Installed Unilite Distributor |
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geno8769
Member Joined: 28-December-2007 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 105 |
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Posted: 21-January-2013 at 4:41AM |
I installed a unilited distributor over the weekend in my 73 351C.
Car will now only run with the key 1/2 way between start and run. Has anyone else done this swap? How did you wire it? I thought I had it exactly like the instructions indicated, but they leave a little to be desired. Also Mallaory is closed today. I have the original wire going to the + on the new coil, teh red wire from the new distributor going to the positive, the green going to the - on the coil and the brown wire going to ground. Car runs great if you hold the key 1/2 way to start, or if you run 12 volts to the wire feeding the coil. And suggestions, sketches, words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. |
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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769 |
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Psquare75
Admin Group Member of the Stroker Club Joined: 26-November-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4591 |
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No help here, the unilite I had was converted to Petronix. Dizzy had two wires, black and red, each went to - and + on the coil.
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Paul
77 XR7 460/C6/3.00:1 *SOLD* 78 XR7 523/C6/3.5:1 79 F100 460/TKO500/3.25:1 'I also have some left over potatoes-I understand you can generate electricity from them'- Foote500 |
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Robbdtme
Senior Member Joined: 06-June-2012 Location: Central WI Status: Offline Points: 765 |
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Sport dash with 2 wire tach? Those tachs get wired in series between coil - and dist. Unlike the newer 3 wire tachs. The 73 tach wiring is in files on the front page here for download.
Might be your problem |
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Johnny cash Special 74-75-76 freak. 77 XR7. 78 LTD II sport looks pretty but poop 302 in it.
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dvldog2513
Member Joined: 18-July-2010 Location: Lexington S.C. Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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I have a unilite in mine red + coil, green - coil,and brown ground.I added a wire to the ignition side of the solenoid .You may want to add a ballast resistor to the pos side of the coil because power spikes will blow the eye out.
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Bennie
1972 GTS Q Code |
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geno8769
Member Joined: 28-December-2007 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 105 |
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So where did you run the original stock wire that went to the + side of the coil? I have that also going to the + side of the coil?
You said you added a wire to the ignition side of the selenoid. From the I post to the + on the coil? Thanks..
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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769 |
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geno8769
Member Joined: 28-December-2007 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 105 |
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Thanks I'll check that as well.
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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769 |
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Robbdtme
Senior Member Joined: 06-June-2012 Location: Central WI Status: Offline Points: 765 |
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2 wire tach = series, 3 wire tach is probably what your instructions called for. Let us know what you find :0
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Johnny cash Special 74-75-76 freak. 77 XR7. 78 LTD II sport looks pretty but poop 302 in it.
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dvldog2513
Member Joined: 18-July-2010 Location: Lexington S.C. Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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mine is a 1972 but i changed the wiring harness to a 1974 .today I will trace the wires and take some pictures.It's been awhile since I changed it over.I was having the same problem with the car would start until I let go of the key switch.
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Bennie
1972 GTS Q Code |
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Rockatansky
Senior Member Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6059 |
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geno, the 3 wires that connect to the Unilite are; switched Positive, ground, and 'trigger'
trigger gets hooked up to the coil - side, switched Positive gets hooked up to a 12v source that operates with the ignition switch like the electric choke connection or you can find a terminal in the fuse block that switches on/off properly with the ign... then the ground is just that ground, i used a ground terminal on the back of the alternator
the switched Pos and ground operate the optic light, the trigger tells it when to fire the coil Edited by Rockatansky - 22-January-2013 at 8:27AM |
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72 GT Ute
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stanman
Senior Member Joined: 23-March-2007 Location: Nova Scotia, Ca Status: Online Points: 1432 |
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Doesn't the original Ford ignition wire have a built in resistor? I seem to remember others commenting that they ran a dedicated 12 volt wire from the battery for these aftermarket ignitions.
