As the reigning resident old fart; I need some help from you kids. I have a 12a in a 73 wagon.I know it's not a first gen ,but a 12a is a12a. It has a double points dist, I am not getting any fire. ccan I slip a n 85 dist with igniters into it? the origionals had a double dizzy and they were a real hoot.I can replace the point sets if I have to ,but why? The fuse system is different but that is ok. Any help appreciated. Bob

 

check for voltage in the coil's + terminal. thats where I would start.

 

Yes it's actually pretty easy. Seen it done many times already!

 

If the engine came with 1 distributor, easy
If the engine came with two... I honestly don't know. I've never heard of it being done on one of those, but I hang out in here mostly so we don't see many dual-dizzy 12as

Jon

 

A freind is attempting this same swap on a 73 duece (RX2). According to him, he will need a later oil pump to clear the later front cover. I haven't actually seen the car since it was running with the twin dizzy setup, so I cannot confirm this info.
According to him, it requires a single dizzy front cover, an oil pump from a single dizzy engine, and the dizzy/coils. This is on an original 73 12A with the 6mm carbon seals.

 

I too have a '73 12A with 6mm carbon apex seals. It was already converted to single dizzy before I got it. It had a single dizzy front cover, FB dizzy, later oil pump and whatever else it needed like one of the front cover holes had threads cut so a larger bolt would fit in the aluminum and not allow oil to leak.

I was unaware of the need to change the oil pump. It had a 12mm one that was all scored up from a failed thrust assembly and spun front bearing. I'm going with a higher volume 17.5mm oil pump and the longer tooth set of '76-'85 stationary gears.

 

When he told me he was gonna hafta change oil pumps, I told him to get the wider one. Isn't it the 83-85 12A and SE that used this one? My brain ain't working perfect right now, but that sounds right.

 

Yeah. Also the nitrided R5 13Bs had the 17.5mm pumps.