Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

]A new Flathead V8 Twin distributor timing cover i am making and it's off to the machinist. This new timing cover takes twin 8ba distributors / magneto's when you are using twin plug heads on your Flathead V8. We will be supplying this timing cover as a kit to suit 8ba distributors which will include a Mac's Speed specially designed electronic ignition kit.

TWIN V DISTRIBUTOR TIMING COVER NEWS UP DATE.

I have finished the Twin V timing cover and is now fitted with two Mac Speed electronic converted 8ba distributors as shown in the photo's below.
The Twin V timing cover and the two electronic distributors have been fitted to the engine in the photo and test run with great success.

I HAVE A VIDEO OF THIS ENGINE RUNNING, with HOGAN Dual Plug Heads. and Twin electronic distributors fitted to it. For some reason i can not load this video onto this page. If you wish to see this video please send me a message with your email address and i will email a copy to you.

This conversion will be available as a bolt on kit or the Twin V timing cover can be purchased separately. I will be listing PRICES and further information about this kit in the next few days. If you have any questions please message me and i will try and reply as quick as i can.

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

That came out looking great! When do you plan to go into full production with them?
That will look so cool on the front of a flathead. I would like to have one, although I don't know if I could afford the heads to go with it. :)

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

Two different distributers? It looks like they would turn in opposite directions. The ones I have seen pictures of had the distributers both being driven from the same side of the drive gear.

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

Andy,

I tried to visualize what you are saying, and all I ended up with is a headache!

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

Visualize them both horrizontal. Just imagine them spread out. One to the left and one to the right. They could be on one shaft. One would turn one way and the other opposite. The only way it would work with the way it is is if the distibuters were driven with different opposite cut gears. It looks like the shafts are in the same plane so that is not the case.
Maybe he is going to use a 318 distributer on one side and a 383 on the other.

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

perhaps one dist can be used for running in reverse---they will turn opposite directions

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

OK, I think I get it now. The distributor on the (American) drivers side would have to have a specially reverse cut gear just to mesh with the cam gear, which would cause it to run backwards.

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

drivers side would rotate in its normal direction the passenger side would be reversed because it is running on the back side of the gear

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

What is the advantage of two distributors? Are they both 8-cyl d's with dual plug heads, or are they each a 4-cyl distributor?

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

would need a 4 lobe cam in each distributor, two cpils.. would have some great coil saturation. if one distributor runs backwards, just wire plug wires backwards..

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

The distributors will have to be running with one reversed, because as Andy says, one is on the opposite side of the gear. The cam gear is shared so special gears can't be used to reverse the rotation of the 2nd unit. (back to "normal"). The conversion I saw previously by Nutrocker had both distributors on the same side, but the second one transposed 90 degrees clockwise.

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

One has a reversed gear, both are 8 cyl distributors, designed to run dual plug heads.
I would like to see the timing specs. On a set of Elco Twin plug heads, which plug would fire first, or would both be at the same time?

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

Which way the distributor turned would not matter, you just need to put the plug wires in the right hole. The thing to worry about is the advance would work backwards. I suppose you could time the distributors so one fired before the other to increase the spark time. I wonder how effective this whole setup is?

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

Isn´t the idee to be able to fire up the mix faster so you can get more power.
Fuelmix burns from the plug out and takes a certain amount of time to light up.
Starting at 2 points gets less distance to travel until all is burning.
This is more of an issue running 12000rpm i guess...
Production cars used twin plugs with one plug firing after the other to get better combustion/emissions.

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

The only advantage I see is the COOL factor

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

That's the part I like best!

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

OK, let's picture a timing cover with one distributor in the stock location but with a movable mounting base so we can rotate the entire distributor. Let's rotate the distributor 90 degrees down. Is it still turning the same direction? Let's go another 90 degrees, and then 90 degrees more. At what position does the distributor suddenly start turning the opposite direction?? Will the gears get damaged by the sudden flip-flop?

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

Well, it will retain normal shaft rotation if you don't mind having the distributor upside-down.

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

Guys with our twin distributor timing cover set up the reverse rotation of the second distributor gear is not an issue. We will be selling the twin distributor timing cover with a especially designed Mac's Speed 8ba distributor electronic ignition kit to over come this. Please re read the info at the top of the page. Thanks.

Re: Flathead V8 Twin Distributor timing cover i am making
 

I'd like to know what logic was used to locate the spark plugs? Why wasn't a plug located in the transfer area? There must be a reason for these locations, although I can't figger out why??