 6-2001 |
You had better pattent that thing. | ||
| Steve (Steve)
Junior Member Username: Steve Post Number: 136 Registered: 2-2001 |
Ben their is a few ways you can look at this. I don't know your investment in time that it took to develop this set up so you need to assess that. The rest should be straight forward like:material costs (raw mat'l , purchased parts)then the time for manufacture and assemble. You could market it as a 1.fully assembled unit 2. a parts kit with instructions 3. a set of prints and a bill of material.It cost me $400 to do a turn key Pertronix's conversion so A target price may be 1. $500 total asm 2.$350 kit 3. $150 prints/BM. Another thing to consider is what is the replacement cost of 2 caps,2 rotors and a set of wires.That may be your competition. | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Member Username: Irfgt Post Number: 987 Registered: 2-2001 |
What type of bearing does the unit use and how is it lubricated? Reason I asked is that Honda has had a horror story about the bearings in their distributors failing and locking up. You are the only one that can determine how much your product is worth. When I designed my timing belt system It took the sale of 10 units to cover my development and production costs and the cost of the unit on my personal car. | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
New member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 11 Registered: 5-2001 |
I would like some feed back on pricing. How much is something like this worth. What kind of price range would make it a great deal. If I could get enough to cover the parts and my time I would be happy. Im not out to make a killing profit or anything, I just made it for my own love of cars. Personaly when I see other after market kits going for 1000.00$ to 1500.00$ makes me sick. So please give me some feed back on what a fair price would be. | ||
| Steve (Steve)
Junior Member Username: Steve Post Number: 134 Registered: 2-2001 |
So Ben when are you going to start selling this unit or do you have a set of prints that you would like to part with? Although I like the set-up I got I would go to this at a heartbeat. Nice going. | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
Intermediate Member Username: Peter Post Number: 1758 Registered: 12-2000 |
Ben, the thing I love about your system is it can be totally custom built (you may chose whatever advance, triggering system, cap and rotor you like. Your choices reflect experience). This is the kind of stuff I want to make when I get my lathe up-and-running.  I admire your "Nothing-stands-in-my-way" approach with this project. | ||
| Richard Stephens (Dino2400)
Junior Member Username: Dino2400 Post Number: 54 Registered: 10-2001 |
Wow, Ben, that is amazing! Can you make a distributor to suit the Dino V6? I'm already running an MSD 6A and MSD coil (replaced my dead Dinoplex and original coil), but am still running the original distributor with the points. Total advance is something like 38 degrees at 5000 rpm so I assume the mechanical advance adds about 30. Just dreaming... -Rich | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
New member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 10 Registered: 5-2001 |
Im only using one distributor now. both my old caps and rotors are in a box now, incase I want to sell my car I can put them back on. Im pretty sure Mallory only makes one cap and rotor for unilite,I think all the GM, Ford, Chyrsler caps and rotors interchange with mallory unilites. Non the less the Cap is part number 209M. | ||
| Steve (Steve)
Junior Member Username: Steve Post Number: 133 Registered: 2-2001 |
Ben ,excellant job. What type of cap and rotor did you use and did you keep the 2 distributor set up? I just had a conversion to a dual Pertronix's set up in 1 dist. the the other dist. only suppling the spark. Can you go to 1 dist? | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
New member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 9 Registered: 5-2001 |
I forgot to tell you, My car had two distributors orignialy. Also the photos I showed you is not a finished distributor yet, I didnt feel like taking the one off my car to show you. This is the second one im making. Now you can have adjustable timming, so you have two choices, set the timming by ear like I do (I like that best, Im not so sure, but I would almost bet that an 81, like mine, was timmed for emissions). Or you can take it to an auto center where they can set the timming with a computer system. | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
New member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 8 Registered: 5-2001 |
