sentipede

When I purchased my car, the previous owner had already installed this roller engine, which is supposedly a 5.0L 302 out of a '92 fox body with GT40 heads and a Street Demon Jr. Carb.



I was wondering if anyone knew what distributor I currently have, and if anyone could recommend a smaller replacement unit that won't interfere with a large COBRA oval air cleaner and the remaining TCP shock tower braces that I would like to eventually purchase and install.



Thanks in advance!

kalli

if it doesn't give you grief, just leave it in there. Seems like a 'normal' HEI setup.

sentipede

Thanks, I was trying to figure that out. What are the added benefits from an HEI that I won't get from a smaller MSD setup?

kalli

put it this way ... I do understand that the problem with the aircleaner is annoying, but only for that get a new distributor? I'd rather:
a) check how much clearance you have under the hood and if posible just swap the spacer under the carb to a bigger one which will lift the carb further
b) same thing as a) ... maybe you can get a spacer between carb and airfilter housing, but that _might_ require that you need different nuts/bolts for bolting it on (longer/shorter ...)

If you have to get a different setup and it has to be MSD, you might as well see about a CDI box including a rev limiter or similar. Anyway, just of the fitment sake I wouldn't change it

sentipede

Thanks kalli,
You're probably right. I will investigate option 'B' and see how much clearance I have under the hood. This may be the simplest and cheapest solution.

sentipede

While I have the picture up, can anyone recommend a nice fan shroud? Anything in stainless?

I have this reoccurring vision that someone is going to lose a digit on that fan....

2+2GT

When I purchased my car, the previous owner had already installed this roller engine, which is supposedly a 5.0L 302 out of a '92 fox body with GT40 heads and a Street Demon Jr. Carb.
Sounds good, if true.

I was wondering if anyone knew what distributor I currently have, and if anyone could recommend a smaller replacement unit that won't interfere with a large COBRA oval air cleaner and the remaining TCP shock tower braces that I would like to eventually purchase and install.
Holy General Motors! It's an HEI, probably one of the largest distributors extant. Only a magneto is larger than that. Personally, I'd rather have a stock Ford unit with Pertronix inside, than that GM monstrosity.


While I have the picture up, can anyone recommend a nice fan shroud? Anything in stainless?

I have this reoccurring vision that someone is going to lose a digit on that fan....

Yeah, ditch that automotive Cuisinart and get a 6-blade thermal clutch fan and stock shroud. It'll cool better and you'll have better performance and economy.

kalli

no recommendation here, just check at summits etc ... but it's not only the fingers, it's for funneling the air through the rad, without it you won't have much suction through there. It's way more effecient cooling if you have one, especially when standing in a traffic jam ...

2+2GT

I would strongly recommend using a stock type export brace. The one you have now is worse than the lame stock braces. The single piece stamped heavy steel piece forms a large solid triangle in the compartment, especially when used with a Mote Carlo bar. The piece you have now has Heim joints which allow free movement at exactly the wrong place to stiffen the compartment. Don't get the cheapie, get the deeply stamped heavy gauge brace.

I have never understood the popularity of using Heim joints in a chassis stiffener. It's just dumb. Of course, the manufacturers advertise heavily in the magazines, so they have a vested interest in praising them.

67mustang302

Actually, that TCP unit is very stiff IF you have the ENTIRE setup installed. It triangulates from several different locations to prevent anything from moving...basic principles of structural engineering. But, without the entire setup, then yeah, it allows for quite a bit of movement. The only real advantage to that setup is better distributor clearance(maybe) and it's easier to take apart if you pull the engine frequently(race cars). Otherwise the heavy stamped steel brace with a straight Monte Carlo bar is just as stiff(perhaps even more so) and WAAAYY cheaper.

I'm running the heavy stamped brace and a straight Monte bar, and I jack the car up under 1 control arm on one side....and the entire car comes straight up. The front end is VERY stiff. It's just a bit of a pain to get at the distributor, and I have the small Crane unit(which they don't make...for now, till S&S Cycle gets them up and produced again). Otherwise try a small Mallory or MSD unit, I'd recommend something that has electronically controlled timing curves, and not the mechanical weights and springs.