[Max Keith]

IF you happen to come across a performance distributor for a Lima block, M block, or Cleveland and you are needing one for a 351 W, all that is needed is to contact the manufacturer of the distributor and order a 351 cam gear for that distributor. They are all the same except for the gear. That works the other way around as well. Sorry but the small block distributor has a smaller shaft and drives a smaller oil pump shaft so it wont work in the other engines.

 

[crazy larry]

THanks Max, thats good to know.:thumbup:

whats the interchangeability of a 385 series and a Cleveland or Windsor? is there any?

 

[Max Keith]

distributor

The Cleveland (335 series engine), Lima (385 series) and the M block all use the same distributor. The only thing required to change it over to run in a 351 Winsor is to install the Winsor drive gear. You can use a Winsor distributor in those other engines by doing the same. Thats the only difference is the gear, between the Winsor and the other three.

 

[paulo]

Uh,good Ford knowledge around.Help me help another friend here.Car found:'68 Mustang HT with 390/auto/9".I insist on putting a Duraspark on it.What distributor could be used? Paulo

 

[Max Keith]

Ford knowledge

If youre talking about using a stock ford electronic ignition system, its not worth the hassle to convert it over. If you want to go electronic, go with an aftermarket unit.
All things considered, I suppose a Duraspark I or II would be the easiest to put in, but Ive never messsed with doing that.

 

[oldschoolrods]

MSD Pro-Billet Ready-to-Run Ford FE, 360, 390, 427, 428
PN 8595*

 

[Max Keith]

ignition

Upon reading your thread, I dont recall Ford making a Duraspark unit for the FE block. Since the FE wasnt used in anything but pickups after 70. My step dad had a 74 F-250 with a 360 in it and it was a conventional points ignition. You might also consider a Petronix conversion kit.

 

[paulo]

Ok Bambi but MSD is not the way to go this time.We need the original look.Now Max,from the fisical dimensions point of view,does the Cleveland Distributor fits the 390 block? I could then try to locate one post '74 Duraspark and still use the pre Duraspark cap to keep the look.In fact the very first electronic ignition in '74 was a Duraspark with the old smaller cap,right?

 

[Max Keith]

distributor

Being the 390 is an FE block and not of any of the families I mentioned in my origional thread, Im not sure any of those would work. The Petronix unit is a conversion kit that goes inside your existing distributor. The outsides would still look the same.

 

[Tmod]

Originally posted by Max Keith
Upon reading your thread, I dont recall Ford making a Duraspark unit for the FE block. Since the FE wasnt used in anything but pickups after 70

The FE was used up until 1976 on the Ford truck line. I have the 390 in my truck and it has the factory duraspark in it.

Reply to paulo,

Just get a stock NOS duraspark distributor from Ebay and run it with the MSD 6A box. The FE distributor is NOT interchangable with any other Ford product besides the FE.

Works great!!!!

 

[Max Keith]

ingnition

The conversion kit is part # PNX-1281, for your engine.

Thanks for the tip Tmod, Ill add that to my note book.

 

[paulo]

Ok Max,Tmod and all.Only here I could learn that a FE-Duraspark electronic system was indeed sold by Ford.I will try Ebay.But if any of you has such a unit let me know. Paulo