Gentlemen, now that I have re-registered after the site crash, I was hoping I could continue asking some newbie questions in preperation for my street rod/slant build.
I have noticed a couple of youtube videos of slants running coil pacs. My question, what are these guys using to fire the coil pacs? Obviously theres a crank trigger, but is there a specific module in use here. I know theres a performance gain by not having the engine to turn the dizzy, but is the slant distributors that unreliable to go through all this trouble? It's odd that MSD does not provide a performance dizzy. Just curious........

The most common is the Ford EDIS used with the Megasquirt controllers. You can use megajolt if you want spark only. Most other coil-on-plug systems will need to be used in-conjunction with a sequential MPFI system.

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1976 Feather Duster /6 4sp
1984 W100 318 727 np241
1972 'Cuda 340 4sp
1985 D250 360 46RH

It is not a reliability issue but more of a precise timing issue. All new cars have crank trigger ignition with separate coils or coil packs. If you are not trying for maximum MPG or HP, then stick with your distributor and use the HEI upgrade or a pertronix or a simple MSD box trigged by the dist.

Best,
Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Mallory used to make distributors for slant. Aside from the improved ignition of dual-points over single and timing-curve-adjustment ease there wasn't a lot to recommend them. The factory electronic system is better for spark output than even dual points and the magnetic pickup distributor is a more accurate, longer life, trigger for a spark box than a point distributor.

As mentioned an HEI module and coil with a magnetic pickup distributor is a very good choice for many uses. If you want to get fancy with the timing curve though it's tough to do with a mechanical-and-vacuum system so a computerized system can be employed. The modern computers allow the use of multiple coils or it can retain a single coil and distributor. The progression in OEM systems went generally as: distributor with points, distributor with electronic coil switching, distributor without advance mechanisms, distributor-less with a coil for every two cylinders, a coil for each cylinder.

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Joshua