The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Mallory's new adjustable vac. distributor 235/261

Classic Trucks ran an exciting article on Mallory's new adjustable vacuum advance distributor for the Stovebolt 236/261 at, http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/0604cl_mallory_performance_distributor/index.html

This was real exciting to me when I read it.

BUT:

After I contacted them they said that they had scraped the project and will not going forward with producing any of them.
I am disapointed and I don't fully understand their decision on doing this. They already offer the 235 distributor without the
adjustable vacuum, so what would be the big deal about putting an adjustable vacuum setup on it. They already have the hard
part done and they have already made one for the Classic Trucks article so their engineering part is complete.

Classic Trucks had praised them in their article for caring about those of us who wished to keep their older inline sixes rather than going with the small block V8. But it looks like somebody at Mallory didn't care after all, and pulled the plug on it.

If anybody would like to contact Mallory with a kind/polite note about how we would support their move to go ahead and continue their making of the 235/261 inline six distributor with the adjustable vacuum advance. Their number is 216-688-8300 ext.#5.


Ed

New Note:
The gentleman I had refered to earlier (from MrGasket) has ask me to remove his name ,email address, and his phone number from my earlier post, stating that it was his personal information.
This I have done.

Tom Landon's HEI has them beat any way you look at it if something goes puff with Langdon's HEI dizzy just stop at your FLAPS and pick the parts off the shelf....what could be better? Tom is also much easier to deal with than Mallory....just my opinion...therefore it is correct....T/C Steve

I'm with Steve, do we really need to reinvent the wheel here?

Langdon's mini-HEI offers all the advantages of the Mallory unit, including a "canister-type coil" and Tom Langdon is a 'bolt "guru", offers great technical support, and is a pleasure to do business with. I've been running the mini-HEI for over 2 years, works flawlessly.

The article makes no mention of how, or why, "adjustable" advance is adjusted, or even needed. The GM engineers built the vacuum advance parameters into the HEI (admittedly for a V6) and I trust Mr. Langdon to tweak those parameters for the Stovebolt 6.

I am in total agreement with Steve and Waldo. I would also point out that a magazine article does make a good product or bad company. Who knows what thier adgenda is? We already have a proven product/service by a guy who owns and supports inliners. And there is always the GM HEI for those wanting it.

Wow, I never meant to say that Mallory had a better distributor than what Mr. Langdon can produce. I just think that the more choices for parts that we have to choose from for the older inlines the better it would be to help keep them alive. I call this 'support for the inline sixes'.
It would just be another option not only for now but also for the future.
I agree with you that Mr. Langdon is a very talented and super nice guy, and a hole lot better to deal with than just about anybody else in this industry. And his involvement with the inline sixes is the best thing that could ever happen for us. But what would future Inliners do if Mr. Langdon were to ever stop producing his HEI's? (which I hope does not happens)
I didn't want it to sound like I wanted people to buy from Mallory, it's just that they actually produced the distributor then scraped it, which I thought was sad because I would like to see anybody help in the support of making any of the parts for the older inline sixes.

And I also agree with you Dave when you say that a magazine article does not make a product good or bad, but I do give some credit to the article's ending when they stated that it had made a big improvement over the stock distributor. (The HEI, and the Pertronix setup is also a big improvement). But I am confused when you questioned, "what their agenda is". (?)

(Waldo)- The adjustable advance is adjusted using the vacuum to a diaphragm connected to the dristributor and is it used to enhance street drivability at different rpm ranges. And the GM engineers also built it into the inline sixes even before the V6's.
I think the wheel is being re-invented every day, and to stop trying would be to give up, and I for one hope that never happens.

And I hope Steve was just kidding about his "opinion". (that's scary)

Ed

Yeah....I was...Ed....you have to remember Mr. Langdon garners a lot of respect from all us in-liners. We all hope that his company continues on into the future! Your heart and mind are in the right place! That's my opinion therefore its right. T/C Steve

Hey Ed;
Yes, vacuum advance has been around a long time. My reference to the V6 was because the Langdon HEI is a reworked S-10 unit.

Mallory is, or was, a great company. I lived just outside Carson City, NV when they moved there 40 years ago. They did all their R/D, engineering, and manufacturing right there. Made great products. I've owned 2 of their Unilite distributors for small block Chevy.

It would be great if they would produce a similar product for the Stovebolt 6 but I doubt they ever will. They've closed their facility in Carson City, been bought out by Echlin, INC. (which is owned by Mr Gasket) and are now headquartered in Cleveland, reason given at the time was economic hardship caused by the softening market in aftermarket parts. I'm sure they're thinking the economic benefit of producing a distributor for us 'bolters wouldn't offset the costs of producing it.

I still have a little problem with an "adjustable advance". How many average Joe's would know how, or even take the time, to dial in a vacuum advance curve? Sounds like a marketing ploy to me.

I know Steve, and he was just kidding.

Waldo, ~ Thanks for your reply, I kind of felt a little low from some of the earlier responses. But I'm not sure that there would be much, if any additional costs involved. Mallory already makes a distributor for the 235/261 but it is without the adjustable vacuum on it, (part number 5018002). Now they have made one for Classic Truck's article with the adjustable vacuum. So they have already invested their engineering and have it dialed in. They now know what machining needs to be done and everything.
As much as I would like to see more parts for the older sixes I am loosing respect for the MrGasket, Mallory company because the gentleman I had referred to in my first post had contacted me and ask me to remove his name and email address and his phone number from my post. He says this is personal information. Ok (???)
I wonder if he is listed in his local phone book. Hummm
Anyway it sounds like to me that he doesn't want to be bothered.
(removal has been done)

Anyway, I think I will drop my quest for this distributor because unlike the praises that Classic Truck's article gave them, I don't think the MrGasket, Mallory Co. cares at all.

And Steve, sorry I questioned your opinion.

Ed

(this is just my opinion --- and, hey, I could be wrong.) ha!

So he looks at this forum? Or did someone here contact him and told him it was here?