| Author | Message | ||
| Newman (Newman)
Intermediate Member Username: Newman Post Number: 1191 Registered: 12-2001 |
I am running 2 coils and the cap has 2 coil towers side by side, looks really wierd. I would have to make up a plate to mount the pickups and at times I would like to go to the dual distributors to simplify the conversion but I like the single setup too. What to do? As it is, I just keep spare points around and adjust as required. | ||
| Russ Turner (Snj5)
Junior Member Username: Snj5 Post Number: 66 Registered: 2-2003 |
Newman Way cool. As you know, this distributor is really 2 X 4 cylinder distributors in one with two supporting coils (note rotor). I think I remember reading that there are two sets of points 90 degrees off each other running from a single 4 lobe distributor cam to drive the coils. Ergo - would need to possibly fit two sensors to replace the points - one to drive each one of the coils. If you went to MSD or the like, would need one for each coil. Also remember that the tach is a 4 cyl tach driven off of one of the 4 cyl points/coil circuits. Of course, I could be way off if you only have one coil.  If that's the case I would love to hear about it. Looks great! thanks rt | ||
| Dan B. (Dan_the_man)
Junior Member Username: Dan_the_man Post Number: 100 Registered: 9-2002 |
Newman, Crane offers an electronic-point conversion kit that uses the distibutors point cam to trigger the ignition. This kit looks realy simple and even has an adjustable rev limiter built in up to 8000 rpm. It looks like all you would have to do is build a plate to mount it where your points are now. The kit for the chevy distibutor comes with a mounting plate that bolts where the points go, and the unit bolts to that plate. I seen the kit in the May 2003 Chevy high performance issue. It looks like it would allow you to convert to an electronic system using the distributor you are running now with no modifications. Dan | ||
| Newman (Newman)
Intermediate Member Username: Newman Post Number: 1190 Registered: 12-2001 |
Here's a pic of my single euro setup on my US car. Im running points at the moment but would like to convert to electronic but retain the factory cap and look.   | ||
| pete gorrell (Rufus)
New member Username: Rufus Post Number: 34 Registered: 2-2002 |
My 'duck & weave' comment got Ben's attention. Once he realised this was a 10 month old problem, he immediately sent me the tach mod, I have it in hand now. OK, maybe Ben isn't good at paperwork, but he IS doing good things for us 308 guys, something he can be proud of. And in the end, I got the part just in time to install it. Thank you, Ben! | ||
| Russ Turner (Snj5)
New member Username: Snj5 Post Number: 45 Registered: 2-2003 |
European single distributor retrofit / Electromotive / Millermon distributor comments Sean Yes, the single Marelli Euro distributor is adaptable, and they are even available. Dennis McCann (allferrariparts.com), a great guy, has 6 Marelli S127G at $600 each. This is not including the cam drive coupler and base plate. There is also the SM805A with magnetic pick-up but they are about $1000. The caps for these are about $300 each, when you can find them. Pretty funky rotors as well. Jeff Ohland (also very helpful - 207 236 9791) in Maine is also a source. The reason I am looking at a single distributor is reliability, maint. supportability and timing tweaking. Simple is good. And I have a long history of disliking anything Marelli. I did not feel that the Electromotive distributorless system, while great for ultimate applications, was cost effective for my requirements. I think Ben has a great solution if we can solidly get it on a 3.2 with a clean installation. He has been good to work with - also a big plus. Need to look at why you want to go to a single distributor (and there are a lot of good reasons). Can give some details from my research on these systems, and the Mallory Unilite 3772101 if anyone is interested. Norwood, very competent, has also done some single distributor conversions, but unless you live there or are doing a 1500 HP turbo-nitrous F-50 with JATO, they are so very busy they aren't so responsive (my experience only). They are very experienced in extreme mods, and are very good at what they do. All above just my opinions - hope this helps. best to all Russ | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
Junior Member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 164 Registered: 5-2001 |
Why would you want to use the european distributor? The whole point to goto my conversion is because replacement caps and rotors are only 6$ to 10$ each. Also you can use up to 10mm sparkplug wires and you dont need to use those spark plug extenders. It works with almost any coil or MSD system. | ||
| Sean F (Agracer)
New member Username: Agracer Post Number: 50 Registered: 2-2003 |
Russ, How hard would it be to simply put a Euro distributor onto a US 308? | ||
| Robert Johnson (Carb308)
New member Username: Carb308 Post Number: 31 Registered: 12-2001 |
Thanks for the photos, Jerry and to all that responded. For the record, I have now been in contact with Ben and he is sending the part. He's not a bad guy here. Again, I appreciate everyone's help! Robert. | ||
| Russ Turner (Snj5)
New member Username: Snj5 Post Number: 44 Registered: 2-2003 |
Great point which I looked into - interestingly the European single distributor 308 tach is the same - it also uses the same "4 cylinder" signal as it has TWO coils and the tach signal comes off one of the coils. Palo Alto said that they have done this before (!!) on Ferrari 8 cylinder tachs and it was straightforward. If Ben has broken the code on a successful converter, that would be the way to go.  | ||
| Sean F (Agracer)
New member Username: Agracer Post Number: 45 Registered: 2-2003 |