Thanks for the interest in my work,.... It all starts here with this T-6 aluminum  I lathe the aluminum into a base plate for my distributor. This is the plate that will sit where your old cap used to be.  Then I mill the center housing. Its about 2 inches long so that there is room to hold the mechanical advance. This piece is milled at both ends to fit the cap and to fit my base plate. Its then milled again to hold an internal plate that I will get to later. Notice the pin in it. This is to keep the cap properly aligned with the housing.    Now I make the Internal plate, this is just a plate that the Mallory Unilite will bolt too.   The Center housing needs to be milled to a specified depth, so that the internal plate fits perfectly. Notice on this center housing you see two depth marks.. The first cut I made is smaller, it will fit the Chrysler magnetic pickup. The second one which is closest will fit my plate with a Mallory Unilite. Why did I pick Unilite? Because it works alone by itself, the brain box is inside the pickup. It also works with, MSD, Accel, Hyfire, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Points. Works with anything, and any coil works with it. Its just plain awsome!  Here is the plate installed   Ok now the mechanical Advanced. Its a Chrysler advance that I modifed to fit. First I mill it to hold bearings. I use two Stainless steel sealed bearings at both ends of my distributor to allow it to spin perfectly. Then I mill the shaft to except clips that hold it in place. Then again its milled down to a correct hight for the rotor. Notice in this photo the shaft is hollow. It will be welded up then milled again to make sure the rotor fits perfect. The bottom of the shaft is milled to slip onto the camshaft just like the old rotor did.   With the shaft cut to fit, its installed with the bearings then the internal plate is added.  And now its done, just add some clips to hold the cap,seal the wires comming out and its all ready to pump out 50,000 volts...  | ||
| Greg Rodgers (Joechristmas)
Junior Member Username: Joechristmas Post Number: 191 Registered: 3-2001 |
I would appreciate some info on them as well. It looks great. | ||
| stacy o'blenes (Stacy)
New member Username: Stacy Post Number: 43 Registered: 8-2001 |
Ben, Can you give us some more info/pictures about what is inside of that and how you rigged it up? did your car have a single distributor to start with or did you convert it to single distributor? How does the advance mechanism work or is it electronic? I bet those caps are a hell of a lot cheaper than OEM. Pretty slick. | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
New member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 7 Registered: 5-2001 |
Well if you like, I can make you one. I have enough materials to make a few more of these. Also its very easy to install, I can include instuctions for it also, but I dont think you will need them. My mother could probably install this thing. | ||
| Edward G. Salla (350hpmondial)
Junior Member Username: 350hpmondial Post Number: 62 Registered: 2-2002 |
Ben, You are the "Man". That is a way cool, and easy idea. Mind if I copy it? (I like MSD units) | ||
| Robert Davis (H2oquick)
Junior Member Username: H2oquick Post Number: 136 Registered: 8-2001 |
There was a guy named Stan Gill who was a Rep for the southeastern United States for Mr Gasket corp. He took a pair of Unilites and converted it for his 78 308gts back about 10+ years ago...he backed it up with a hyfire box with a backup and switch to run one or both of the boxes. It definetly worked better than the point unit. But never was a big item to mass produce. He also had a 512 Boxer with some cool and trick one of a kind deals. | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
New member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 6 Registered: 5-2001 |
Well, I got tired of my 81 ferrari's old ignition system. I wanted an ignition system with the power of drag cars. Using Mallorys unilite photo opic LED pick up sensor, and Mallorys Cap and rotor, I created my own T-6 Aluminum Distributor. It can turn up to 10,000rpm and crank out about 50,000 volts. Completely compatable with MSD multi-spark, or Crane Cams iginition. Also now I have adjustable timming, all for under 200$ and about 20 man hours invested. My first Dist had a crysler pickup, but it needed an external brain box. This dist here is 100% complete all I need is a coil and a positive wire, and its ready to go. Also note this is a direct bolt on part, the original cap housing was not modifed, so the original cap can still be installed. The darkest piece is the original housing, that my distibutor bolts up too.   |