Mallory Unilite w/magnetic (MBI) or optical (unilite)

[kevnmcd]

I am thinking of putting a Mallory electronic in and getting rid of my old points distributor. I was wondering what the difference is between the MBI which is a magnetic pick-up and the Unilite which is an optical pick-up. Does it make a difference on a boat? When I look on Mallory's website they show all the marine distributors as MBI and the automotive as Unilite. Of course, the Unilite is cheaper. What are all of you running? Thanks for your comments.
Kevnmcd

[MikeF]

I have a unilite and it works well, But, If I were to do it again, I would get the magnetic pickup model. I have burned one unilite module and the replacement was around $80. Sometimes you need to clean off the optical led to have it work (not personal exp. but a friend had trouble w/ this before). The points dist are very outdated. You will be happier w/ a electronic dist! Mike

[not guilty]

I run the mallory mag. type , really like it .Would be a deffinate improvement over points and very easy to install on points conversion. NG

[Boater Bill]

I too am running a Unilite (auto type in an open engine config) and have had no problems for 4 years. They are sensitive to electrical spikes though so I always disconnect the dist when charging the battery or taking batt cables off/on. Make sure you get the 29440 coil to go with it, cause you can upgrade to a Hyfire box later with this coil. I would recommend buying the Hyfire box and upgrading all at once.

[77charger]

I will never run one of them unilites again mine was nothing but problems. would work fine than i shut the motor off got to start nothing check for spark none go back and try again pissed off it starts. They are very sensitive to voltage.Mine was the comp 9000.Others i have talked to had no probs for 20 years and others were just like mine.The magnetic ones i have no experience with.
Currently using a pertronix and am very happy with that.

[gnarley]

Mallory makes a good Distributor, as does MSD. I have experience with the Mallory in the last month having done a retro-fit for a Prestolite unconfigurable ignition module.
In three weeks in the water I have blown 3 modules in testing & all replaced at no charge by the seller or Mallory. I have concluded after many, many tech calls that those of us who blew modules did so due to an over-amperage surge in the charging system. The modules are very sensitive to spikes and surges so after determining a pattern Mallory is sending a shunt to drain off unwanted amperage to the coil, it will maintain voltage but if you run anything that could drain the battery while the engine is running or not and the alternator must recharge the battery, excess amperage may blow the module, so says Mallory.
Hence they make this shunt more for the auto market when retro fitting older cars that use 6 volt generators to 12 volt systems as they blow modules without this protection. I will test again with the new Shunt provided by Mallory and post the findings next week. If it works I would suggest that the shunt might provide an extra bit of security on your ignition. If it does not work I may just give up on Mallory and look for an ignition that is not so touchy. Mallory’s stuff works but if you have trouble with it the problem is probably something on your boat that you are not looking for and assuming it is the component and not the boat.
The bottom line; if it works great, if it doesn’t you probably have an electrical system that has a slight problem that has just shown itself and needs attention.

[kevnmcd]

gnarley-I assume that you are talking about the Unilite and not the Magnetic....Am I correct?

[gnarley]

No, actually it is the mag.

[TX19]

I use a Marine Unilite in my boat. It is over 6 years old with no problems.
I had another Unilite im my last drag car (Super Gas) that is still working after 10 years.
I do use an MSD 6 on both installations with the MSD Blaster coil. I would not even consider going to another brand.
The only problems I have heard with the Unilite seem to be charging system related.
I do run charging systems on the boat installation, but nothing more a standard setup with a 60 amp alternator. The drag car was recharged with an alternator type charging system on a Briggs & Stratton engine that we plugged into the car between rounds.
I think if you look closely, you will find that most folks who have problems with Unilites usually find charging / voltage problems after they destroy a few units.
Hope this helps!

[1quickjet]

I had a unilte (optical) in my Ford with a hyfire box. I burned out a couple of the modules too. (@ $80-$90 a pop). Personally prefer magnetic. MSD is my first choice. My .02. 1QJ

[CoastGuardSteve]

Try the Pertronix for around $80. When I was in the market for an easy way to get rid of my points I was told by my local parts house to go with the Pertronix over any of the other Mallory stuff. They said exactly what a few have said here about burning them out. I asked around to other sources , the Spectra website, and was told the same things. I wish you luck in your decision!
Steve