Mallory Unilite

[cfmustang]

Anybody have any opinions on the Mallory Unilite dizzies?

The reason I ask is that I was cleaning out the garage and had some boxes of parts for my Mustang from my dad when he was working on the car. Probably the last mod he did before that car sat for all those years was to try and put in a new ignition. I didn't know all the details because I was away at college, but for whatever reason, it never ran and he switched back to the stock ignition.

Well, sitting in one of the boxes is the unused vacuum advance Unilite dizzy in what looks like near perfect condition. Sure the cap is gone and so is the three-wire plug/harness that plugs into the dizzy's harness, but those are both about $12 a piece.

Have I just found a treasure? I haven't read anybody on here talk about them before. I am assuming it is because of there price ( I couldn't believe the prices on their website). He must have bought it from Clifford back in the early 90's.

Will this be equivalent to a DSII swap? Better? Worse?

 

[rbohm]

8) we used a unilite on our race car years ago. it was much better than the mini mag we started using. i like the unilite overall. most of the problems with the early ones though were the light would die and leave you stranded.

 

[gtm1086]

I just installed a new Mallory dual point centrifical advance tied to a Mallory Hyfire ignition. So far very happy.

 

[kspageddie]

Just make sure you use Mallory's ballast resistor. If not, you will burn out the photo-cell eye in the Unilite. Other than that it is a really nice piece. I sold of ton of them during the mid-90's when I worked at Jegs.

 

[cfmustang]

I saw some wiring diagrams that showed the resistor as well as a diagram for using the factory harness resistor wire (which I most of us have to our coils from the factory). Is it safe to just use the factory lead to the coil if it is a resistor wire?

Will this dizzy allow me to open up my plug gap like a DSII?

 

[kspageddie]

Based upon past experiences, I will wire in the resistor. You should be able to open the gaps. Of course you will have to play around with plug gaps to find what works best with your motor.

 

[rbohm]

8) if the company supplied a ballast resistor, then install it in the line along with the stock resistor wire. the unit was designed to work that way.

 

[cfmustang]

I don't have the original box, so I don't know if they supplied the resistor or not. All I have is the dizzy itself. I am going to have to pick up a few parts to make it whole again (rotor, cap, harness). All in all, about $20 in parts. Might as well order the resister as well.

It just seems weird to bypass the factory resistor wire with a new wire for 12v, just to turn around and put a resistor on the new wire...

 

[Anonymous]

When I did my Offy 3x1 I installed a Mallory Unilite. I wired in the resistor as well. It works great.

Bill