Ignition: Anyone experience a Mallory distributor failure?

[64V-K7]

A few years ago, I replaced the original Prestolite system in my 64 GT with one of Dave T-Bow's Mallory units. The car never ran better and it's been a great driver since. That is, until about 3 hours ago when the car just stumbled a bit like it was lacking fuel and just immediately quit. This was the 3rd outing of the year and there were no indications of anything amiss. It cranks fine, but nothing happens. Yes, there is fuel in the carb..

Fortunately, this was the end of the Holiday and there were few cars on the road. A County Police officer even pulled up and kept us company with her flashers going until the tow truck arrived.

Will be out there tomorrow looking things over, but has anyone experienced a failure like this and what were your symptoms? Just looking for hints as everything else on the car is practically new.

Hopefully, if it was caused by a failed optical module, I have spares

thx

[Gunslinger]

If it is a Mallory Unilite optical distributor, they're known for blowing out if there's a voltage spike. Mallory made a voltage spike filter to avoid that from happening...something that I think should have been built in to the distributor rather than optional, but I imagine they were trying to build to a price point to be competitive.

Mallory was bought out by MSD and there are some service parts still available. Hopefully you can take care of your problem quickly.

[64V-K7]

Thanks Bruce,
It had a surge suppressor module in the circuit. I haven't looked at it yet. There's a video online regarding doing a few electrical checks and I did scoop up a few modules a year or so ago. Will let you all know what's found.

[BobWaitz]

I've had three failures, even with the surge suppressor. When it was working the engines never started or ran better. The first failure (physical) was at the track in our race car. There is a plate underneath everything that has two tabs sticking up. They limit the centrifugal advance. Those tabs broke off while we were out at an ECTA event in Wilmington. Luckily Fairborn Studebaker, in the guise of Phil Harris, was out there. We pulled the unit out and headed over to his house where he welded the tabs back on. Since then we've had two other failures (electronic), one in the race car, one in my truck. I found a Delco unit out of a Hawk and have been using that in my truck.

In 2015, MSD acquired Accel, which owned Mallory, Mr. Gasket, etc. Recently we discovered that there was a Pertronix kit available for the Unilite distributors and should have those installed and running in the next couple of weeks.

[SScopelli]

I'll check how I have mine wired. Running 4 years now, no issues, mechanical or electrical..

[64V-K7]

Dave Thibeault emailed me and said the only thing that would cause what I experienced would be the Optical module failing. I just spent some time under the hood and replaced the original with a new one I had. It will have to wait until tomorrow before it can be tested.

I also emailed MSD and asked about my setup,ie; Unilite, with the #6100M module, the Mallory #29219 coil (no Ballast Resistor) and Mallory #29371 Suppressor - and as to whether there was a better system available? No answer yet.

The instruction sheet on the replacement 6100M module was instrumental in answering my question about the Mallory 29219 coil. It does NOT require a Ballast Resistor.

I installed this system to get away from the Pertronix system, even tho I had a great experience with one in my 55 (6 volt) President. The Hawk, with the Pertronix was terrible. Hard hot starts, inconsistent performance, poor mileage, sluggish power etc. The Mallory was everything the Pertronix wasn't, but after this, now I'm considering a Delco HEI conversion.

[Gunslinger]

My experience with Pertronix hasn't been positive. It's not that their products don't work, it's that they don't last. In a Corvette with HEI, I replaced the original Delco ignition module with a Pertronix...it lasted less than a year before failing when the original Delco lasted 35 years. I've heard enough stories about the Pertronix point replacement kits to want to avoid the brand.

When my '70 Avanti was rebuilt and Edelbrock fuel injection installed, I got the Mallory distributor made exclusively for that EFI and it's been completely trouble free.

[Xcalibur]

My son used one (early... points and condenser style) in his '63 Avanti for years with no issues. It was still in the car going strong when finally sold. the only thing I didn't like was the goofy spark-plug wire plugs at the cap.

[64V-K7]

Update:

The replacement Mallory Optical module did fix the problem. Started on the first crank, runs fine.

However, now the issue is getting a better surge suppressor.

Has anyone run across a device than can be installed on the BAT cable from the Alternator to the main Buss?

[Dan Timberlake]

Is your regulator mechanical?
Digital voltmeters generally report that modern electronic regulators are rock steady. i wonder if they are telling the truth.

The story used to be that the battery was a pretty powerful voltage stabilizer itself. I wonder if a small lead from the bat terminal to the circuit for the ignition would be less susceptible to the regulator taunting the alternator into sputtering fussing and fuming.

I wonder if the Mallory voltage spike filter is a bunch of zener diodes and what not.

http://www.jameco.com/shop/keyword=12V-Zener-Diode-Voltage-Regulator

I bet the folks over on eng-tips.com or an electronics DIY site could tell us how to whip up something that smoothes things right out.

[64V-K7]

Is your regulator mechanical?
Digital voltmeters generally report that modern electronic regulators are rock steady. i wonder if they are telling the truth.

The story used to be that the battery was a pretty powerful voltage stabilizer itself. I wonder if a small lead from the bat terminal to the circuit for the ignition would be less susceptible to the regulator taunting the alternator into sputtering fussing and fuming.

I wonder if the Mallory voltage spike filter is a bunch of zener diodes and what not.

http://www.jameco.com/shop/keyword=12V-Zener-Diode-Voltage-Regulator

I bet the folks over on eng-tips.com or an electronics DIY site could tell us how to whip up something that smoothes things right out.

My Alternator is a GM 10SI, single wire. I never thought of voltage spikes doing dirty deeds until this episode. In the Mallory system I have, there is their recommended Surge Suppressor, so I don't know what happened. While researching this incident, there was a comment on some forum regarding the veracity of the Mallory Surge protector and whether or not it was worth its salt, etc. Also a recommendation for another type, which is where I got the thought for an alternator located device.