proform distributor and vacuum advance question

[A38E86D32]

Has anyone here ever used the proform electronic distributor on their RB engine? And the adjustable vacuum advance, how do you know it's working properly?
The reason I ask is when i had my 440 built, the engine builder said the engine wouldn't run with the vacuum advance connected. Told me to purchase an MSD distributor instead.
I would like to get the distributor i have NOW working, though. Any tips on doing static checks?
TIA

 

[Big_John]

To test it off the engine, you really need to have it done by someone with a distributor machine. There's not very many of those around any more.

To test it on the engine, you could do it with a timing light and a hand held vacuum pump. You can just verify it's working by running the engine at idle and pulling a vacuum on the distributor. If you want to see the "numbers", you can put a timing tape on the balancer or use a timing light that allows you to dial the advance in.

There's just enough threads about problems with Proform distributors here that I'll never buy one.

 

[Deleted member 4847]

My 1978 NYB had a Proform electronic ignition kit including the distributor installed by the PO to get rid of the lean burn. The distributor is a Chinese piece of crap. They are a poor copy of the Mopar electronic vacuum advance distributor. The top bushing was sloppy and you couldn't set the pickup gap right. The vac advance can is adjustable but the spring is too tight and runs out of adjustment and doesn't offer much advance anyway. The distributor cap had monster burrs all over the brass contacts. It is a shitty enough copy replacement parts for the Mopar dizzy don't fit right.

Buy a cardone 30-3896 reman and use the Proform as a core. You won't regret it. Vatozone and O'reilly's both have the Cardone for $47.

 

[A38E86D32]

My 1978 NYB had a Proform electronic ignition kit including the distributor installed by the PO to get rid of the lean burn. The distributor is a Chinese piece of crap. They are a poor copy of the Mopar electronic vacuum advance distributor. The top bushing was sloppy and you couldn't set the pickup gap right. The vac advance can is adjustable but the spring is too tight and runs out of adjustment and doesn't offer much advance anyway. The distributor cap had monster burrs all over the brass contacts. It is a shitty enough copy replacement parts for the Mopar dizzy don't fit right.

Buy a cardone 30-3896 reman and use the Proform as a core. You won't regret it. Vatozone and O'reilly's both have the Cardone for $47.

I will definitely check that out , thanks!

 

[Deleted member 4847]

I almost forgot, when I swapped the vac can on my Proform for a genuine mopar unit, I noticed the roll pin that locates the can was missing. Also, the OE can was slightly different, and ended up limiting the mechanical advance in the Proform dizzy so I ended up with 17 degrees initial timing, 38 initial plus mechanical, and 58 all in. It worked until I could order a new pickup coil and repair my spare dizzy from my 413 motorhome. The old motorhome distributor bushings were still tight too. Now my timing is 12 initial, 38 initial + mechanical, and 58 all in.

Tell us more about your engine and we can give you advice on timing settings and advance curves, ported vs manifold vac, etc.

 

[A38E86D32]

Specs on my engine :
73' dated 440, .030" overbore.
Block was squared, factory steel crank .010" undersize bearings
Speed pro forged "six pack" pistons
Mopar performance aluminum heads 84cc chambers, full roller rockers
Aprrox 9.5:1 comp
Lunatic voodoo 60302 hydraulic flat tappet cam and matching springs.
Mopar performance aluminum low rise dual plane intake.
Holley street demon 750cfm carb
C body HP manifolds

 

[Deleted member 4847]

The Cardone distributor is a great place to start for your stock-ish mild street build. Shoot for 36-38 degrees initial plus mechanical timing (vac advance line disconnected and plugged, rev engine to 2500-3500 in neutral until timing stops advancing) and 56-58 all-in (same rpm but vac line connected) That cam is fairly tame so hook the vac advance to a ported source. Do you have a dial-back timing light or a degreed balancer or timing tape?

 

[A38E86D32]

The Cardone distributor is a great place to start for your stock-ish mild street build. Shoot for 36-38 degrees initial plus mechanical timing (vac advance line disconnected and plugged, rev engine to 2500-3500 in neutral until timing stops advancing) and 56-58 all-in (same rpm but vac line connected) That cam is fairly tame so hook the vac advance to a ported source. Do you have a dial-back timing light or a degreed balancer or timing tape?

The balancer is degreed

 

[Deleted member 4847]

Then you are good to go

 

[A38E86D32]

Engine dynoed 415hp at 4900rpm and 488ftlbs at 3400rpm with a rebuilt edelbrock 750 and junk proform distributor. Hopefully my new street demon and a cardone reman dizzy will help make more. I thought it was a little lower than expected.

 

[Deleted member 4847]

Engine or chassis dyno?

 

[A38E86D32]

Engine

 

[A38E86D32]

Went uptownto autozone a little while ago. Ordered a cardone reman dizzy. $49 and no core. Any QC checks i can do before installing it into the engine? Will the curve work well with my engine? Thanks

 

[Deleted member 4847]

Your dyno numbers aren't bad. For a heavy C-body the curve should be pretty good. Light drag cars like A-bodies can use a quicker curve but for a C it should be nice out of the box. I think with headers and an 850CFM carb you would pick up 50 horeses up top.

 

[65sporty]

The Cardone distributor is a great place to start for your stock-ish mild street build. Shoot for 36-38 degrees initial plus mechanical timing (vac advance line disconnected and plugged, rev engine to 2500-3500 in neutral until timing stops advancing) and 56-58 all-in (same rpm but vac line connected) That cam is fairly tame so hook the vac advance to a ported source. Do you have a dial-back timing light or a degreed balancer or timing tape?

How is the engine starting with 36-38 initial, usually the starter will kick upon cranking with 16-18. Normally for performance you want 36 degrees total in by 3000 rpm

 

[Deleted member 4847]

36-38 initial + mechanical is what I said.

 

[Deleted member 4847]

So 12 initial + 26 mechanical = 38 initial + mechanical

 

[SF-66TC]

I almost forgot, when I swapped the vac can on my Proform for a genuine mopar unit, I noticed the roll pin that locates the can was missing. Also, the OE can was slightly different, and ended up limiting the mechanical advance in the Proform dizzy so I ended up with 17 degrees initial timing, 38 initial plus mechanical, and 58 all in. It worked until I could order a new pickup coil and repair my spare dizzy from my 413 motorhome. The old motorhome distributor bushings were still tight too. Now my timing is 12 initial, 38 initial + mechanical, and 58 all in.

Tell us more about your engine and we can give you advice on timing settings and advance curves, ported vs manifold vac, etc.

nalambright - sent you msg

 

[Deleted member 4847]

Went uptownto autozone a little while ago. Ordered a cardone reman dizzy. $49 and no core. Any QC checks i can do before installing it into the engine? Will the curve work well with my engine? Thanks

Did you get it installed yet?

 

[A38E86D32]

Not yet. Engine is on a stand out of the car