can a 2.9 distributor run off of a 2.8 ignition system?

well i’m thinking of building a 1979-1980 (or older if the front clips are swappable ) Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon.

(sorry, i really don’t want to do a V8 unless there is no other option, and NO!!!! i’m not doing anything with fuel injection. i have an 1987 ford ranger 2.3 with multiport fuel injection, i put a 480 lift cam in it and the ECM told me to go F myself. and NO ONE sold a chip for it. and i didn’t have the money to send it out to a tuner ever time i want to change something on it.. (that why the ranger is now running with a carb  ) )

well anyway i was thinking of swapping in the 4.0 ohv V6. i know i can find a carburetor intake manifold for the 4.0 ( http://www.moranav6racing.com/category.html?CategoryID=32 ) and i know the 4.0 has a distributor hole in the block and the cam has a distributor gear. and i know that the 2.9 distributor works in the 4.0 just like it would in the 2.9.

so if everything works. can i just drop in the 4.0, and put the MORANA Conversion Intake Manifold on it, use a 390 to 500 cfm holley 4bbl carburetor, and drop in a 2.9 distributor and run it off of the existing 2.8 ignition system and wiring harness with little or no modifications?

i have came up with alot of ideas for this build. at first it was thinking of putting a 3.8 V6 in. but i think there would be lots of fabrication of motor, and trans mounts and other stuff... then i thought of supercharging the 2.8. but with the hot spot on the heads, i didn’t think it was a good idea. then i was thinking of just dropping a small windsor v8 in it. like a 221 or 255 or 260. i know lots of ppl who dropped a 302 in the pinto’s and i’m pretty sure there is a kit out there by now. but i don’t know if it would pass maryland emission tests. i really don’t want to put this car on historic tags bc i want this as my daily driver. and maryland is beginning to crack down on ppl who are using cars on historic tags as daily drivers. but if i can take the front clip off of a 79 or 80 and put it on a 76 or older then i don’t have to worry about the emission tests even if i do tag it as a regular car.

the build is really a fun daily driver that i like. something that would run 15’s, and that is fun in the turns, and that doesn’t zoop down gas. looking for something that is no lower when 17.5 mpg average.  looking at cars that are under 3000 lbs. and NO i don’t want a fox body mustang. yes i like that looks of them but everybody has one. well anyway the 79-80 Pinto Cruising Wagon fit that build  .... with a few other cars.

thank you amc49.
do you know when ford switched from the duraspark to the TFI? 

The distributor housings might fit, but, you will find that the gears are different as the Duraspark engine (2. was gear driven on the cam, where as the TFI (2.9) is chain driven.  Therefore the cams rotated opposite.  The oil pump driveshaft is also different.  You might be able to swap parts around enough to make it work.  I haven't gotten that far along on the idea to know.  And then there is the electronics differences.  Wiring has got to be modified, because, the 2.9 is injected as you know.

I do not know personally but if the 2.9 is EFI then most likely the distributor is a hall effect type and will not work with duraspark parts. Duraspark uses a mag impulse pickup with two wires, the TFI type is three wires to pickup, one carries power to turn on the transistor in the Hall device.

Hi , been trough this with a 2.8 I am converting to TBI , the housings are the same, but the shaft size is diffrent also, but last year Bronco ii with the 2.8 had the TFI, used a small computor just for ign timing, so use the 2.9 dist with 2.8 computor , best yet is just use the whole efi system , I have a 93 ranger with the 4.0 ran 15.90 at the drags years ago, now has 250 k on it now and still gives 21 mpg ,  the pinto V-6 mounts will bolt on but you have to mod the 2.8 oil pan, one side fits and the other need to be wider about a inch , good if you already have a v6 pinto , flywheel and trans bolt up fine,