yes the distributer physical will not turn any further and no none of the plug wires are binding and they plug wires are not keeping the distributer from advancing any further it just flat out will not turn any further then 12 degrees initial.

Ether way i wll have to shorten the distributer slots in the distributer to be able to get a higher initial wihout affecting my total timing. I was talking to a fairly knowledgable mopar guy today in person at my house and he told me i dont want to shorten the slots because that will kill my top end? he said if you want better low end power the gear down lower but dont mess with them distributer slots, he said you have a 360 magnum correct? i said ya he said set your total timing 32 degrees and let the initial land where ever it lands he said dont worry about the initial timing the totalm timing is way more important.

Hey i never said the guy was right, i was just saying what he told me? i dint say i believed him or anything he just knows some stuff on mopars but obviously not everything. Who can i send my distributer too to get the slots shortend? or can i buy a mopar distributer with shorter slots? advice please because i'd like to get a higher initial.

Know someone with a MIG welder?

That and a dremel will fix you up. There's a chart with slot lengths for advance amounts for stock distributors.

Stock style distributor, get a diagram for taking it apart. There's a snap clip down the center of the shaft up top to remove the top plate. You can do the whole deal in about 1 hr if you are quick.

So after talking to this "knowledgeable" mopar guy I hope you now know why we questioned whether or not your dad knew how to setup the distributor when he built the engine.

For reference, here's a chart with slot lengths. You have to multiply the distributor degrees x2 to get mechanical advance.

Quote:

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dist. degrees X 2 + initial= total


dist. degrees / slot size
6.............. .340
7............... .355
8............... .375
9............... .390
10.............. .405
11.5 ........... .420
12.............. .435
13.............. .445
14.............. .460
15.............. .475
16.............. .490
17.............. .505
18.............. .520

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So if you wanted 20* of mechanical advance you'd need about a .400 slot. Add 15 initial to that and you get 35 total.

Also, when you start revving up the engine, what rpm is your total advance all in by? Total advance and the rate at which it comes in are both things you dial in when you setup a distributor.

I dont think my old man even touched the distributer, i think he just bolted the mopar distributer that came with the crate engine in and dialed in the total timing and let the initial fall wherever it fell.
That being said the magnum engines require 32 degrees total timing, if i run 91 octane fuel could i bump it up to 36 degrees? the compression ratio is not low but not extremley high ether its 9 to 5 to 1. And i will take my distributer out soon and get the slots shortened to around 20 degrees mechanical advance so i can run 12 to 15 degrees of initial timing.Oh and my mechanical advance is all in at about 2500 rpm.

sounds like its the stock set up to me 27 degrees of mechanical adavance all in at 2500 rpm, does that sound like the stock mopar distributer to you guys? and another question i have since the engine is in a four wheel drive truck what would be the best rpm range to have the mechanical advance all in by? is 2500 degrees fine or could i benefit from making it come in even later like 2800 to 3000 rpm since its in a heavier vehicle?

My stock dizzy advances right to about 3300 or so, then at 3800 it would advance a little more again.. 5 degrees maybe(?).

Dogleg curve.

I think you'll be fine leaving the spring as-is. If your CR isn't overly high you should be fine.

so with a higher compression engine you want the mechanical advance to come in sooner or later? and now all i have to do is find somone who has a mig welder and knows how to dis assemble a mopar distributer and i will get the slots shortend and be able to run a higher initial.

You need to identify which mopar distributor you have. Some have the mallory advance mechanism, easy to adjust, doesn't require disassmbly. The old style mopar ones require the distributor to be torn down.

Look below the top plate and turn distributor shaft looking for a pair of T-15 torks head screws and a pair of small windows with a tab sticking up through it. If it has that style, it's a mallory set up. Loosen the torks heads and close the window up.

You can easily whip up some keys for desired advance. There is some info here

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...amp;Search=true

Old style, weld the plates.
http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/techa...em/viewall.html

I tend to weld the slot area closest to the shaft center.

Mr gasket makes a light spring kit #927 IIRC if you want to change the curve.

be more specific with the mopar distributers? as in what year did they start using the mallorys? this distributer came with the engine and the engine was purchased in 2002 so i dont know if that is considered an old mopar distributer or a nerw one? And if i bought a brand new mopar electronic distributer today it would come with the mallory set up adjustable mechanical advance built into it?

the Mallory dizzys are aftermarkets from MoPar. Looks stock, but has Mallory guts. Easy to spot as Rob pointed out.

Check out the links rob posted, and the description he gave, they will show you how to figure out which distributor you have.

Quote:

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so with a higher compression engine you want the mechanical advance to come in sooner or later?

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Depends on a combination of cam and compression. If you have low compression ratio, you generally want the timing in earlier. If you have a higher compression engine with a big cam, you generally want the timing in earlier. If you have decent compression and a stock or mild cam, you may want it in a bit later if you're having detonation problems. If you're running crappy gas, you may want the timing in a little later.

Daytona i figued out the distributer i have does not have the mallory guts iniside it so its gotta e the older style of mopar distributer. I found another mopar electronic vaccume advance distribbuter in my old mans garage and i tore it down just to see what i gotta do and it got me thinking. I should be able to pull the shaft off this spare distributer and get the slots shorter then pull the distributer out of my truck and trade shafts correct? that way i dont have to be without my truck forr very long i can get the slots shortend on his spare then whenever i have the free time pull the distributer out of my truck and tear it down take out the shaft and put the shaft that had the slots shortend onto my distributer. I dont see why i wouldnt be able to do that do you?

Shorten the slots in your spare distributor then swap it in. Don't bother mixing and matching parts between both.

I set all my distributors up around 20- 25 degrees initial, any more and they start hard when warm. My old power wagon has 25 degrees intial, and 36 total. Thats 11 degrees of mechanical advance. Runs good, idles great. Plugs look great. I also dont use vacuum advance on any of my trucks, just my valiant.
Make sure you mark where the rotor is facing when you take out the dist, that way you can line her up. I have a center punch mark on the block and the dist base that is where 36 is total is about, makes it easier to get it timed right, as I have had to put the dist in and out a few times till I got the slots welded right.
If you really want bang for your buck, advance the cam 3 or 4 degrees on the timing chain, will lower the torque curve to a more useable rpm. If you have a timing chain with more than one key way slot it is easy, otherwise you will need the offset key ways.

This may sund stupid but i have been really thinking about just buying a brand new mopar distributer, reason being the new mopar electronic distributers have the adjustable mechanical advance so i could buy the new distributer and shorten the mechanical advance before i dro it in and if it needs any further adjustments i can do it with the distributer still in the engine. Another reason my current distributer is about 10 years old so i'm sure it wouldnt hurt to throw a new distributer in it and i can get a brand new mopar electronic vaccume advance distributer with the adjustable mechanical advance for 175 bucks. That doesnt seem like to high of a price specially for a distributer that has the adjustable mechanical advance. I dont know for sure tho... it just seems like a better idea ultimatly to get the new mopar distributer that has the adjustable mechanical for reasons stated above its not that expensive, its adjustable so i wouldnt have to pull it out alot like i would have to with the older mopar distributer, plus my current distributer is 10 yers old. what do you guys think on getting the new mopar distributer that has the adjustable mechanical advance?

it would simplify things for you. get your initial amt finalized then adj the torx screws to set the total then play with springs to adj how fast the curve comes in then hookup vac adv (if you are using it) & adj (A) when it's curve starts w a 3/32" allen wrench & more advanced can (B) alter how much advance is in it by (re)working the arms' travel