Thread: 327 Build??

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How much room do you have between the distributor cap and the firewall? That will determine if you can run a large cap distributor such as a stock HEI or MSD.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Sometimes there is interference between the distributor and the rear carb on a 3-2 setup. Pay attention to what the manufacturer of the distributor says about that. Most skinny-body distributors will work with any setup, but an HEI large cap design is where you can run into clearance problems.

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I forgot about the trips and my guess is that it's going to be tight fit in a T.

Yeah, I wasn't thinking about clearance issues either.

If you don't have clearance for HEI then you'll need to take a hard look at your current dizzy. Check for slop on the shaft, look for uneven wear in the points cam. (Spin the motor, see if the points open evenly on all lobes).

I've had bad luck running points with performance coils. Always seems to eat up the points.

Another option is a pertronix (brand name) conversion. Turns your points dizzy into an HEI.

Mallory Unilite is a fantastic modern solid-state (no points) replacement where space is tight. I'd recommend using their Promaster coil and ballast resistor. Distributor coil/ballast resister will set you back about $300, but it is a great option when HEI won't fit.

It has a pretty decent room. I believe I can get what ever I need in there, just wondering what to run. I have had he Mallory uni lite in my s-10 with a small block and had good results. I was going to run the mad pro billet with a 6al but I believe that wasted money for my app.

It's hard to beat a good stock HEI for the street if you have the room, but if the spark plug wires are junk it doesn't matter how good the distributor is or who made it. If you have a clearance issue I would rebuild a stock points distributor and convert it with a Petronix electronic unit. Stock point distributors should be plentiful and cheap and converted with Petronix it will be half the cost of a Mallory unilite, your choice unless you like spending money, I don't. FWIW, I have a Mallory dual point, converted to Petronix, in the 66 Mustang I gave to my grandson and it works better than it ever did as a dual point.

My 327 is running a stock re-curved distributor with the Pertronix point conversion as NTFDAY suggests. I added a MSD box and matching coil, which made a big difference in performance as well. I also like the Taylor Spri-Pro wires, they perform very well with hot ignition systems. The MSD increased throttle response and low end significantly and virtually eliminated any hesitation when the two fours are kicked in.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

FWIW, I have a Mallory dual point, converted to Petronix, in the 66 Mustang I gave to my grandson and it works better than it ever did as a dual point.

I use this exact same setup in my current 347 setup for the coupe. Can't beat it!

Sounds like a neat project. For what it’s worth, here’s what little input I can provide.

I looked over the thread, and did not see where you had said who made the intake you are using or what carbs you are running. Over the years there were a lot of different SBC Tri-Power intakes offered by different companies…….some good and some not so much. In most cases they were either designed for Rochester 2G OR 3 bolt Holley or Stromberg carbs. Then there is also a question of the linkage, do you have it set up progressive or synchronized?

I did a Tri-Power carb write up about 10 years ago that might be helpful as far as setting up the carbs,

Tri-Power Carbs build.

As far as the distributor, the rear carb placement usually limits you to a distributor size no larger than a stock point type distributor with stock cap. That still leaves a fair amount of options out there such as the unilite some have mentioned, if you want to keep a nostalgia feel to the car things like stock point type Chevrolet or Mallory dual point units (personally I would convert any point type unit to Pertronix,,,,,and follow their recommendations on wiring and coils). From experience I would also recommend a distributor with a vacuum advance. Regardless of the distributor you use you will probably want to verify the advance curve and shoot for a total of 32-36 degrees total all in at between 22-2500 RPM (depending on what the car likes).

The majority of the Tri-Power intakes I have come across usually have two issues to some extent or another. They seem cold blooded until the engine comes up to operating temp and they often have poor fuel distribution at idle. Virtually all of the Tri-Powers I’ve run see a very noticeable improvement in these areas with the addition of an MSD box.

Anyway hope this helps and again welcome.



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Excellent information on the carbs Mike. But before we overwhelm the OP with info, may I suggest he put together a plan and do it one step at a time; i.e., start by doing a good tune up. New plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor, points and condenser, set timing and adjust carbs, new fuel filter and some fresh fuel (possibly a fuel cleaner additive). Then move to rebuilding or replacing components as needed.
If his Dad was anything like mine (and probably us as we follow in their steps), he more than likely had the motor pretty well dialed in and probably only suffers from corrosions associated with setting.

Oh, and by the way, I believe it's time for some pictures to be posted of your T Bucket..

First post said he was running Demon 98's (from Barry Grant) a real slick looking unit.

I missed that, thanks Glenn.


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I tried to post pics and it said they needed to be approved by Mod.

Try again, you may not have reached the required number of posts to allow pictures.