Mallory Ignition Component Selection
When you are looking to upgrade your ignition system you may have questions about what you actually need, or what is best for your application. Someone that is looking for simple replacement parts is not going to need the same items as someone building an all-out race car.
This section will advise you as to what products are available and what levels of improvement you should (or should not) consider. We will not get into many specifics here (vehicle, engine,), but more of a usage explanation.
Stock Replacement - Basic Upgrade Including Towing & RVs
If you are updating an old factory system you must first know what you can upgrade. You are working with an old muscle car your options are open, but if you have a computer-controlled application you are very limited. You cannot swap out a computer-controlled distributor unless what you are replacing it with is designed to work with your system. In the aftermarket this is limited to a few domestic applications.
It is our opinion that a breaker point ignition is NEVER an upgrade. If you think that installing a technology from the beginning of the 20th Century is an improvement you may also think that an old portable AM radio is an upgrade from your Sirius Satellite radio and programming. It just does not make sense! You can read more about distributor styles here.
So, if we talk about old classics, street rods, and muscle cars, we will look at an electronic distributor like the Mallory Unilite®. From there you will choose a coil to match your application. See our coil application guide
If you are making decent power, or want the most efficient ignition setup you should consider one of the Mallory Hyfire® Ignition Amplifiers. Though this is not mandatory, it can be beneficial on many applications. More Info
Lastly is a good set of plug wires. An 8mm universal wire set with a spiral core is best. They will last you a long time if you install them properly where excess heat does not shorten their life expectancy. Header coatings are highly recommended on all applications. More about plug wire selection
Stay away from gimmick spark plugs and other gadgets. Keep it simple and your ignition will be reliable and trouble free. In most cases you do not need to mess with the timing curve in the distributor or anything else. Install the components, set your initial timing and you're done.
Street/Strip and Racing Applications
If you are at this level of performance you need top quality components, probably some added features, and consistency. You must have an ignition system that has the power to burn the added fuel your engine consumes, and at the RPM levels that it reaches. High cylinder pressures, extended RPM ranges, and greedy fuel consumption levels require ignition components that are up to the task.
You will start with a good electronic, magnetic pickup, or crank trigger system. The electronic distributors are the most accurate. Next you pick a coil that meets the demands of what you're going to throw at it. See our coil application guide
You will want an ignition amplifier on these applications, and the Mallory Hyfire® units are some of the best. Select an amplifier that has the features you need, or the lack of, depending on class restrictions. There are amplifiers that are as simple as a basic digital amplifier, to more elaborate boxes that have retard controls for superchargers, timing controls, and more.
Lastly is a good set of plug wires. An 8mm universal wire set with a spiral core is just fine, but you may want to consider the Accel 5mm race wire, or additional components like wire shielding if your application needs it. Good wire sets will last you a long time if you install them properly where excess heat does not shorten their life expectancy. Header coatings are highly recommended on all applications. More about plug wire selection
Again, stay away from gimmick spark plugs and other "trick of the month" products that are all advertising and no benefit. Take it as an example that if the gimmicks worked, everyone would be using them, starting at the highly financed professional race teams. I'm not talking about the product sticker on the car, but the product actually being on the vehicle.
Marine Applications
The first thing I have to mention is that with Marine components comes strict Coast Guard regulations that these components meet current safety standards. The rules state that you must use marine certified components. This is extremely important on applications with enclosed engines. The wrong components and you could turn your boat into a Roman candle, possibly causing injury or death. Follow the rules, they are in your best interest.
There is some gray area in the rules though, but it all depends on whether or not the various policing agencies care to enforce it. As I mentioned above, it is a must on enclosed engine applications, but on open engine boats (flat bottoms, etc) you may be able to get away without having the certified marine components. It will depend, as I stated previously, on whether law enforcement wants to cite you or not. It is best to stay legal, I'm just advising you as to what happens in the real world.
Most marine applications are going to benefit from a distributor upgrade. The jury is still out on breaker point versus electronic distributors because people still believe they can rig up a failing point distributor to at least get them to shore, where if an electronic unit dies they need a new module. We have a simple cure ... keep the original breaker point distributor (in working order) as a spare, or carry a spare module. Modules do not die on their own, so if you have no electrical problems with your boat you will probably never have a problem. Mallory offers both breaker point and electronic versions of their marine certified distributors.
A Mallory Marine Unilite® Distributor is a great upgrade to your boat, and once you have it installed and running you will wish you did it years earlier. Other than that, all you need is a compatible ignition coil. See our coil application guide
For those of you with dual engine boats you may be confused by having one reverse engine. This is not as complicated as many like to make it. The ONLY difference between the two distributors is the drive gear on the bottom. On one distributor the gear teeth will be cut left to right and on the other it will be cut right to left.
Lastly is a good set of plug wires. An 8mm universal wire set with a spiral core is best. They will last you a long time if you install them properly where excess heat does not shorten their life expectancy. Header coatings are highly recommended on all applications. More about plug wire selection
We have only came across two instances that actually required a reverse mechanical advance system in one of the distributors and that was on boats with twin 427 Ford FE engines.