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Rockatansky
Senior Member Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6059 |
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yup, cars with points have a resistor wire in the harness behind the dash
not sure what'll happen to a factory tach if the resistor wire is removed or bypassed?
but that wire feeds the stock coil, it's designed to operate at the resisted volts
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72 GT Ute
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dvldog2513
Member Joined: 18-July-2010 Location: Lexington S.C. Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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I have two red wires coming off the + side of the coil one to the ballast resistor the other to the distributor the green wire to the - side of the coil from the distributor two red wires coming off the other side of the ballast resistor one from the wiring harness the other from the ignition side of the solenoid I drive my car about every day and haven't had a problem yet.hope you get things worked out .
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Bennie
1972 GTS Q Code |
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geno8769
Member Joined: 28-December-2007 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 105 |
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Thanks for all of the help.
Spoke with Mallory, it was the resistive wire, which dropped the voltage too low to fire. So when the ignition is in the start position it sends 12 volts straight to coil. When key is in the run position, it then goes through the resistive wire, and the voltage drops.
They told me to replace the rssistive wire, or run a seperate "keyed" 12 volt sourec to to the + on the coil.
Again, thanks for all of the help.
Love this site.
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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769 |
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unlovedford
Senior Member Joined: 17-December-2010 Location: Tennessee Status: Offline Points: 10142 |
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This is awesome info for me, as I am getting a Mallory setup from a member!
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Joe
1972 Mom's Squire Wagon 1972 Torino Wagon 1976 Torino 1968 Cougar XR7-First batch 1972 Torino 460 1989 BroncoII/Jeeps/Titanimous Popeye and Brutus (Rams) |
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Rockatansky
Senior Member Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6059 |
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easiest way to over-ride the resistor wire is to use a relay. the original wire that went to coil + is now the actuator wire for the relay, and direct battery voltage (switched) flows through the relay on the high amp contacts bada bing
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72 GT Ute
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geno8769
Member Joined: 28-December-2007 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 105 |
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I like the relay idea. Thanks.
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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769 |
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geno8769
Member Joined: 28-December-2007 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 105 |
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Did the relay and it worked great.
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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769 |
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Rockatansky
Senior Member Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6059 |
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72 GT Ute
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geno8769
Member Joined: 28-December-2007 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 105 |
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Now my only issue is that my factory tach does not work. Looks like I will be doing some more research on how to get it back to the land of the living..
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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769 |
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Rockatansky
Senior Member Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6059 |
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you'll probably have to have it retro-fitted / upgraded by replacing the mechanism with aftermarket guts. the factory tach is wired in series to the coil + terminal, changing anything on the far end of the circuit janks the tach
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72 GT Ute
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dvldog2513
Member Joined: 18-July-2010 Location: Lexington S.C. Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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the way mine is wired my factory tach works fine.Your tach might not be in the loop.In the middle picture I have two wires hooked to the same lug one from the wiring harness the other to the 12 volt power source.Not sure if that is the problem just trying to help.
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Bennie
1972 GTS Q Code |
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geno8769
Member Joined: 28-December-2007 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 105 |
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Super :-)!
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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769 |
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geno8769
Member Joined: 28-December-2007 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 105 |
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Which picture?
I definitely need the help:-)..
It makes sense since I am only using the + wire to activate the relay.
I suppose if I run a wire from the the + post to the tach it would read the revs.
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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769 |
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dvldog2513
Member Joined: 18-July-2010 Location: Lexington S.C. Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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If you look in the center picture I have two red wires going to the resistor .One is from the original wiring harness and the other is to the 12 volt the single wire is to the coil I hope this helps
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Bennie
1972 GTS Q Code |
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unlovedford
Senior Member Joined: 17-December-2010 Location: Tennessee Status: Offline Points: 10142 |
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Thanks Bennie. This is very helpful.
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Joe
1972 Mom's Squire Wagon 1972 Torino Wagon 1976 Torino 1968 Cougar XR7-First batch 1972 Torino 460 1989 BroncoII/Jeeps/Titanimous Popeye and Brutus (Rams) |
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