anybody tried powerfire distributors?

[68er]

i saw this for $140 on ebay. has anybody tried it?

looks pretty cool to me for the price. what do you guys think?

Professional Products Online


The new Powerfire Ignition System represents the latest state-of-the-art technology in ignitions. Look at this list of terrific features coupled with a price that can’t be matched for any other top of the line ready-to-run ignition system:

• Easy 3-wire install with no external spark box necessary.
• Precision CNC machining and hand assembled construction.
• Patent pending positive lock manual advance/retard knob. Distributor can be accurately advanced or retarded in 1/2-degree increments on the fly by turning the external adjustment knob. Each click of the knob provides a 1/2-degree change to total ignition timing. This makes getting an accurate setting extremely easy.
• Accurate super hot spark all the way through 10,000 RPM.
• Hardened steel .50” diameter steel shaft with sealed roller bearing upper support and bronze bushed lower support for extreme stability at maximum rpm.
• Powerful magnetic pickup and CNC machined reluctor pickup.
• Fully adjustable advance mechanism with easy to use spring and bushing design for a nearly infinite advance curve.
• POWERFIRE module built in for drop-in reliability from 50 to 10,000 RPM.
• Hot cranking spark as low as 50 RPM.
• Black anodized base with laser etched timing marks for easy visibility.
• High quality injection molded caps with brass terminals for long life and conductivity.

 

[mrmustangman357]

if only you could adjust centrifugal and vac advance with this dizzy. . . .

 

[2+2GT]

I hope the Ford version isn't this tall, or you'll need a tiny hood scoop over it.

Exotic ignition systems are among the least effective upgrades, dollar-for-dollar. At least this one isn't very expensive.

 

[D.Hearne]

i saw this for $140 on ebay. has anybody tried it?

looks pretty cool to me for the price. what do you guys think?

Professional Products Online


The new Powerfire Ignition System represents the latest state-of-the-art technology in ignitions. Look at this list of terrific features coupled with a price that can’t be matched for any other top of the line ready-to-run ignition system:

• Easy 3-wire install with no external spark box necessary.
• Precision CNC machining and hand assembled construction.
• Patent pending positive lock manual advance/retard knob. Distributor can be accurately advanced or retarded in 1/2-degree increments on the fly by turning the external adjustment knob. Each click of the knob provides a 1/2-degree change to total ignition timing. This makes getting an accurate setting extremely easy.
• Accurate super hot spark all the way through 10,000 RPM.
• Hardened steel .50” diameter steel shaft with sealed roller bearing upper support and bronze bushed lower support for extreme stability at maximum rpm.
• Powerful magnetic pickup and CNC machined reluctor pickup.
• Fully adjustable advance mechanism with easy to use spring and bushing design for a nearly infinite advance curve.
• POWERFIRE module built in for drop-in reliability from 50 to 10,000 RPM.
• Hot cranking spark as low as 50 RPM.
• Black anodized base with laser etched timing marks for easy visibility.
• High quality injection molded caps with brass terminals for long life and conductivity.

All that and made in China too !!!!!

 

[D.Hearne]

I hope the Ford version isn't this tall, or you'll need a tiny hood scoop over it.

 

[htwheelz67]

I'm wary of chineese stuff too but there is some good chinese stuff out there, my 408 has a scat crank/rods, PP balancer, PP typhoon intake and a procomp distributor and I have not had a problem with any part......yet I guess I have a 408 "smarbrock", if its too cheap to be true than it usually is but I have found most of the professional products stuff to be pretty good even though they ripped off edelbrock, wieand, msd etc.......look at your new MSD stuff and a lot of other American parts and you will find......."Made in China" on them, sad but true. Theres a lot of generic stuff made in the same factorys but "b" stock under different names for much cheaper...beware of those parts.

The biggest problem is we are so anti business in this country and have so many regulations and high taxes (gonna be even higher because of the liar Obama) everybody moves their factories to compete and we lose even more jobs because of it.......just wait till cap and trade! Nothing will be made in the USA if it is it will be so expensive you wont buy it and they will move to China or Mexico too!

 

[D.Hearne]

I hear you brother. There are some good parts from over there, but a lot of crap too.

 

[bikefreak600]

I'm wary of chineese stuff too but there is some good chinese stuff out there, my 408 has a scat crank/rods, PP balancer, PP typhoon intake and a procomp distributor and I have not had a problem with any part......yet I guess I have a 408 "smarbrock", if its too cheap to be true than it usually is but I have found most of the professional products stuff to be pretty good even though they ripped off edelbrock, wieand, msd etc.......look at your new MSD stuff and a lot of other American parts and you will find......."Made in China" on them, sad but true. Theres a lot of generic stuff made in the same factorys but "b" stock under different names for much cheaper...beware of those parts.

The biggest problem is we are so anti business in this country and have so many regulations and high taxes (gonna be even higher because of the liar Obama) everybody moves their factories to compete and we lose even more jobs because of it.......just wait till cap and trade! Nothing will be made in the USA if it is it will be so expensive you wont buy it and they will move to China or Mexico too!

well said. im waiting for the day i see eldelbrock stuff with a "made in china" stamp. you never know it could happen someday.

 

[htwheelz67]

it will be, right now if you go to the edelbrock foundry if you dont speak spanish you wont know what is what. Here is an example, I'm a car nut and a guitar nut, fender guitars made in usa are the bomb, BUT since the idiots on our liberal senate keep F.....ing us, they have to ship all the USA guitars to Mexico to be painted because the fumes might kill a termite here in CA, now the Mexico guitars are just as good as the more expensive USA guitars, 15-20 years ago fender made guitars in Japan to compete and now they are the best ones made except for the custom ones which cost 500%-1000% more and they still ship the bodies to Mexico for a laquer paint job we cant do here.

