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Installed Unilite Distributor

Printed From: The Ford Torino Page
Category: Model Specific Forum
Forum Name: 1972-1976 Ford and Mercury
Forum Description: Technical discussion for 1972-1976 Ford and Mercury
URL: https://forum.grantorinosport.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=8474
Printed Date: 27-March-2024 at 9:15PM
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.06 - https://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Installed Unilite Distributor
Posted By: geno8769
Subject: Installed Unilite Distributor
Date 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



Replies:
Posted By: Psquare75
Date Posted: 21-January-2013 at 5:59AM
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


Posted By: Robbdtme
Date Posted: 21-January-2013 at 8:45AM
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.


Posted By: dvldog2513
Date Posted: 21-January-2013 at 1:01PM
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


Posted By: geno8769
Date Posted: 21-January-2013 at 1:54PM
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


Posted By: geno8769
Date Posted: 21-January-2013 at 1:55PM
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


Posted By: Robbdtme
Date Posted: 21-January-2013 at 4:19PM
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.


Posted By: dvldog2513
Date Posted: 21-January-2013 at 11:22PM
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


Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 22-January-2013 at 8:25AM
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  


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72 GT Ute
   


Posted By: stanman
Date Posted: 22-January-2013 at 9:23AM
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.


Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 22-January-2013 at 9:51AM
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
   


Posted By: dvldog2513
Date Posted: 22-January-2013 at 2:33PM
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


Posted By: geno8769
Date Posted: 23-January-2013 at 4:22AM
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


Posted By: unlovedford
Date Posted: 23-January-2013 at 6:22AM
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)


Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 23-January-2013 at 9:24AM
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
   


Posted By: geno8769
Date Posted: 23-January-2013 at 1:45PM
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


Posted By: geno8769
Date Posted: 03-February-2013 at 3:04PM
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


Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 04-February-2013 at 7:04AM
 Thumbs Up 

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72 GT Ute
   


Posted By: geno8769
Date Posted: 04-February-2013 at 7:17AM
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


Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 04-February-2013 at 4:02PM
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
   


Posted By: dvldog2513
Date Posted: 05-February-2013 at 12:45AM
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


Posted By: geno8769
Date Posted: 05-February-2013 at 1:58AM
Super :-)!

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1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX

https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769


Posted By: geno8769
Date Posted: 05-February-2013 at 2:01AM
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.
 
 
Originally posted by dvldog2513 dvldog2513 wrote:

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.  


-------------
1973 GTS "Q" Motor
2019 F250 CC 6.7 4x4 STX

https://www.youtube.com/user/geno8769


Posted By: dvldog2513
Date Posted: 05-February-2013 at 12:42PM
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


Posted By: unlovedford
Date Posted: 05-February-2013 at 1:39PM
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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