dual magnetic pickups-distributors?

Johns67 · Post by **Johns67** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:16 am

When I was younger guys talked about duel point distributors. Well I was looking in a manual last night and found that when Dodge replaced the points and went to electronic ignition they put in a magnetic pickup with a .006 air gap. Then in the early (70's) 1980's went to a duel magnectic pickup on 6 and 8 cylinders. I was wondering if any one out there has changed a 1967 or similar 318cid over to a duel (magnetic pickup) electronic ignition distributor? I have single magnetic pickup electronic ignition now, but would like to change the duel distributor. It would be easy to find a distrubitor in the junk yard. How hard would it be to wire in the distributor with the two plug in instead of one? Anyone know how to do it?
johns67-if one is good, 2 would be better.

Snowdogg · Post by **Snowdogg** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:44 am

Mine was already converted when I bought the truck. I'll go out and see how it's wired and let you know. I might be able to post some pics on wednesday.

RussRoth · Post by **RussRoth** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:18 pm

Snowdogg wrote:Mine was already converted when I bought the truck. I'll go out and see how it's wired and let you know. I might be able to post some pics on wednesday.

If you have a dual pick up magnetic distributor they are from a lean burn system. Those distributors have no vacuum advance and no internal mechanical advance unless somebody did some kind of conversion on it. All advance is in the lean burn computer. Actually work pretty good when they are right, IMHO. Others have different opinions of them but I think mostly the system was misunderstood about how it worked and what it did. I can see no advantage to using a dual pickup distributor. If there was the race guys would be using them.

Russ · Post by **Russ** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:52 pm

What Russ said applies to V8's only. In the early eighties some six cylinder cars had the dual pickup distributors but were not lean-burn equipped. The distributor had a normal vacuum advance mounted on it and used the familiar old Chrysler Electronic ignition. I had an 81 Diplomat with this setup. The dual pickup distributor, V8 or /6, was not a performance item, the car started on one pickup and ran on the other, controlled by a relay. The engine never runs using both pickups at the same time.

Snowdogg · Post by **Snowdogg** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:10 pm

Mine has the vac. addvance. If you would like me to post a pic of how it is wired in ,let me know.

RussRoth · Post by **RussRoth** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:07 pm

Russ wrote:What Russ said applies to V8's only. In the early eighties some six cylinder cars had the dual pickup distributors but were not lean-burn equipped. The distributor had a normal vacuum advance mounted on it and used the familiar old Chrysler Electronic ignition. I had an 81 Diplomat with this setup. The dual pickup distributor, V8 or /6, was not a performance item, the car started on one pickup and ran on the other, controlled by a relay. The engine never runs using both pickups at the same time.

You know, I think I remember that now that you mentioned it. I haven't seen one, just remember reading about them. But then I don't spend a lot of time looking at /6's.

Johns67 · Post by **Johns67** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:57 am

Snowdogg, sure, I'd like to get the wiring diagrams if you can send them. I was tired of the old inconsistant points, that why I went to electronic in the first place. What year, vehicle, engine, and model are we talking about here? I am presently just researching it. There sure was a lot of engines with duel magnetic pickups. Must be some advantages or Dodge wouldn't of used it so much. It's interesting to me. I am also researching the spark plugs, timing, and carb. settings. Althought mine would be different because of all the modifications.
Thanks!!!~johns67

Russ · Post by **Russ** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:57 pm

John, there's no advantage to using a dual pickup distributor, that's why Chrysler stopped using them. They were used at a time when the auto manufacturers were trying to improve gas mileage and meet tougher emissions laws while trying to make older designed engines run on unleaded fuel. The only dual pickup distributor that I'm aware of that had a vacuum advance and centrifugal advance was used on the /6's. The only function it provides is letting the car start using a more retarded timing. When you let off the key it switches to the run pickup and it is the same as having a single pickup distributor at that point. The V8 motors had the lean burn and other types of engine controls and the distributors didn't have vacuum or centrifugal advance. You are mistaken if you think there's any performance gains to be had with a dual pickup distributor.

Johns67 · Post by **Johns67** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:43 am

Ok! Any way to improve performance with the distributor and electronic ignition? Hotter spark?? I see the gap on the plugs is still about 35. Why are the other electronic ignition have larger spark plug gaps? Is the use of the coil and electronic box really a hotter spark or just more consistant than points? We use to hold the coil wire in the old days to static time the vehicles, but you'd have to be crazy to do that now days with the high energy ignitions. I have the flat top pistons, rv cam, 4 barrel carb and I am trying to get better performance of the engine. Millage wise,I am getting 12 miles to a gallon, and it is a D-200, but 4x4 now. I didn't think that was to bad for a LA-318. Don't have to shift down on the road divides, unless carrying a load.
johns67-is it better to leave "well enough alone"?
PS -My friend had a car that looked like the old box Nova, but it was Dodge, I believe, can't think of the name of the car and it had duel points and with the flick of a switch, he had a hotter spark.

Website · Post by **wideblock** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:39 pm

better coil would help, an accell is what im running. personally, id go with an msd set up, or something similar if you want noticably better then stock EI

Jeffc · Post by **Jeffc** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:51 pm

Up grade the coil as per Trey, I use a 40 gap on
my EI sustems with hoter than stock coil..

if you do, do the coil up grade you will also
need to upgrade your pug wires to 8mm or larger
or the old stock 7mm wires will start arcing
all over the place.....8mm+ wire will also
improve the spark.

Johns67 · Post by **Johns67** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 1:24 pm

Thanks!~ guys. I think I just do that. Go with the larger wired, larger gap on the plugs, and a hotter coil. Plus I did deceide to go with headers, which I should of done a long time ago.
johns67-finally getting it together!

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