Okay folks, need some help here. Not a classic Mustang owner (wish I was!) but if it helps any I have had a few Mustangs. Currently have a mid-80s boat that has a 351 Cleveland in it and I'm in the process of upgrading the ignition. At least I think it's a Cleveland... the 'water neck' is sort of made into the intake instead of what I'm used to seeing on a 302. Valve covers only have six bolts though, I thought Clevelands had eight.

In any case, that may not matter so let me get started. Wanted to replace the points with a Pertronix, install an adaptor and 'big cap' (like off of a Duraspark), wires, etc. Got the info off the dizzy and ordered the Pertronix, picked up the adaptor, cap, etc.at a local parts house. That's when the trouble started! Turns out the dizzy is a Prestolite and the Ford 'big cap adaptor' won't fit.

First instinct was to snag a dizzy from AutoZone and start over (re-order the Pertronix). After a good bit of trial and error selecting different model year vehicles on their web site I still wasn't sure of the right distributor. The one that's in there is a single points model with NO vac advance. One note here... don't think a dizzy with vac advance would fit.. wouldn't clear that hodge podge of plumbing in front of it. Also, I'm concerned about identifying the gear material.If I put the wrong type dizzy gear in it'll trash the cam, right?

Another option, and the simpliest option probably, would be to find a cap/ rotor for the Prestolite. But I have a new coil and wanted to crank up the plug gap with the Pertronix... and concerned that I'd get some cross-firing in the cap with the 'small' one.

So in summary -
1. Anyone know if my engine actually sounds like a Cleveland?
2. Whatever the engine is - know of a year / model that contained it? (so I can get a dizzy)
3. What the dizzy gear material should be?
4. Or, as a backup plan, should I actually be concerned about the cross-firing in the 'small' cap?


Thanks in Advance!!!
Tom

 

A picture would be a great help. The actual engine ID can best be determined by the casting part number and the date code located on the block above the starting motor. Yes, you have to pull the starter.
I'll add a picture via edit.
Jim
The format is shown and a sample date code.

[IMG]local://upfiles/64738/E98EC0320C7C467F882D675490A205DC.jpg[/IMG]

 

I'll try to get a picture this afternoon. Meanwhile - would the distributor be the same for a Cleveland and Windsor? Would still be nice to know which the engine is... but for the immediate need of getting this ignition upgraded wondering if it matters.

 

doh! sounds like I had my visual id info backwards... Windsor had the hose going into the intake horizontally:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Windsor_engine

that would make for sense for an engine that was being produced in the 80s.

Guess my main question now is - will the cross firing be enough of a concern to figure out what I need and do the swap.