There are two basic ways to upgrade the old points distributors on the pre-75 ford small six cylinders (170-200-250, sorry, don't think this will work for the 144). One of the wyas is Pertronix, the other is Duraspark 2. As far as which is better, here is a side by side comparison. Pertronix versus Duraspark2.
What is Duraspark 2? It is the standard electronic ignition that is found in fords in the late 70s and early 80s on the ford inline six cylinders. It is a solid state ignition that can be acquired over the counter at any generic auto parts store. It has single vacuum and mechanical advance.
It is a very simple installation, taking about 1-2 hours, depending what else you are hooking up and if you have to cut new wires or you buy some pre-made.
For instructions on how to install it, look here: www.fordsix.com/duraspark.html.
PERFORMANCE:
Unless you are really concerned with your car being completely original, upgrading to some form of electronic ignition is a very important thing. It gets rid of points, setting gaps, and gives you a better overal ignition performance, allowing you to run larger gap on the plugs and get better gas mileage.
I replaced my pertronix with DS2, mainly because I had a free DS2 and I needed to replace my cap and rotor.
Also, the DS2 allows you to run larger wire sizes, like 8mm, 9mm, etc.
| REVIEW (1-10, 10 being the best) | ||
| PRICE: | 8 |
This upgrade can be cheap, or expensive, depending on how you do it. Overall, the DS2 dizzy, cap, rotor and adaptor costs about $70. |
| PERFORMANCE: | 10 |
It is performing as designed. I was able to open the plug gaps up, improving mileage and power. It starts up better and idles much smoother. Any upgrade from points is a good thing. |
| OVERALL |
9 |
I must that I like the overall improvement. I would suggest at least some sort of MSD ignition for performance improvement over the stock system. I also like being able to run larger wires, and a larger gap between wire posts. |