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Old 12-10-2024, 08:55 PM
cdrookie cdrookie is offline
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Default Progression Ignition distributer users

I know a few members are using them. How long have you had it, and have you had any issues with it?

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Old 12-11-2024, 06:28 AM
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Curious too. Making your own timing table seems like a hoot. I run timing control on my Lemans through the FiTech injection, so I've played in this ballpark when I set that up. Following this.

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Old 12-11-2024, 11:09 AM
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I have a bad combo that needs more bandaids put on it. At the moment I'm locked out at 36* but surprisingly,...the starter isn't liking that, so being able to retard timing at start up would be nice.

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Old 12-11-2024, 11:51 AM
ta man ta man is offline
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3 years no issues. I wish they came out years ago.

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Old 12-11-2024, 12:09 PM
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Good to hear ta man!

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Old 12-11-2024, 02:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cdrookie View Post
I have a bad combo that needs more bandaids put on it. At the moment I'm locked out at 36* but surprisingly,...the starter isn't liking that, so being able to retard timing at start up would be nice.
Some folks in the "Race Section" with locked mech advance uses a breaker switch on the feed wire to the coil and flips it when the starter got the engine spinning.

Money saved may buy you new tires or a better exhaust system.

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Old 12-11-2024, 05:11 PM
cdrookie cdrookie is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenth View Post
Some folks in the "Race Section" with locked mech advance uses a breaker switch on the feed wire to the coil and flips it when the starter got the engine spinning.

Money saved may buy you new tires or a better exhaust system.
I thought about that, be a good anti theft device also, but I really like the features PI built into these distributers. Besides, the only thing I need is a whole new engine, and I can still use the distributer with it.

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Old 12-12-2024, 11:05 AM
fastekibeast fastekibeast is offline
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2 year in a my GTO no issues.

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Old 12-12-2024, 02:04 PM
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Curtis and I installed the PI distributor in our cars several years ago and we love it. Easy to set up any number of advance curves to try out at the track and for street driving as well. This includes vacuum advance which doesn't actually need vacuum but the dist. will sense a vacuum signal if you have the hose connected to a port and then whatever curve you have stored in the dist. will be activated. A great feature for street driving verses the track.

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Old 12-12-2024, 06:38 PM
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Thanks for the reviews fastekibeast and prostreet64

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Old 03-17-2025, 08:22 AM
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Question, How does this distributor learn where TDC. is or any other relationship between spark and piston location on compression stroke

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Old 03-17-2025, 09:24 AM
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According to instructions, the first step is to set reference timing at 10 degrees BTDC. After that all other settings are done via the app. The Hyperspark distributor for Holley Sniper has similar instructions.

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Old 03-17-2025, 12:09 PM
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Thanks i figured it was something like that, put the engine at a known spot communicate to the dist that value and everything builds from there,

Almost the only way it could be done i suppose just wanted verification, Thanks again

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Old 03-17-2025, 02:13 PM
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Did you see this thread?

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=857548

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Old 03-18-2025, 05:30 AM
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If you decide to buy Progression Ignition you won't have any kind of regrets, you will thank yourself later.

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Old 03-19-2025, 08:04 AM
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Aside from the size of the HEI style cap with integrated coil not fitting some applications due to firewall or intake clearance, is there an operational advantage using the small body vs HEI large cap? Is one better than the other?

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'69 Firebird, 400/461, 290 Eddy D-Ports, HR 230/236, 4l80E, 8.5 Rear, 3.55 gears
‘66 Lemans, 455, 310 KRE D-Ports, HR 236/245, TH400, GV OD, 12 bolt 3.90 gears, work in progress
'69 LeMans Vert, 350, #47 heads, TH400, 10 Bolt 3.90 gears, work in progress
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Old 03-19-2025, 08:20 AM
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The instructions for the small body warn about large plug gaps causing crossfire in the distributor. Perhaps the HEI style is less vulnerable to that and can run larger gaps? I also assume some owners like the integrated nature of the HEI and want to retain the original appearance? IDGAF, I'll keep the blaster 2 mounted on the firewall. I'd rather have the space around a smaller distributor. I really like that there is a female cap option, so I can retain my existing Taylor wires I'm using with my MSD RTR.

I'm looking hard at the small body with the datalogging and nitrous timing retard. Could you use this distributor with a window switch watching the tach signal? I like having the extra safety of turning the nitrous off before the rev limiter kicks in.

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Old 03-24-2025, 03:21 PM
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I don't have anything but break-in and dyno time on mine. Actually getting ready to put the engine in and decided to pull distributor. Noticed some wear on the Watermelon-ized gear which I don't like. I don't know much about that type of gear, but I think it's just a coating. Looks like the coating is gone on the drive side of the gear teeth. Maybe it's insignificant, but I've never had an issue with the BOP composite gear. Another 1/8" of engagement would be nice.
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Old 04-05-2025, 05:51 PM
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I'm playing with mine today. My factory tach is off -500 RPM.

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Old 04-08-2025, 01:21 PM
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Got one and installed it this weekend. Haven't driven it yet, but the manifold vacuum and idle quality seems to be better than the MSD RTR it replaced. I did block the exhaust crossover at the same time, so that may have impacted the behavior.

The unit comes programmed with the timing locked at 10*. You install it, and set the timing at 10* BTDC at 1200 with a light. After that, you shut the engine down and load a timing table you've created. Then it runs that table. Installation was super simple. The wiring and connector is exactly the same as the MSD RTR. I unplugged the MSD and plugged in the PI and it fired right up.

I built a table to mimic the curve produced by the MSD RTR. I'll run that for a baseline and report back.

One thing that I noticed is that the vacuum advance diaphragm of the MSD has some hysteresis. It starts to move at 7" of vacuum but doesn't release until 5" of vacuum. The vacuum timing for the PI seems to act the opposite. If you set the vac advance to start at 9" of vacuum, it doesn't add any vac timing until 9.5" of vacuum on the table. So be aware there a subtle differences in how the dizzy operates because it has no mechanical latency.

This is important because my engine shows a tendency to detonate at about 7" of vacuum around 3000 RPM at heavy throttle. I thought I was only mechanical timing, but a closer look shows that I was still getting 1-2 degrees of vacuum advance with the MSD. I can program that out with the PI.

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