Pinto Car Club of America

Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: meinvw on May 20, 2005, 06:41:35 AM

Title: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: meinvw on May 20, 2005, 06:41:35 AM
 Just wondering is there anyway to eliminate the ecu and go with a standard breaker system on a 2.3. Maybe a centrifigal advance distributor, or a vacum advance? Thanks In Advance.
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: billnall on May 20, 2005, 03:10:25 PM
All 2.3L engines were electronic. Ford never made a dist withj points for this engine in the USA.
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: dirt track demon on May 23, 2005, 09:27:58 AM
Quote from: billnall on May 20, 2005, 03:10:25 PM
All 2.3L engines were electronic. Ford never made a dist withj points for this engine in the USA.


   Excuse me?   Meinvw you need to go to a boat repair shop,  ive seen at least 50  2.3's with a points ignition system on them.  Ok I guess bill is partly right, ford didnt make the distributor,  BUT   :o MERCRUISER :o  did. ;)
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: dirt track demon on May 23, 2005, 09:34:10 AM
If you live somewhere where there aint no water or repair shops, I used to work at a boat place and they sponsor my race car. So if you dont have any luck let me know.  I might even be able to get a used one. I wont be back til next weekend. so if i dont respond thru the week dont worry.
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: meinvw on May 23, 2005, 04:27:14 PM
 Thanks, might have to look into that. I have the van up for sale now, so put my repairs on hold, if it does not sell, then I am diving back in. Any ideas on the cost of the distributors? And what type, I am sure they will look at me funny when I go in and ask for one!
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: Pintony on May 23, 2005, 08:03:28 PM
in 1974 the Pinto came with points or solid state ignition.
from Pintony
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: dirt track demon on May 23, 2005, 10:01:36 PM
Quote from: meinvw on May 23, 2005, 04:27:14 PM
Thanks, might have to look into that. I have the van up for sale now, so put my repairs on hold, if it does not sell, then I am diving back in. Any ideas on the cost of the distributors? And what type, I am sure they will look at me funny when I go in and ask for one!

I doubt it, just tell them you need a points distributor for a 2.3.  I never much paid attention to the cost of them.  I dont like boats, so I just put the parts on and got the heck away from it.
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: CHEAPRACER on May 23, 2005, 11:26:08 PM
Quote from: meinvw on May 20, 2005, 06:41:35 AM
Just wondering is there anyway to eliminate the ecu and go with a standard breaker system on a 2.3. Maybe a centrifigal advance distributor, or a vacum advance? Thanks In Advance.

Are you refering to a late model fuel injected dist?
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: meinvw on May 24, 2005, 08:26:16 AM
Quote from: CHEAPRACER on May 23, 2005, 11:26:08 PM
Quote from: meinvw on May 20, 2005, 06:41:35 AM
Just wondering is there anyway to eliminate the ecu and go with a standard breaker system on a 2.3. Maybe a centrifigal advance distributor, or a vacum advance? Thanks In Advance.

Are you refering to a late model fuel injected dist?
It is has a carb, I am thinking it is a 77-78 engine.
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: billnall on May 24, 2005, 11:28:52 AM
Quote from: billnall on May 20, 2005, 03:10:25 PM
All 2.3L engines were electronic. Ford never made a dist withj points for this engine in the USA.

Sorry about the wrong info, I went off of memory, I looked in the book this time.
Ford Parts Catalog shows ALL 1974 2.3 OHC had points in the dist.
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: crazyhorse on May 24, 2005, 12:27:17 PM
Yep Bill, mine was a points disty. The guy I bought it off converted it to electronic. he MAY still have the points disty somewhere, I'll ask him meinvw
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: dirt track demon on May 24, 2005, 02:03:26 PM
Ok it was OMC that used the 2.3 not mercruiser.  I checked today the boat shop cant get any new from any of their suppliers. And they don't have any used. Sorry.
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: billnall on May 24, 2005, 04:00:12 PM
HERE IS THE INFO TO GET ONE AT THE LOCAL AUTO SUPPLY.
Part Number: 30-2400
Manufacturer Name: A1 CARDONE
Description: Remanufactured Distributor
Years: 74 PINTO 2.3 OHC
Part Information: VAC ADVANCE (SINGLE)
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: dirt track demon on May 24, 2005, 08:28:19 PM
One of the guys at the boat shop told me that they make a module for the points distributor that turns it into HEI like a chevrolet.  You'd have to check at a boat shop to get it though.  Speaking of that  speedway motors sells a converted distributor for a 2.3 that makes it HEI.  www.speedwaymotors.com
You might have to call, I saw them in the book but cant locate them online.
If you went that way, coil and everything would be in the distributor, all you would need would be a hot and a ground to your distributor.
Title: Re: Any way to eliminate the ecu, and go with a regular dist.?
Post by: meinvw on May 28, 2005, 06:12:45 PM
 Great, sounds like exactly what I was looking for. The van actually sold at auction( the big online one) but the first person to hit the reserve was a kid, and his Dad e-mailed me that he was not supposed to be ding it, then the next bid won, but no response from them so look like I will be keeping it.  So back to work on it! Thanks for all the info, hopefully I can get it up and running right.