MP distributor problems. Am I the only one?

TBass · Jul 13, 2014

So I passed up the chance to use a really cool, well-built and reputable billet distributor for my 383 so I could stay all Mopar. I am feeling like it was a bad decision right now. I bought the kit. Not my first time installing it by any means, but this one is giving me a run for my money! I set the gap at the recommended .008", installed everything accordingly. But I can put it at the recommended 5-degrees, tighten the clamp down, drive a 1/4-mile or so down the road and have absolutely no power, lots of black smoke, popping intake and exhaust, backfiring after dieseling once I turn the key off, and obviously it has advanced itself like 10-degrees. Not only that, this thing has a REALLY high pitched whine screaming loudly from the distributor. I pulled my cap and double checked my gap again. The gap is uneven as hell, and I can see where the pickup contact has touched each vane on the reluctor. I just touched the pickup coil and noticed that the entire plate that the pickup coil mounts to will easily move. It's loose! There is nowhere that I can see where I can secure it. I can merely stick my finger on the plastic case of the pickup coil and open or close the gap regardless of how tight the lock screw is. I haven't even gotten this stable enough to set my initial timing and mechanical advance, so I have yet to connect my vacuum advance. It is extremely frustrating! Just wondering if anyone else has had bad luck with a brand new MP distributor? Probably going to break down and call Mopar tomorrow.

sleepar · Jul 13, 2014

If the hold down screw gets striped out it won't tighten and its easy to do try some locktite or its a tap and the next size screw.... not a big deal just fix it off the car and clean it out real good of any fillings set it up off the car then you're good

If it's more than that go with another brand... mopar sucks anyway there's someone on here with heads leaking from the middle of the casting pissing out the o in mopar... consider your self lucky....

red 69 runner · Jul 14, 2014

I am putting my original Chrysler points distributor back in with the Pertronix ignitor 2 kit with the matching coil,it lets you by pass the ballast resistor.MP set up with the orange box has been giving me the same problem since I put it in.

TBass · Jul 14, 2014

I also must reiterate that I have installed this kit in numerous cars for other people and NEVER remember having these kinds of issues. I remember having a pickup that never fired and that is about it. I haven't even experienced all the orange ECU failure drama that a lot of people have dealt with. I buy one for my personal ride and BAM!!!! It's instantly garbage! Never fails!

sleepar · Jul 15, 2014

red 69 runner said:
I am putting my original Chrysler points distributor back in with the Pertronix ignitor 2 kit with the matching coil,it lets you by pass the ballast resistor.MP set up with the orange box has been giving me the same problem since I put it in.

I have points and swear by them.... and have had some on here try and thrash me on it... because they don't know points..... this just made my point about points

TBass · Jul 15, 2014

I am not opposed to points either. Just thought this would be the right way to go. I let my original points distributor go with my old 361. Otherwise, it would already be in this 383.

TBass · Jul 17, 2014

[video=youtube_share;HLauXxX8ymQ]Http://youtu.be/HLauXxX8ymQ[/video]

Let's see if this works. Is this noise from a damaged reluctor? I got it running great now. Just can't seem to figure out what this noise is from. I am definitely thinking my pickup damaged the reluctor but not certain yet.

Gpuller · Jul 17, 2014

Have heard the quality of the MP distributors has gone in the toilet. I would recommend a Firecore, you can get one that will drop in place of the MP unit and plug in just the same. I've had one on my car for over a year now. I got mine from Ron over at DC.com, he is a Firecore dealer and a big help on setting it up. Mancini Racing has them also.
With that much noise you would think that the reluctor or pickup would have chunks under the cap. Is there any sign of that? Dry bushing on the shaft?

minnesota guy · Jul 17, 2014

It is possible you could have bought one that was "returned" You can adjust the 2 screws under the reluctor that operate how far the total timing goes. I would set the total timing slot about 1/3 of distance away from the end. This will give a little more initial advance, and limit the total advance. Mopars like more initial advance anyway..and you can then limit the total advance 35-40 degrees..with the advance not hooked up.

