Mallory unilite distributor experiences

[badaboom]

Anybody use the mallory unilite distributor?
What have been your experiences with this distributor?

[gsmikie]

i had one of their dist back in the 70's we put it in the car and headed down to mexico tj then ensnada on down to estero beach stayed on the beach for 5-6 days loaded up all our stuff and the car would not start messed with it the little light bulb in it had burned out but lucky for us we were in a chevy and you can always get parts for a chevy but now with hei the choice is easy

[Cliff]

I was handing the money over the counter to buy one a few years ago, when I asked about the warranty - 30 days on the bulb trigger. Screw that. For the money, you can't beat a Duraspark and TFI.

[Joe Guilbeau]

Have a Unilite Series 47 Vaccum Advance unit with the Optical Pickup and built in amplifier to a Mallory coil designed to go with the unit.

Simple to operate and very reliable, for about 8 years now, just be sure that your electical system is is good shape, alternator, wiring, regulator, and such.

The optical is simple to troubleshoot, just use a credit card or a business card.

You absoutlely must use the optional filter, and never but never have anyone weld on it without disconnecting the optical unit from the filter to isolate it to protect it.

This goes for jumping the car and charging the battery also, just unplug the filter from the optical unit and everything is fine.

Mpt cheap, but troubleshooting is too easy, just carry a spare optical unit, can be replaced in less than five minutes, and NO calibration is needed, just unsrcrew and replace, and you're done!

Not cheap though, but very reliable and absolutely the very easist to troubleshoot.

[will e]

Put one on my mustang about 200000 miles ago. (Yep that is twice around the odometer).
Not a single problem.

If I get one for the Wag do I get to ditch the electic ignition box????

[badaboom]

Will E
Not sure about the answer to your question
If I get one for the Wag do I get to ditch the electic ignition box????

Anybody have an answer?

[Heimeken]

I have a mallory distributor for over 2 years now with not problems, and I got it used from another IFSJA member. The rest of my setup is MSD and it all works great together.

[Hammer]

Been running one for about 6 years on my CJ5. Works great, no problems.
You don't get to replace your stock ignition box with teh distributor alone. But if you install one with a MSD or Crane, or some other ignition, you can bypass the entire setup (and leave there for backup if so desired).

To do over again, I would (and will), get the newer MSD distributor.

[Joe Guilbeau]

Originally posted by will e:
Put one on my mustang about 200000 miles ago. (Yep that is twice around the odometer).
Not a single problem.

If I get one for the Wag do I get to ditch the electic ignition box????

Guaranteed, Yep, you bet, absolutely!

[Joe Guilbeau]

Originally posted by badaboom:
Will E
Not sure about the answer to your question
If I get one for the Wag do I get to ditch the electic ignition box????

Anybody have an answer?

Yes, the Optical LED (photo-coupler) module has an amplifier built in, with the latest series of Pro-Master coils for the Mallory Unilite, you can do away with the Resistor Wire or Ceramic Resistor, and clean up some more no longer needed wiring under the hood.

The Optical LED trigger module includes an amplifier to give the Pro-Master what it needs to provide a good voltage to the spark plugs.

A shutter wheel rotates 360-degrees and the shutters on the wheel block the LED infrared illumination from the receptor or sensor or photo coupler (one of these terms is bound to make sense).

When the shutter wheel turns some more, it allows the infrared light to strike the photo coupler, thereby opening and closing the negative side of the coil and the process of energizing and collasping the magnetic field in the coil wire sparks the plugs in perfect timing. The vaccum advance takes care of timimg.

Mallory Promaster coil MAL-29450 ($75-dollars)can be run without the Ballast Resistor or Resistor Wire.

The MAL-29351 Active Power Filter is available($33-dollars), carry a spare with you.

The replacable Optical Photo Coupler LED module and amplifier (replaces ignition module and other amplifiers) MAL-605 Unilite Replacement Module ($89-dollars)...carry a spare with you.

[Hammer]

Wow, for all those spares you carry, why not run the MSD distributor with the magnetic pickup, and a direct hookup to a MSD 6? Not much change you can fry the magnetic pickup.

[netbear]

I ran a Mallory Unilite for years on an
302 cid Chevy. RPM was clean to 8,200.
The only problems I had were that it is
very sensitive to moisture in the dist cap
and I burned out the light trigger assy
when I hooked a timing light up to the wrong
post on the coil by accident.

