The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Electronic Distributor

Looking for a source for a complete electronic distributor for my 1957 235. Patrick’s has them but they want $300 for it. My local guys can’t turn up anything but the electronic innards for the stock unit. They are not cheap and my original distributor is worn badly. These units are made by Mallory I think but they don’t list them on their site on in their catalog.

Thanks
Erwin

Check out the links area here on the Stovebolt main page.There will be some info there(more info than a person can look at in a week) Take your time

I had a bad experience with the Mallory Unilite and cannot recommend it. First off, they have no vacuum advance on the six-cylinder model. So you have to compromise on the timing and fiddle around a lot to get it streetable. Second, the module would die intermittently, never did figure out why but as usual, Patrick graciously had the entire unit rebuilt by Mallory at no charge to me. That was long after I had installed a HEI which has performed admirably. Look no further than your local junkyard for a 230 or 250 distributor, or you can pop for Stovebolt's mini model.

Sounds like the HEI is the way to go! I have heard of problems with the drop in module before but I always though the whole unit would be different. Oh well the HEI is cheaper anyway. Thanks guys. BTW I am putting A/C on my truck and an alternater with a conversion to 12VDC, anything I should look for with the HEI? Its a 53 3100 with a 54 235 motor not a 57. Fat finger strikes again!!

I know that on the later V-8 distributors they have a module with 6 or 7 pins(some on each end),I do not know if the 6 cyl distributorshd did this but I would make sure the one you get has 4 pins on the module(2 on each end).They are easy to hook up ,one wire and a place for a tachometer if you wish
The modules are cheaper as well.
Be sure to use dielectric grease under the module to help keep it cool

Several years back, Patricks had an exclusive contract with Mallory to sell the Unilite with vacuum advance for the 235 series engine. Apparantly, Patrick didn't sell enough to satisfy the contract, and Mallory sued Patrick to end the contract. The last I heard was that Patrick had shipped all the Unilites back to Mallory. Has Patrick started selling them again?

My friend has one of these with the vacuum advance in his 261, and it has worked great. No problems at all. If you really want a Unilite with vacuum advance you can buy the 250 model and do a little machining. Just don't let Tony do the work for you, he hacks it up with a grinder!

In one of mine so cool trips to U.S., I got one HEI out of a Nova in a junk yard. It was in fairly good shape, 4 pin module. Got it, and when hit home back put it in the 250 that was lurking in my opala's engine bay. That was just 8 years ago. One time the module gave up. No sweat, opened one of the V8 Hei I had in the stock, took the used module out and put it in the L6 one. And is good til today. Have used many ignition systems thru the times, and IMHO, the HEI is by far and large the best of them all. Reliable, simple and inexpensive. What else can one ask for? the only down is the huge size, all the rest is just hapiness. And if You think it's not good enough, try putting a MSD 6A or something similar hooked to it. Softer springs help a li'l too.