cr8crshr · Jul 17, 2014

I had a similar issue with mine although not the screaming noise you have. Mine would hesitate and bog at initial throttle or off idle stumble. I wound up taking my distributor completely apart and inspected every piece in it. I was planning on changing the advance curve with a lighter spring in place of the heavy one at first but wound up re-assembling the distributor with a new pick up and reluctor. I set the gap at .008 between the reluctor and pick up and while doing so noticed the the vanes on the reluctor were not aligning up with the pickup strip. I pulled the reluctor again and noticed that it had 3 indent sleeves and an arrow pointing in the clockwise direction. My crew chief 69a100 remarked that the reluctor was for a small block...they rotate clockwise where as BB rotate counter clockwise. Well I happened to have a replacement reluctor courtesy of Rick Ehrenberg/aka. eBooger of Mopar Action that is both for use on BB and SB with arrows pointing in opposite directions and double the sleeves for setting up timing and advance. I swapped one of these for the 3 sleeve on the distributor and the vanes and contact point on the pickup aligned perfectly. Here is a link to one he has for sale on the eBag:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-Modif...Parts_Accessories&hash=item33923053d6&vxp=mtr

You can clearly see the additional slots and the arrows pointing in the opposite directions. The switch to this one cured my issues and smoothed out my ignition and throttle response. Also one last concern here...Did you make sure to re-insert the roll pin back into the slot in the reluctor? That might be the cause of the screaming you are hearing. An easy thing to over look too. As for the Orange Boxes...Me I prefer the Chrome Box over it. I have never had an issue with the Chrome ones. Hope this helps you out and will smooth out that aweful screaming noise. The exhaust note does sound really good there...cr8crshr/Tuck

TBass · Jul 17, 2014

Ironically enough, I was looking at those reluctors on ebay last night. Mine has conflicting arrows as well. I haven't removed the roll pin yet, but will once I get a new reluctor. I am quite blown away that this is an issue and noise that no one else has ever experienced with these. It sounds good and now runs like a SOB as it should. But with that annoying scream! Once that is gone, ole blue is bsck n business.

TBass · Jul 20, 2014

Just swapped some parts to a guy for a new rearend. We got to talking about this issue and he reached into a box full of distributors he got in a deal and handed me two reluctor and a couple of distributors. I get home and I am putting things away and realized one of the distributors has an extra pigtail dangling from it. I glance inside and low and behold, it's a dual pickup BB distributor. Are these things worth running? Any reason I should NOT make this happen?

Gpuller · Jul 20, 2014

I THINK those dual pickup distributors were for the old Lean Burn systems. Probably was swapped out for a normal electronic ignition.

TBass · Jul 26, 2014

Man! This noise is absolutely KILLING me! I have messed with my distributor like mad trying to get this noise to go away or at least change pitch or anything to give an indicator that I am in the right ball park. I ain't real certain that the noise isn't coming from the ignition box. I have ruled out the alternator and A/C compressor by pulling the belts. Aside from the squeal, it runs great! I just can't drive the thing because I dunno if this is something about fail catastrophically or not. I did notice that I can set my gap at .008", then start the car and for a brief moment there is no noise but then it starts squealing. I back the timing up and it will go away until I bring the RPMs up or advance the timing again. I shut the car off, pull the distributor, and the .008" I just set is at zero gap again. The plate is definitely moving. It HAS to be the issue. Oh! And, I might add, I attempted to call the MP tech number they've had for decades and that number is "no longer in service"!

natas33 · Jul 27, 2014

Get a distributor with locked advance. Set it at 35 degrees, and forget. Best thing. A guy on ebay sells em for $150 odd. They are a remanufactured factory vac advance distributor, modified as a locked item. Mine works excellent, all the way to 7500rpm.

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To be more clear, the distributor is setup as a race item, no advance. It is LOCKED. But works perfectly on the street. What you set the timing to at idle/start up, it stays that way through the entire rpm range. This is by FAR the best most non problematic way to run an electronic distributor. And it doesn't bother a Chrysler big block starting at 35 degrees. Forget advance weights wobbling and failing, they're ALL junk, even the 'good' brands!

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This is how the Mopar Performance race distributors used to be, LOCKED advance! .. back in the days when 440's and Hemi's would annihilate their competition at the track, using factory MOPAR parts, well $ for $ spent that is.

Y'all really want to know why a lot of the new parts for older engine are JUNK? ..because the big players up high on the food chain want y'all buying new Challengers etc... whatever makes them the most money.

If you can pull a 440 from a junkyard for $300 and get it doing 11's or better for a few grand, the fat cats begin losing weight and stressing out so will look for way to make your junkyard build not work. They gotta keep their private jets filled somehow

lane:

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And now that y'all know why new stuff is junk..

mine works like a charm and props to this guy, and no I have no idea who he is. when he said its all I run in my mopar, I believed him.. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-distr...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f3a35b9e3&vxp=mtr

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I spin my low deck to 7500rpm with this distributor. Factory MOPAR, redone by a champ. old school rules! a 426 Hemi in 1970 as it rolled off the showroom with a MOPAR race distributor fitted with a nice big ROLLER cam, would WASTE any new fangled plastic LSX junk. they ran low 9 sec 1/4's.... stock engines, with an aftermarket big roller camshaft!