If I were buying new, I would go with the DUI
HEI dist assy.

[Joe Guilbeau]

Originally posted by Hammer:
Wow, for all those spares you carry, why not run the MSD distributor with the magnetic pickup, and a direct hookup to a MSD 6? Not much change you can fry the magnetic pickup.

Well,

In 1994 I bought the Mallory Unilite and the Pro-Master coil and Ballast Resistor for $250 dollars total outlay to get up and running.

Since then I have purchased a $32 dollar filter, and have also purchased an $89 dollar spare Optical Module to carry.

So, for a total outlay of $370 dollars I got what I needed to get along, and spares to fix anything that might go bad on the road, and have only had a self induced problem in 9 years of operation.

Your option, while a fine choice (MSD is a great product), would cost me $416 dollars initial outlay, with a $150 dollar spare, for a total of more than $566 dollars to get me essentially where I am today.

To change over to a MSD system...

MSD distributor............$216 dollars
MSD-6 box .................$150 dollars
MSD Blaster Coil...........$ 50 dollars
Spare MSD-6 box............$150 dollars

Total......................$566 dollars

Mallory Unilite Dist/Coil..$250 dollars
Mallory Active Filter......$32 dollars
Spare Optical LED Module...$90 dollars

Total......................$372dollars

My $89 dollar spare is cheaper than your $150 dollar spare, remember that the Mallory includes an ignition amplifier, and I'll compare my plugs with your plugs any day, after all neither of our rigs are going to burn up the asphalt, merely the gas cards, eh.

Besides, I can trouble shoot with a business card in about three minutes and know EXACTLY what is wrong, and change it out in less than three minutes, I can't say that about the MSD product, it may very well be the case, but I have no first hand experience with troubleshooting MSD-6 devices.

While I have no doubt that the MSD-6 series of ignition products are top of the line, I have never damaged my optical unit, save for one incident, which was my fault.

And comparing your magnetic pickup with the Optical LED infra-red unit that also includes an ignition amplifier is not exactly apples to apples.

I will agree that the Unilite module is more suspectable to abuse, yet with the surge protector and disconnecting the unit when welding, I have never had any problems with it.

Does the MSD dist include a Vacuum advance?

So, in essence, for both of us it would not really make sense to retrofit the entire ignition system, either way.

Both options provide trade-offs, advantages and disadvantages.

For my money and the simplicity of installation along with the monetary considerations, ease of troubleshooting and cost of repair/replacement and simplicity of repairs, my money still goes to Mallory.

[Hammer]

Like I said, I still have a Unilite on my motor. But this motor is actually in my CJ5 (was in my chero for a while though), and sees some pretty hard abuse. And does burn up the asphalt, dirt, mus, rocks. Fun toy.
The MSD does come with a vacuum advance.
I also don't think that comparing the ignition amplifier in the Unilite is even close to using a MSD box though. Cheaper, yes, no question there.
I don't carry the spare MSD, or Crane, ignition boxes. I have never toasted one driving around, no matter the conditions. Of course there can always be reasons for something to go out. But I would say the MSD box to more reliable then a photo electronic box.

You are right on simple though. It is a good setup for that. And for most FSJ's out there, this is more then enough spark to get the job done.
I just wouldn't do it this way if I had higher goals for the engine.
As a matter of fact, I will probably move the Unilite back into my cherokee when I get the MSD distributor for my CJ. But I will still be running the Unilite to a Crane ignition box. So much better with multiple spark.

[Joe Guilbeau]

Maybe it is time for me to check out the advances in ignition systems that have occurred over the last 9 years.

I am a fan of MSD, after all.

Anyone out there got a portable Tektronix Oscilloscope so that we can see for ourselves what these various ignition systems actually put out?

Just tie it into the output of your device that feeds the coil to let us know what the voltage waveform looks like.

That will tell us all we need to know about the pros and cons and what monies are better spent on what.

Not sure why the OEM's don't do this for us, I suspect that more than a few of the product lines are bogus, and that big dollars on advertising replaces R&D engineering.

Look at the Tornado gas milage enhancer...

Hammer, you and I are on the same page.

Not to say that FSJ's cannot be built up to tear up the asphalt...

http://www.davidallenracing.com/cherokee.htm