Why is Toyota the best car made? even though lots are made here in the USA, they are not made in Detroit where the unions and Obama rule............at least FORD didn't go for the bail out and they are the best carmaker in the USA and compete with the best in the world.

Vote those idiots out! Bring back jobs and USA quality................The Dems suck and the Reps suck......time for a new change and go back to what made this country great! The Constitution works!

 

[D.Hearne]

Toyota has fallen from it's place in the arena of quality lately. That's partly due to their being made here now. Ford has bypassed them in many areas. I don't think it's all to do with where they're made, it's how their made in the factory. Quality control has everything to do with it. That and the atttudes of the workers doing the work. A lot of that is affected by the actions of the management. That's the problem with the company I work for now. Management has made so many changes lately in pay and work rules that has had negative effects in the attitudes of the guys we have working there. But they're too blind to see what they're doing.

 

[68conv4sp]

I know we are a little off topic, but we got rid of our Union (Teamsters) about two years ago. Our wages went up because the Company gave us the difference in cost that they had to pay for the Union health plan, plus a normal increase - and our new plan is better. Oh, and no more Dues!!
Our attitudes improved because we are WITH the Company now instead of threatening strikes all the time.

D. Hearne is right about attitudes of the workforce impacting quality.

 

[spoulson]

Wait, anybody notice something?

Ford guy: No way am I putting that thing on my car! It says "GM" on it so it must be a downgrade.

Chevy guy: Shyeah right! It says "Ford" on it. It must be junk.

 

[bikefreak600]

I know we are a little off topic, but we got rid of our Union (Teamsters) about two years ago. Our wages went up because the Company gave us the difference in cost that they had to pay for the Union health plan, plus a normal increase - and our new plan is better. Oh, and no more Dues!!
Our attitudes improved because we are WITH the Company now instead of threatening strikes all the time.

D. Hearne is right about attitudes of the workforce impacting quality.

right on the money, maybe MI is full of mustang lovers cuz the 2010 is one of the best stangs ever made imo

 

[65FBE2]

I work and sell capitol manufacturing equipment directly to manufactures. The new health care bill is going to cripple manufacturing and if Cap & Trade passes, we will see the end of all major manufacturing in the USA. Whats worse is this is being sold to the general public as a the only way to save the planet but the end result we be worse. Do you think that these products will no longer be produced? Of course not, they will simply be produced in a country like China or India that does not have to complie with these idiotic rules. There by producing far more green house gasses than would be if they were produced in the USA. And please don't even get me started on green house gasses.

 

[shoguun]

i just bought a msd with the box coil and spark plug wires for 299 on ebay

 

[sedgewic]

I installed one of these power fire distributors, because my ignitor was going out. I don't think it was anything I did, but my coil and starter solinoid burned after trying to crank up the engine with the new distributor. once it did start to fire, it didn't do so on all 8. sounded like garbage. nothing I could think to do would smooth it out.....

so, I replaced the coil and solinoid. put the old ignitor back in. now it just misses on occasion, and idles a bit rough.

have an ignitor II coming, any other suggestions to help'er run like a champ again?


ALSO, it really is tall, but still fit under the factory hood. mine did not come with the female cap, only the male. I used plug wires from a 85 5.0 mustang, fit well enough. it does have many extras that come with it to adjust the vac and cent advances. imho it is a cheap piece of Chinese made American assembled piece of C R A P!!! I would not give it my stamp of approval.

 

[68er]

damn! this is the worst hijacking of a thread i've ever seen!
it's a good thing you guys are right. the shame of it is, a regular working stiff can't hardly afford to buy the good stuff these days.

thank God for craig's list!

I installed one of these power fire distributors, because my ignitor was going out. I don't think it was anything I did, but my coil and starter solinoid burned after trying to crank up the engine with the new distributor. once it did start to fire, it didn't do so on all 8. sounded like garbage. nothing I could think to do would smooth it out.....

..... any other suggestions to help'er run like a champ again?


ALSO, it really is tall, but still fit under the factory hood............ it does have many extras that come with it to adjust the vac and cent advances. imho it is a cheap piece of Chinese made American assembled piece of C R A P!!! I would not give it my stamp of approval.

sedgewic:
sounds like you might want to check the gap between the reluctor and pickup - i had that problem initially - i set the gap @ .040" and it works great now.

yep, that sucker is tall alright. i had to notch the bottom plate of my oval air cleaner just a smidge, so the cap would rotate freely. luckily i have a curved monty carlo bar - a strait one would have interfered.

other than that, i had to swap the bushing on the weights to get a full 38deg of mechanical, change to the blue springs so it was all in by 3000, and turn the vacuum advance adjuster all the way clockwise so it would kick in at idle when hot. i was pleased with how easy it was to dial in.

so far i'm happy with it. the car pulls hard past 7k without a stumble or miss. it starts easier now, gas mileage improved, and timing seems precise (that was the main thing i was skeptical about before buying it).

the other day, i got a tank of regular gas from the premium pump, and the car started pinging. i took out 5degrees real quick - easy as pie - put it in back precisely where i had it on the next tank. made me feel like i bought the right part.

so far, mine is working as advertised with @ 3500 miles on it. let's see how its working in the fall, after ringing it out all summer.