# More Pontiac Distributor Options



## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

FYI: Here's what I've discovered.

As many of you know, Ive been dialing in my 67, since December.

I wasnt happy with the original 67 dizzy, nor when it was upgraded with the Pertronix conversion. I swapped in a Proform HEI, and I wasnt happy with that either. I finally bit the bullet and went with the MSD, but they didn't have what I needed, with a vacuum advance can, so...

I bought the Summit Pro Billet Dizzy, for Pontiac, with vacuum advance, NON Ready-to-Run, so it required an external box. For the record, all of the Mallory stuff is plug and play with MSD, so I ran my Hyfire box... Leading me to the big query... "Who makes the Summit Dizzy?".

I asked Summit, they either didnt know or wouldnt say. MSD either didnt know or wouldnt say. And of course, the internet couldn't find its ass with both hands, so when I googled it, I got ever answer under the sun, from cheap chinese knock off, to Proform.

In another thread regarding timing, we've been talking about a new vacuum advance stop that MSD is working on, so I called MSD and they asked what dizzy I had. I told them that it was a Pro Billet, and they responded that their new stop would work *only if it was an MSD Pro Billet. *

Today I went outside with their parts, instructions, and the Summit Pro Billet. I'm pleased to report that it's a direct fit. The Summit Pro Billet, seriously appears to be a high quality, pro part. It comes with the advance kit, mechanical limiter bushings, springs, vac can... and now that I've confirmed it to (likely) be made by MSD, the vac can limiter (free) works, too.

The dizzy is very affordable, but more importantly, awesome quality and now infinitely adjustable.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

I have one of those prototype vac stops from MSD engineering. It looks really good and well engineered. Gonna put it on a 65 GTO. Glad they are making that stop.


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Did I start a vacuum advance limiter revolution 😉


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

nice. but still no option for the non-vacuum advance pro billet, right? this is for the summit brand "msd-style" vacuum advance unit? been contemplating swapping one of those summit brand ones in after all the feedback from my timing issues post.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

I use vac advance limiters on every distributor I curve that takes one,…I use the Lars ones, keep a stack in my distributor machines. This is just MSD coming on with their’s Thanks to you we know about it! I have used the crane stop as well, and HEI’ cans that only pull 10 degrees at the crank so no limiter needed……..Yes they are a good thing!


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

I see lot’s of pro billet no vac advance distributors. You can run what you want, but for a street car, not a slow car, but a street performance car you want vac advance. 

Computerized distributors give you that advance by the way, some of them call it vac advance some say load or idle timing…it is all the same thing that a vac can does…

So ask yourself why does a digitized computerized whiz bang $600 distributor give you that extra timing that a lockout one does not if it is not needed?……The answer is it is needed if you drive on the street…A straight race car no….hammer down….Is that how you drive?

Maybe? ……but the Troopers have Motorola’s, ……those are fast too…….


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

ylwgto said:


> nice. but still no option for the non-vacuum advance pro billet, right? this is for the summit brand "msd-style" vacuum advance unit? been contemplating swapping one of those summit brand ones in after all the feedback from my timing issues post.


Can you clarify? You already have an MSD with no advance, right? I had one and you werent able to add the can, so I returned it, but baad had one and he was able to add the can. Summit has them cheap, in every config.


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

If yours is just like an MSD and the can bolt pattern is the same then contact MSD through Ebay and see if they have any more limiters like I got, if you look back at my pictures of it I think it would be pretty easy to make, you did say you're a fabricator right? It's an L bracket with a slot in it but you also need the spacer to go underneath it. Like I said I found an MSD limiter for an hei sold by MSD on Ebay and started emailing and they responded really well.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Baaad65 said:


> If yours is just like an MSD and the can bolt pattern is the same then contact MSD through Ebay and see if they have any more limiters like I got, if you look back at my pictures of it I think it would be pretty easy to make, you did say you're a fabricator right? It's an L bracket with a slot in it but you also need the spacer to go underneath it. Like I said I found an MSD limiter for an hei sold by MSD on Ebay and started emailing and they responded really well.


I'm already set with my dizzy stuff, but a few of the others are now realizing that their systems need upgrading.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

A lot of the guys bought dizzys without vac cans, and on a few of the MSD's, you cannot add a vac can if it didnt come with one.


