Mallory Unilite Vacuum Advance Replacement

[DSJW]

Hi All,

I have a Mallory Unilite distributor in my '77/302 that has worked great for many years but the vacuum advance diaphragm is leaking. I have searched all over the web, including ebay and online obsolete parts sources, and I cannot find one.

Does anyone have any ideas on what to do for a replacement? I believe the Mallory part # is 29332.

Thank You!

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, try a speed shop like Speedway, Summit, or Kegs. Good luck

 

[NYLES]

you picked a good one I cant find it...........

 

[SHX669]

You might try Summit Racing. They sell an Accel "points style " canister that fits a lot of applications. I used one on my MSD "Ready to Run "

 

[JWMcCrary]

You might try Summit Racing. They sell an Accel "points style " canister that fits a lot of applications. I used one on my MSD "Ready to Run "

It's amazing what the guys at Summit can do for you when you are close enough to walk in to their store. I've been within 15 miles of them in Akron for the last 3 years. If you run out of options to get it fixed and want to ship it to me I will be happy to take it in there and see what they can do for it.

 

[DirtDonk]

Someone must have ended up with all the old inventory after Mallory was absorbed and disbanded recently I would think.
I would have thought the Summits of the world would have jumped on it, but maybe it's all somewhere in some dingy warehouse waiting for the right time to see the light of day.

Or maybe, keeping with Mallory's relative lack of replacement parts in general, there just wasn't much left of it in recent years. Much of the old Mr Gasket companies sort of just went dark with nary a whimper.
I forget the story even though I heard it not long ago. About who bought it all up and chucked it in the garbage. MSD was it? I'm thinking yes, but not sure.

Shame that some things, like the hardly-had-time-to-get-off-the-ground computer controlled distributors with built-in MAP sensors and different timing curves available at the turn of a dial got the old heave-ho.
And all that amazing Accel DFI "build your own" fuel injection stuff too!

Oh well, maybe they're just working on melding it with their existing stuff and we might see some amazing things in the near future.
Or not...

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Sorry that didn't help with your quest DSJW! But maybe the other suggestions might pan out. I think the Mallory vacuum advances were just slightly different from the others, but maybe there's still a way to make one work.

Good luck!

Paul

 

[DSJW]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was sure that one would pop up for sale but I have found nothing in about 2 hours of web searching. Summit used to have them, they even had an alternate, sadly neither is available.

If anyone knows of, or discovers, a source please let me know. If I do find a source I will be sure to post it here.

The Mallory module has always made me a little nervous even though it has run without issue for 15+ years, maybe it is time to change systems.

 

[bmc69]

Having run nothing but Mallory and Accel ignition for over 40 years, I was not a happy camper when either of them disappeared. And I HATE MSD..."Many Sorry Defects". But that's apparently what we are stuck with now.

 

[pcf_mark]

Seems like they are available two models

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/maa-29332

 

[DSJW]

Seems like they are available two models

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/maa-29332

Except for the "Not Available" notification in red letters for both part numbers, LOL.

 

[pcf_mark]

Aww snap! Take the part number and surf the internet you will find it.

 

[ntsqd]

Convert to Dura-Spark II and don't look back, or worry about parts availability.

Way, way back in the day - like 40's thru maybe as new as the late 60's - Mallory was a good to excellent name. They hadn't been much since then. Now they're nothing, along with Accel. Both victims of corporate greed. MSD isn't much batter, and don't get me started on Jacobs.....

 

[jckkys]

I have no idea what knucklehead removed the superior Dueaspark II ignition system to stick inferior after market crap in, but it's not too late to repair it. If you want reliability, you go OE.

 

[DirtDonk]

Just to close off any possible loose ends, do you know for a fact that it's a Mallory unit there DSJW? I mean, a true Mallory Distributor and not just your original distributor with Mallory tune-up parts added to it over the years?
It actually sounds from the tone of your posts that you know exactly what you have (and maybe you were the one that swapped it in?), but we've seen enough tail-chasing around here I had to ask.
Anyway, as jckkys suggests (even if you were the knucklehead!;D) now might be a good time to go back to stock. Maybe the original wiring is still intact too. That'd be a nice bonus for just going Duraspark.

Of course, you realize that now you're totally jinxed. If you had 15 years of good service from a Unilite, you're likely to have three failures within the first three months of whatever brand you put in as a replacement!
Won't matter what brand at this point either. Something will just mess around with you until you accept who's the boss.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[DSJW]

I'm not sure who removed the DSII, but when I got the Bronco about 20+ years ago it had a regular single points distributor.

The distributor is a full blown Mallory Unilite unit that I installed myself many moons ago.

I am seriously considering going back to the DSII. I'm looking at distributors and a Standard or Motorcraft control module from Rock Auto.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=49683&cc=1105591&jsn=551
http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=385933&cc=1105591&jsn=550

I see Rock Auto mentioned here frequently so I am assuming that they are a solid company to deal with, is that true???

I would appreciate any advice on which specific distributor to go with and suggestions on a decent, and decently priced, wire harness to go between the distributor and control module.

Thank you for the help!

 

[bronconut73]

I'm not sure who removed the DSII, but when I got the Bronco about 20+ years ago it had a regular single points distributor.

The distributor is a full blown Mallory Unilite unit that I installed myself many moons ago.

I am seriously considering going back to the DSII. I'm looking at distributors and a Standard or Motorcraft control module from Rock Auto.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=49683&cc=1105591&jsn=551
http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=385933&cc=1105591&jsn=550

I see Rock Auto mentioned here frequently so I am assuming that they are a solid company to deal with, is that true???

I would appreciate any advice on which specific distributor to go with and suggestions on a decent, and decently priced, wire harness to go between the distributor and control module.

Thank you for the help!

Rock Auto is a very inexpensive source for good parts but you still need to kind of "know your stuff" when buying parts on line.

When you are worried you won't "know your stuff" then get the part numbers from Rock Auto and start Google searching.

Don't forget eBay and Amazon.