Carbs and Distributors

Hey Guys,

Ive got a '65 200ci with the small log manifold. It had the C5DF-12127-E Fomoco Distributor and an Autoline C-806 Carb on it when I got it.

My plan is to run a pertronix ignition, but the question is whether to go back to the original carb and distributor set up, or try to go to a weber 32/36, or Holley 5200, which I understand will require an adaptor plate, modification to the throttle linkage, and possibly the distributor?

Thoughts?

Cheap and easy to go just use the pertronix and the old carb if it works well for you. If you decide to swap the carb out for a weber/5200 style carb you should forego the pertronix and upgrade to a Duraspark II ignition system. Running a DSII you can install any regular, non SCV carb that fits., Carter YF or RBS, Daytona Universal, Non-SCV Holley 1940, Autolite/Motorcraft 2100(1.08 or smaller) w/ appropriate adapters, ect. If I were you I'd wait until I needed a valve job and find a large log head in the meantime and do the swap at that time with a reconditioned head. Run the pertronix and 1100 carb until then. Be advised that you will need to surface mill the new head to match the chamber valume of you're head + another .025" to compensate for the thicker composite head gasket. You want to end up at 9:1 static compression, so mill accordingly or you will lose power.

As for what's needed to go to Duraspark II, here's some advise I've given before,

If you buy the distributor, cap, cap spacer/adapter, rotor, ignition module, ballast resistor if needed, plug wires and coil for a '78 Fairmont 3.3 ltr you'll have everything you need but the harness. Almost any Ford from like 75-85 will have the harness you need, 80's Jeeps also have the harness. You'll want to find a harness b/c a new one is around $130-150. Just be sure the vehicle had the module with the blue wire grommet.

If you can't find a harness you can get the coil connector, and both the 3 terminal and 4 terminal module connectors from Rock Auto under '78/Fairmont/3.3/Electrical-Connector. But I've never been able to find the distributor connector. You'll have to cut it off and wire direct or narrow female spades into the dist connector.

Distributor - A-1 CARDONE 302690

Ignition Module - MOTORCRAFT DY893

You can use other modules but this is the stock setup and vastly superior to what you have now.

You'll need this harness and make sure you get that other plug there.



This is the OEM diagram



Here is a diagram from painless wiring that is slightly different.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20140123/yqyda8ub.jpg



Put some cam break in grease on the new dist gear before installing.

Thanks Seth!

Just looked at Rockauto and the distributor is $92 and the ICM is $35. The other parts vary depending on the quality you want. and then there's rockauto's shipping costs, but don't get me started...

Plus all the other stuff listed. And this will not work with an early 170 block w/1/4" oil pump drive.

I use Rock Auto all the time, I just received an order this morning placed on Sunday. I got a Motorcraft oil filter, a Stant valve cover/filter breather cap, a Wix AOD trans filter and gasket set, a screw into carb inlet ford style Wix fuel filter, a choke heater tube kit, and a new pcv valve shipped for $33.42. I defy anyone to get all that locally for less, if you can even find all those brands in one place. That order save me over $10, even with the shipping, over our local discount parts chain store.  And I like being able to see immediately if it was made in Canada or the US with the little flags by the parts. Generally, even with shipping they're cheaper ime. But you do have to get stuff from the same warehouse, esp if it's a bunch of small stuff or you will get screwed on shipping. And there's much better brand selection vs the good or better house brand crap at the chain stores where you kind of get what you get. Not to mention dealing with the often inept counter person.

Seth, I haven't tried for the little 6 but I just put a 289 in and used a one wire HEI that was 44.00 ... I have seen those with the small cap for the small 6 for about 125.00 or a self contained conversion kit for about the same price if you were going to swap out the carb .. I never did that on my small 6 because the stock system was working fine enough and cost didn't seem to out-weight the gain .. With the 289 I didn't have a distributor at all and that was the cheapest way to go .. Just curious if anyone might have tried that setup and if it was viable ..

I think there is an interference with the doghouse, at least with the DUI version. I know there is another HEI out there for the small six that is a little shorter, don't know if it fits. One thing a lot of people do is use the DSII distributor with an HEI module mounted to a heatsink and a TFI coil.

Ok, so an update; I have decided to stay with a stock distributor and carb for now. The challenge I am having is that the C5DF-12127-E Distributor is apparently from a '67 fairlane 200ci (???) and doesn't seem to be available, but Rock Auto is suggesting a C4OF-12127-E as a replacement. This is only an issue because its a different pertronix kit. The third option is to go to a distributor out of a falcon or mustang 200ci from the same era, which seems to be the most plentiful. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

I have a pertronix unit, I could look at the # on my dist. I think it was the wrong one, I had to make some minor mod, don't remember what but it went in and worked like a champ. I'll sell it to you if you need it or can use it.

Mines a C2DF(or E)-12127-D. Not sure it really matters, it fit that one anyway.

Hi Seth

Why is the harness so important or so expensive with the DSII conversion? Couldn't one just use wires and connect them as needed even if that means cutting the original plug in favor to direct connections?

Cheers
David

The coil connector is the only tricky part, but they are available, as Seth mentioned. The rest you can make up with your own connectors. I did this conversion but I found a old F150 in the bone yard and scavenged the harness pieces. They charged me something like $2 per connector.

You certainly could. I'd use heat shrink bullet connectors. The harnesses are fairly easy to find though and dirt cheap at junk yards. Or like I said above, all the connectors but the distributor connector are easy to buy cheap if you wanted to make your own harness.

Actually the coil connector is available, but to use it you have to use an oem style coil for it to snap on. It's the distributor connector I can't find anywhere.

OK, so one could simply buy a MSD coil? Then there wouldn't be any issues with a custom harness?