"While Ben says he has a signal splitter developed, another option is to work with Palo Alto speedometer, who routinely service Ferrari stuff. I spoke with them before I had spoken to Ben - they can easily (although $200) convert your tach to an eight cylinder signal, and it can be easily reconverted back" Just some curiosity here, has anyone bothered to ask or check if there is a switch on the back of the tack that will make it a 8cly instead of a 4cyl? When I dropped a 351 Windsor into my friends Mustang, we realized we had the wrong tach b/c before it was 6. I sarcatically said "It probably has a switch on the back for 4, 6 and 8! HAHAHAHA" We all laughed. Then we took the dash apart and low and behold, it did have a simple screwdriver screw head that switched between 4 6 and 8! Would Ferrari be so economical (as in, lower production costs) as to put the same part in all cars, with something as simple as a switch to differentiate between Euro and US? It's the same factory after all. | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
Junior Member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 159 Registered: 5-2001 |
All you have to do is e-mail correctly, I respond to every e-mail within 15min. Im not sure why I didnt get your e-mails. By the way your e-mail was not listed in your profile as you said it was. | ||
| Jerry W. (Tork1966)
Member Username: Tork1966 Post Number: 569 Registered: 7-2001 |
Here are a couple of photos:   | ||
| Robert Johnson (Carb308)
New member Username: Carb308 Post Number: 30 Registered: 12-2001 |
Ben, I have your correct e-mail address. It is the same one I have been using to try to contact you since December. I mis-posted to get you to confirm. I have just e-mailed you again and hope we can now resolve this issue off this site. I don't think the other members need to be bothered by this mess. | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
Junior Member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 152 Registered: 5-2001 |
I think I see the problem. My e-mail is [email protected] not AOL. Give me an e-mail, and we can set things straight for you | ||
| Robert Johnson (Carb308)
New member Username: Carb308 Post Number: 29 Registered: 12-2001 |
Pete & Jerry, Thanks for your responses. Any information that you can post will be helpfull. Robert | ||
| Robert Johnson (Carb308)
New member Username: Carb308 Post Number: 28 Registered: 12-2001 |
Ben, If "all have been sent" then is mine finally in the mail? I have been waiting since last year! I have e-mailed my home address & work phone more than once to you, even though you had it from the time I ordered and the e-mails that you responded to! If you can't find me, click on my link on this post, (my e-mail has also changed), and I will e-mail my information again. If your e-mail has changed from [email protected], then you need to update your link also. Thanks, Robert | ||
| Ben Millermon (Brainsboy)
Junior Member Username: Brainsboy Post Number: 147 Registered: 5-2001 |
There has not been any ducking. Some of the tach adapters did go out slowly, but all have been sent. Yours jerry went out last week, Im sure it will be in your mondays mail. | ||
| Robert Davis (H2oquick)
Junior Member Username: H2oquick Post Number: 223 Registered: 8-2001 |
I just emailed Ben last week about a distrib for my 82 308, he emailed me back within hours. I asked him about the tach fix and he said he had a piece to take care of it and would include it in the distrib. Ben has always been helpful to answer my questions. I was going to be some of the first to try his conversions but wanted to wait till the bugs were worked out. Any of you running his conversion, how do you feel about the performance and ease of setting up? Do you feel confident with the installation for trouble free spark? Just curious before ordering mine....thanks | ||
| Terry Springer (Tspringer)
Member Username: Tspringer Post Number: 412 Registered: 4-2002 |
I got my tach adaptor from Ben a few weeks ago. I have not installed it yet, but it looks simple enough. I will be installing it soon, but my car is all apart for lots of stuff getting fixed right now. Ben can be tough to reach, but keep trying and he will get back to you. He has always returned my calls and emails though he did get a new email address a couple months ago. Im sure he will send you the tach adaptor. | ||
| Russ Turner (Snj5)
New member Username: Snj5 Post Number: 35 Registered: 2-2003 |
The difference in the tach signal as you know is that the Ferrari tach is a 4 cylinder tach designed to operate off of one bank. The single 8 cyl input will not work. While Ben says he has a signal splitter developed, another option is to work with Palo Alto speedometer, who routinely service Ferrari stuff. I spoke with them before I had spoken to Ben - they can easily (although $200) convert your tach to an eight cylinder signal, and it can be easily reconverted back. FWIW I have not yet purchased anything from Ben, but he was great to work with while trying to develop his distributor for a 3.2. Have unfortunately run into some engineering challenges that he does not have the machine tools for. Hope this helps rt | ||
| pete gorrell (Rufus)
New member Username: Rufus Post Number: 31 Registered: 2-2002 |
Yeah, Ben seems to be ducking and weaving instead of sending mine. Jerry, wd be grateful for yr info. | ||
| Jerry W. (Tork1966)
Member Username: Tork1966 Post Number: 559 Registered: 7-2001 |
I just got mine on Thursday and have not opened the box yet to look at it as I have been too busy at work. I will take a photo on Monday and post it if someone else has not done it by then. | ||
| Robert Johnson (Carb308)
New member Username: Carb308 Post Number: 26 Registered: 12-2001 |
Can any one that that had their distributor modified by Ben Millermon with the Mallory pick up and the Chrysler 8 Cyl cap, tell me what the fix for the tach is? I sent my distributor to Ben along with full payment including the,(at that time "soon to be available"),interface for the tach signal. To date no part, no response to e-mails, (no e-mails returned as un-deliverable). Since this has been going on since last year and he has posted here as recently ar Feb. 27, (nice for him that he got a new clutch cheep), the additional $75.00 I paid him at the time of purchase is a write off. I just need to know from his other "customers" that have possibly received the fix for the tach, what the part(s)is(are)so that I can take care of it myself. BTW the distributor modification does work fine except the tach does not work. Robert |