Distributor

I want to change my old school weighted distributor on my 1984 2001 Ford 351 Commander. The distributor is the original and I had to replace a spring in it last year... I know there is way to change it out, but how? I am fairly mechanical, just have nevered done it. What would I need or would I want to bring it to someone to do it?

Thanks!
tc

before anything.... you are a great help here on the posting board.. What type of distributor would I buy to replace it? I know I have to use Marine grade, but I think I have to use some sort electronic?

I have a rev rotation 351w 1979 model yr. I'm going with a mallory electronic dist Part # YLU554DV it cost $310 through jegs or summit. You can get a prestolite version through skidim for the same money. One comment though on tryan's install, The way it is described would apply for removing and installing the same distributor which would keep the timing fairly close and make it easy to start. But if you are replacing with a new Distributor your referance marks are on the old housing.

here's my two cents line up the marks and get #1 on TDC like tryan states mark the rotor position relative to the block watch the rotation of the rotator as you remove it and mark this location on the block as well. This will get the gears line up and not be out of wak relative to the cam and crank. since every housing is a little different and the amount of advance will be different from one to another you can try and make a mark on the old housing and the block and transfer this to the new housing using the key for the cap as a reference and line up these marks on the block and you should have the timing close when you start it for the first time. Worst come to worst you may have to rotate the base of the distributor to get it to fire to retime the engine. So if the starter is draging when you crank it and the engine won't start rotate the distributor slowly until the starter runs normally if it gets worst while turning it change directions. Once the engine fires and stays running use the timing light and set the correct timing and lock it down. If your lucky you won't have to move it to get it started just don't crank the starter for a long time if the inital timing is off let it rest and give it another shot. You should only have to rotate the distributor from say one o'clock to two o'clock not a quarter of a turn or so.

Be sure you specify reverse rotation, automotive is right hand, marine left, in order to have the correct cam drive gear. Only PCM I believe built reverse rotation motors for CC up to 1989 after that with the transmisson change they are Automotive, right hand, all others prior turned left hand auto or marine right rotation. Automotive is as you stand in front and marine is when you are behind the engine. Tach leads are usually green wire, Dist have a + and -, color coded. If you hook up wrong wire usually the timing will be retarded, so if you know your timing you can check, no biggie.   

Crane makes a XR1 electronic with a adjustable revlimiter built in. Green wire are tach leads to wearever you are going to connect it to. All the distubitors have advance springs no matter what you buy. The newer ones have the springs so you can get at them without removeing the distributor. Crane make great products, when you change dist or electronic be sure your coil is acceptable to the converson. Also some require you don't use the resistor, read the directons good and resist the BS.

The XR1 ia drop in to replace the points, the wires I am familiar with as I am a Nautique owner. To answer your question the tach runs off the wire that is connected to the coil.It gets its pulses from the dist.The wires are purple, gray and brown. The tach wire that is hooked to the coil goes up to the tach and the tach is then grounded. The green wire I was refering to is from other units such as CD etc. Sorry about that.

Why do you make this such a project whatever existing wires go exactly where they did before. The tach wire whatever color tied up to the coil is the tach wire which goes to the tach then the tach is grounded in the system. It get its signal from the dist, magnetic,points or whatever you use for a trigger system. Oh there were units that had boxes attached Sun units etc, but this is not the case.

I have two tachs on mine they both read differently at low RPM about 300. However at top end they read the same. One is the orignal and the other is the best money can buy, go figure. Follow the directions and you can,t go wrong, and that's the problem with electronic tachs. The real way to get an accurate reading is with a mechanical tach. That's what high power race boats use, I know this cause I did it for 30 years. Good luck you will be fine. If you know the prop formula you will be ok if would like to know it let me know, it saves a ton of time and money.

What boat do you have now, model year? was the engine stock when you got it, is it 1.1 transmission> 351 or 302 CU? what prop do you have, what RPM do you turn now? What are you looking for RPM VS prop. How fast do yoi intend to go. What's realistic?
To go fast you have to turn at least 15 or 16 pitch props at 5500 6000 RPM. You have to figure the hull and prop slippage for effecieny, such as 10,20 % loss. How much HP per mile per hour, ex. 10, 15, 20 etc. What cam are you putting in, what are the duration specs? ex 2500- 2500, 3000- 6000, Remember torque is always the larger number up to 5250, after that the HP crosses and overcomes it. Just a few things that have to considered.

i would get a pile of jets when shes hooked up to the dyno and get the preliminary jetting dialed in. if you have time before it's done, you might buy one of those adjustable metering blocks. if it's raining money, somebody might slip a 650 or 750 cfm double pumper under your pillow.

if you cam it, they will come.

(vacumme activated secondary 4160 might piss you off if the cam is big. putting a screw in the secondary linkage will give you a flat spot.)

power vavle is suppose to be 2 inches or so below minimum vac at wot. i would say you have a 7 or 7.5. i would pick up a 5 for the dyno run.

cfm is diplacement x rpm x volumeteric efficiency.

Jasper is doing the engine and I won't have access to the dyno. I think I can find out what carb and jetting they use when they run it. All class II engines are ran on the dyno and I will ask if the grind their own or buy the cam from someone.
From what I've read and talking with jasper they use the same intake and stock carb for that year engine when they run it. I'll call and get the lift and dur. and see what I can found out about the carb and jetting. I left the carb work to my dad so I'll have him dial it in when it's all said and done. He's an ASE MASTER TECH for gas and desiel so I think he might be able to help. I know for sure he can put a rochester together in is sleep. I was a smart ass when I was younger and on my first car we rebuilt the motor and carb got it running didn't have a four gas analizer at the time, het got one a month later made him hook my car up to it and we could not adjust the carb to improve upon what he already had it set. I quite questioning him after that.

I guess I will have to read the instructions for the distributor for proper install.

SS-102 & tryan here are the engine specs 305-315HP, 5500 max RPM, custom grind from comp cams at .050" tappet lift
duration
218 int
224 exhaust

lift
.476 int
.481 exhaust

112 lobe seperation

needs a 650 cfm carb and I'll have to play with the jets.

I really don't know it a long block from Jasper engines and transmission. I would assume it is stock rocker arms.

BC,
I've got most of the same modifications on a 302 engine including moderate head work. From test and trial on mine, I picked up +/- 700-800 rpm spinning the original 12x14 prop on a 16 footer with the engine enhancements. This increase was from 4400 to 51-5200 rpm. Testing with a higher pitch prop (12x15) lowered the rpm slightly and resulted in the practically the same top speed, but slowed slightly out of the hole. Since you were only turning 42-4400 max before, I'd be willing to bet that you'll receive your best performance all around with that same original prop, and probably ending up in the 5-5200 rpm range which definitely isn't too high considering those engine modifications. Keep us posted.     

So what speed ReidP does that boat run? 52X14 or 15