People forget what happened 4 years ago, let alone 40! Why your so called "GOVERNMENT", aka oil baron banking crooks, rule supreme! Here's looking at you Barrack and your ROTHSCHILD buddies, or shall is say, familia ;)

TBass · Jul 27, 2014

I actually have a distributor someone have me a week ago that sounds like what you described. It is a factory RB piece but has no provisions whatsoever for vacuum advance. I had no idea they produced a distributor like this. I couldn't imagine what it came out of. The pickup coil is mounted rock solid in the housing though. I wanted to install it simply to 100% confirm it is the distributor. I also have a lean burn distributor (low deck)I had looked at slapping in for that purpose. I may just have to buy a cheap distributor to verify it. But no one should EVER have to double purchase anything just to make something work the way it's supposed to. It's a bunch of BS!

sleepar · Jul 27, 2014

The old mechanical advance distributor may be junk but it's a valuable core...

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If you have a box full of distributor... with some patience it will come together for you...

coloradodave · Jul 27, 2014

natas33 said:
Get a distributor with locked advance. Set it at 35 degrees, and forget. Best thing. A guy on ebay sells em for $150 odd. They are a remanufactured factory vac advance distributor, modified as a locked item. Mine works excellent, all the way to 7500rpm.

- - - Updated - - -

To be more clear, the distributor is setup as a race item, no advance. It is LOCKED. But works perfectly on the street. What you set the timing to at idle/start up, it stays that way through the entire rpm range. This is by FAR the best most non problematic way to run an electronic distributor. And it doesn't bother a Chrysler big block starting at 35 degrees. Forget advance weights wobbling and failing, they're ALL junk, even the 'good' brands!

- - - Updated - - -

This is how the Mopar Performance race distributors used to be, LOCKED advance! .. back in the days when 440's and Hemi's would annihilate their competition at the track, using factory MOPAR parts, well $ for $ spent that is.

Y'all really want to know why a lot of the new parts for older engine are JUNK? ..because the big players up high on the food chain want y'all buying new Challengers etc... whatever makes them the most money.

If you can pull a 440 from a junkyard for $300 and get it doing 11's or better for a few grand, the fat cats begin losing weight and stressing out so will look for way to make your junkyard build not work. They gotta keep their private jets filled somehow lane:

- - - Updated - - -

And now that y'all know why new stuff is junk..

mine works like a charm and props to this guy, and no I have no idea who he is. when he said its all I run in my mopar, I believed him.. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-distr...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f3a35b9e3&vxp=mtr

- - - Updated - - -

I spin my low deck to 7500rpm with this distributor. Factory MOPAR, redone by a champ. old school rules! a 426 Hemi in 1970 as it rolled off the showroom with a MOPAR race distributor fitted with a nice big ROLLER cam, would WASTE any new fangled plastic LSX junk. they ran low 9 sec 1/4's.... stock engines, with an aftermarket big roller camshaft!

People forget what happened 4 years ago, let alone 40! Why your so called "GOVERNMENT", aka oil baron banking crooks, rule supreme! Here's looking at you Barrack and your ROTHSCHILD buddies, or shall is say, familia ;)

I don't even know where to start. The link is to a mechanical advance distributor. I don't see where it says it's 'locked out'. If your car's got decent compression good luck getting it to crank over with a distributor locked at 35* advance unless you wire in a disable switch to allow you to get it spinning before you flip the 'on' switch. As far as the 70 Hemis running "low 9s with a STOCK engine and a roller cam", I spent darn near every Sunday in the 70s at Fremont Raceway (one of the fastest tracks in the Country) and NEVER saw what you're claiming. Heck, the real Pro-Stock cars' NHRA record was 9.98 in 1970 and they're purpose built race cars. Fact checking and accurate information go a long ways toward believability.

sleepar · Jul 27, 2014

Then don't start....

TBass · Jul 27, 2014

I checked the numbers on this distributor I have. It is a "fixed" pickup distributor from a lean burn system. It says the computer controls the advance. I never knew they had a computer on any big block??? But that's the story on the one I have.

MP distributor problems. Am I the only one?

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