Having failed to find a replacement adjustable vacuum can (other than NOS) for my points distributor (another thread), I'm thinking about moving to electronic ignition. I had been staying with the original points system for originality but that's worth nada if I'm not driving the car! (Rebuilt-to-stock 440 in a '66 New Yorker). NOS cans are big bucks and who knows if they will even work!
My thought had been to go with the Bouchillon Performance version of the Mopar Performance kit, with the street curve not the race curve. It uses the so-called "orange box". My only concern is the quality of that box, has anyone on here have a bad experience with a recently purchased orange box?
I was also looking at the FBO kit, it's double the cost but includes a new coil, etc., and removes the ballast resistor. They claim "made in the USA" quality, 3 year warranty, etc., but is it worth double the price for a street car?
Thanks in advance (pardon the put) for your input.
Joined: Wed Aug 11 2010, 10:15AM
Location: E WA
Posts: 1230
john66ny wrote ...
Having failed to find a replacement adjustable vacuum can (other than NOS) for my points distributor (another thread), I'm thinking about moving to electronic ignition. I had been staying with the original points system for originality but that's worth nada if I'm not driving the car! (Rebuilt-to-stock 440 in a '66 New Yorker). NOS cans are big bucks and who knows if they will even work!
My thought had been to go with the Bouchillon Performance version of the Mopar Performance kit, with the street curve not the race curve. It uses the so-called "orange box". My only concern is the quality of that box, has anyone on here have a bad experience with a recently purchased orange box?
I was also looking at the FBO kit, it's double the cost but includes a new coil, etc., and removes the ballast resistor. They claim "made in the USA" quality, 3 year warranty, etc., but is it worth double the price for a street car?
Thanks in advance (pardon the put) for your input.
I installed a Bouchillon Performance stock Mopar electronic ignition in my 69 LeBaron 440 almost 10 years ago. Back then they were still selling new OEM distributors with the "street" vacuum advance curve.
I also added an MSD Blaster II coil at the same time.
The system has worked flawlessly ever since. What I would say is that if you are worried about the ECU box, buy a back up.
Joined: Fri Jun 04 2010, 10:30PM
Location: Illinois
Posts: 464
The only time I've seen an orange box fail is when it's mounted in a spot prone to high temps. Like the firewall or inner fender near headers. I mounted my orange box on the radiator support, covering a factory hole which aided cooling, and down low near the bottom of radiator, so it couldn't be seen unless you really looked for it.
Where all have you looked for a vacuum can? I'm wondering how much difference there is in them from year to year, as long as you get it for a big block.
My box is mounted to the firewall, no issues in my two years or the previous owner that I'm aware of. I'd say go for electronic, there are a lot of advantages over points
Where all have you looked for a vacuum can? I'm wondering how much difference there is in them from year to year, as long as you get it for a big block.
Mancini lists one but it's not the adjustable kind.
Rock Auto lists one for a '72 application as the earliest; that would be the beginning of smog control, right (?) so I suspect a different rate, likely to give me too much advance. Plus it's shown with a stamped number on the arm which to me indicates not adjustable.
Joined: Wed Aug 11 2010, 10:15AM
Location: E WA
Posts: 1230
john66ny wrote ...
Having failed to find a replacement adjustable vacuum can (other than NOS) for my points distributor (another thread), I'm thinking about moving to electronic ignition. I had been staying with the original points system for originality but that's worth nada if I'm not driving the car! (Rebuilt-to-stock 440 in a '66 New Yorker). NOS cans are big bucks and who knows if they will even work!
My thought had been to go with the Bouchillon Performance version of the Mopar Performance kit, with the street curve not the race curve. It uses the so-called "orange box". My only concern is the quality of that box, has anyone on here have a bad experience with a recently purchased orange box?
I was also looking at the FBO kit, it's double the cost but includes a new coil, etc., and removes the ballast resistor. They claim "made in the USA" quality, 3 year warranty, etc., but is it worth double the price for a street car?
Thanks in advance (pardon the put) for your input.
Joined: Sat Aug 19 2006, 05:03PM
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2919
john66ny wrote ...
b5rt wrote ...
Where all have you looked for a vacuum can? I'm wondering how much difference there is in them from year to year, as long as you get it for a big block.
Mancini lists one but it's not the adjustable kind.
Rock Auto lists one for a '72 application as the earliest; that would be the beginning of smog control, right (?) so I suspect a different rate, likely to give me too much advance. Plus it's shown with a stamped number on the arm which to me indicates not adjustable.
That's about all I've seen so far...
They will all have a stamped number, indicating the maximum degrees of advance they'll provide. The adjustment changes at what amount of vacuum the can starts to pull. If the action of the vac advance was graphed with inches of vacuum on the horizontal and degrees of advance on the vertical, the adjustment screw moves the curve left or right.
Do you have a Canadian or US distributor? The 1966 Canadian distributor body is cast iron and I believe has a little cup where you can add oil to lubricate it. The US distributor has an aluminum body with no oiling provision. Canadian distributors take a different vacuum advance which is difficult to find, and can't be retrofitted with a Pertronix module. US distributors should use the same vacuum advance design as later Mopar electronic distributors, and of course there's a Pertronix module available for them.
My MP kit came in yesterday, now need to figure out where to mount the orange box. Thinking maybe on the rad support under the battery tray (if it fits there) but then I would need to extend their harness, I suspect.
Thanks for the tip about the coil, mine has less than 1,000 miles on it so I'm going to try leaving it alone.