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Replacing Prestolite distributor?

TPGG

Contributing Member
What are people swapping to from their old Prestolite distributor?
I"m chasing a spark problem (that started out as just hard starting and now it WON'T start at all) thats looking more and more like the reluctor and sensor (anyone know what the resistance should be on that? When I tested it at 1k, it showed resistance, but it BARELY moved the needle when I tried turning the engine over) so I'm thinking maybe the $50 for the sensor etc isn't the best idea and moving to a new dist is the better choice. My other engine has the Mallory and starts fine. Should I just go there?
 
Which doesn't look like its in production anymore.

The Mallory Marine division was purchased by another company. I get conflicting info as to who that was.
Apparently Mallory still makes products for Ford Motor company.

The YLU (which is photo-eye) is apparently still available under another name.
However, I believe that the YLM (VR unit) was discontinued.

You can occasionally find NOS in the Mallory YLM version.

It looks like the YLM579AV fits the Chrysler small block LM318 and LM360 both RH and LH engines.

See post #7 here.

http://www.marineengine.com/boat-forum/showthread.php?391197-Mallory-distributor-318-motor
 
The Mallory Marine division was purchased by another company. I get conflicting info as to who that was.
Apparently Mallory still makes products for Ford Motor company.

The YLU (which is photo-eye) is apparently still available under another name.
However, I believe that the YLM (VR unit) was discontinued.

You can occasionally find NOS in the Mallory YLM version.

It looks like the YLM579AV fits the Chrysler small block LM318 and LM360 both RH and LH engines.

See post #7 here.

http://www.marineengine.com/boat-forum/showthread.php?391197-Mallory-distributor-318-motor

Pretty sure this is the exact same dist: Sierra 18-5497-1 YLM Breakerless Electrical Distributor.

Also as I understand, this also replaces the Chrysler ECU?
 
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Pretty sure this is the exact same dist: Sierra 18-5497-1 YLM Breakerless Electrical Distributor.
It looks to be a VR system.

Also as I understand, this also replaces the Chrysler ECU?
With mechanical advancing, whether photo-eye, VR or Hall Effect triggering, the ECU or ECM is not used.
 
What are people swapping to from their old Prestolite distributor?
I"m chasing a spark problem (that started out as just hard starting and now it WON'T start at all) thats looking more and more like the reluctor and sensor (anyone know what the resistance should be on that? When I tested it at 1k, it showed resistance, but it BARELY moved the needle when I tried turning the engine over) so I'm thinking maybe the $50 for the sensor etc isn't the best idea and moving to a new dist is the better choice. My other engine has the Mallory and starts fine. Should I just go there?

You might verify all connections are sound. The Mopar pickup and harness have been known to fail.
The below link describes a simple check. Two items prior to trying you might note.
1) Mark your distributor orientation before you remove it.
2) The test I believe will require ignition in on position.


Easy electronic distributor check. | For A Bodies Only Mopar Forum
 
Dave, I believe that the OP's distributors are VR.

What Ricardo said. :)

Also I have all the parts except for primary wire to run to the tach to switch over to the Sierra/Mallory dist. I'm not completely sure where the tach signal was coming from in the old system as there was only one wire to the + terminal of the coil and the "simple" diagrams of the Chrysler system shows two. I'll have to chase backwards from the tach back to the harness this afternoon.
 
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