Distributors Chry 318 and Crusader 270

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larryeddington
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Posts: 1870
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:08 pm
Location: Canton, TX Boat on TEXOMA

Distributors Chry 318 and Crusader 270

Post by larryeddington »

This may get a bit windy. My 84 Tri-Cabin has 270 Crusaders and for 2 years or more have had difficulty getting them to run correctly. I had both carbies rebuilt by expert Cliff Ruggles and idle was perfect but port engine would backfire over 2200 RPM. Double checking timing and wiring all was perfect but still bad behavior on Port engine. So Swapped the distributors after examining both have the same gear on the bottom and are exactly alike. Incidentally the same distributors will work in 454 engines. After swapping the starboard now behaved badly so I knew the distributor was causing the trouble. Both distributors had been converted from a Mallory points to pretronix ignitor. The trouble was in the centrifugal advance.

Bought two bran new protronix flamethrower billet distributors and set the base timing and used the silver springs which came in the distributors. Magic all works well now getting 3700 RPM (should be more but me thinks due to prop, weight and dirty bottom). At the same time struggled with the divorced choke spring mechanism which I bought new. They were wrong, took apart and reversed to correct mode and now no warm start flooding and when docking after a long run both engines can be depended on to not die at a bad time when backing in.

Bottom line all carb people tell you be sure distributor and timing is right. I will testify to that my problem is solved.

Lets talk about camshaft rotation with our reverse and normal rotation engines. Hopefully you can see the attachment so you can understand how the cam rotation works on various engines. Chrysler 318 engines (Search and see picture of cam gear on this website) the cam gear is different for each engine and is not pinned to bottom of distributor but stays in the engine when distributor removed. (Careful if taking out a Chry distributor as the gear can be dropped into the engine. But in any case as in the Crusaders both distributors turn the same direction.

I tried to attach a diagram in PDF but website will not allow, or I am too dumb to get it to work. In any case the document is a diagram of 4 engines indicating several ways of turning the cam shaft on both reverse and regular rotation engines. They are basically two ways using chain and sprockets and using gears. In case of my 270 crusaders the reverse engine uses gear drive and ergo cam turns the same as standard rotation so distributors are the same and can be switched.

Incidentally Bob of Beacon explained why the port engine is the reverse rotation on the Tri=Cabin and the International. It is due to Trojan's desire to use the 1.91 to 1 ration gear boxes and they only come with a reversing gear in the gear box so in only these boats revers engine is on Port side and Standard is on Starboard.
Larry Eddington
1984 F-36 Tri Cabin "The Phoenix II"
1978 F-28 "The Phoenix"
Fish Master 2350 Bay Boat
9.5' Dink
hammerhead
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Posts: 59
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 4:59 pm

Re: Distributors Chry 318 and Crusader 270

Post by hammerhead »

do you have a link to the distributor you bought? looking to replace mine on our 318's as well
larryeddington
2024 Gold Support
2024 Gold Support
Posts: 1870
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:08 pm
Location: Canton, TX Boat on TEXOMA

Re: Distributors Chry 318 and Crusader 270

Post by larryeddington »

I purchased my Billet Pertronix distributors through Summit racing and double checked with pertronix.com support to be sure correct. They were for my Crusaders 270 (same one for the big block) They offer them for 318 Chryslers also. There is a difference chev vs chry and that is that the cam gear is not on the bottom of the distributor in the 318s but stays in the engine. So in reality the 318s each use the same distributors. Rember the distributors turn the same way for each engine. Another difference is that on 318s there is a riser that fits under the reverse engine.

See: viewtopic.php?t=5712

You will find 318 pics there. BTW the pertronix distributors worked fine.
Larry Eddington
1984 F-36 Tri Cabin "The Phoenix II"
1978 F-28 "The Phoenix"
Fish Master 2350 Bay Boat
9.5' Dink
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