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

armyadarkness said:


> A lot of the guys bought dizzys without vac cans, and on a few of the MSD's, you cannot add a vac can if it didnt come with one.



Yeah, this is my situation. My pro billet is no-vacuum from about 20 yrs ago. I misread your original post thinking the vac can you found was to adapt to non-can distributors. now I understand.

I'm now thinking most of my timing, carb woes are linked to not having the 10 degree vacuum advance a can provides (yes, it is a street car, no racing anymore except between stoplights).

I'll likely get that summit unit.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

ylwgto said:


> Yeah, this is my situation. My pro billet is no-vacuum from about 20 yrs ago. I misread your original post thinking the vac can you found was to adapt to non-can distributors. now I understand.
> 
> I'm now thinking most of my timing, carb woes are linked to not having the 10 degree vacuum advance a can provides (yes, it is a street car, no racing anymore except between stoplights).
> 
> I'll likely get that summit unit.


I think you're probably right. Your throttle response and mileage are probaly taking an asswhooping as well. Well, the Summit is a drop in and it's a fairly cheap investment. BTW, it comes with an adjustable can, so expect at least 14 degress of max vac advance, and down to around 5. I know those cans arent in favor, but Ive tested mine and it does what it should. At idle and light cruise, my car feels like a fuel injected cream puff.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Heres the manual. Very easy and detailed


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

cool, thanks

do you have your vacuum source hooked up to a carb port or the manifold?


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

ylwgto said:


> cool, thanks
> 
> do you have your vacuum source hooked up to a carb port or the manifold?


Full manifold, and I had the can at 12 and loved it, now at 10 not so much. But, I'll be pulling the dizzy and adding the SMP can with lars stop, soon. 

FYI, pay note that the Summit dizzys come in ready-to-run and "not". The ready to run, essentially has a built in MSD box, the non-rtr will NOT run without an aftermarket ignition box. And, I think the pricing might be screwy on Summit, Usually, the non-rtr is under $200. Now it looks the same as the RTR.


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

armyadarkness said:


> Full manifold, and I had the can at 12 and loved it, now at 10 not so much. But, I'll be pulling the dizzy and adding the SMP can with lars stop, soon.
> 
> FYI, pay note that the Summit dizzys come in ready-to-run and "not". The ready to run, essentially has a built in MSD box, the non-rtr will NOT run without an aftermarket ignition box. And, I think the pricing might be screwy on Summit, Usually, the non-rtr is under $200. Now it looks the same as the RTR.



thanks.
Yeah, I have an older 6A box (model 6200) and a Blaster II coil already, so I think the non-RTR is the one for me. You are right, they are the same price...weird.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

With Lars corrector they mostly pull ten, some pull 8 some pull 12. If you want 12 you can just bend the little vertical tang on the vac can. The stem that moves. It has a 45 degree angle, put a plier on it a little pressure, there is no perceptible movement to get or lose 2 degrees…

so you can make it 12….46 to 48 at light throttle cruise perfect, and since it is vacumn timing and not adding to total timing you can do it without WOT detonation. Just try to make sure that you don’t get any on acceleration. But you should not with 12……

Hey I used to set them all much higher but things change….especially gasoline!


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

armyadarkness said:


> I think the pricing might be screwy on Summit, Usually, the non-rtr is under $200. Now it looks the same as the RTR.


you are right, i called and they are now $244...same price as the ready to run. weird. they said they'd price match, but who the hell else sells a summit part #!


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

ylwgto said:


> thanks.
> Yeah, I have an older 6A box (model 6200) and a Blaster II coil already, so I think the non-RTR is the one for me. You are right, they are the same price...weird.


I would call Summit and inquire. The non-rtr is usually only $180


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Woops... I see that you already called. I wonder if MSD makes them for Jeg's too? In any event, if the RTR has a modern MSD built in, then mabe you should upgrade anyway! And you can sell your old box


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

Interestingly Jegs does have their own "house" brand of billet distributors (SSR series), but the RTR and the standard versions are also both the same price ($240)! They look a bit different than the Summit (MSD) units and have poor reviews. 

Will probably get the non-RTR version when back from vaca...don't want to rewire to take the box out and mess up the nice looming I just did when I put the fan relays and higher amp alt in!


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Cool. I only JUST bought my first ever ignition box, and it's all plug and play. I dont know how the old stuff works.


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