MOTORCRAFT Solid State Ignition: Description: Distributor

Components are divided into 3 groups, the sensor and trigger wheel, the spark advance, and the cap and rotor. The trigger wheel which has 6 or 8 teeth (one per cylinder), rotates with the distributor shaft. The sensor is a coil of fine wire mounted around a permanent magnet. There are no contacting surfaces between the trigger wheel and sensor. Dwell is not adjustable and is controlled electronically. Centrifugal advance is controlled by engine speed, vacuum spark advance by carburetor ported vacuum, supplied to the distributor's vacuum unit. Distributor cap and rotor are of conventional design.