Editors Note: Welcome to an all new department of CIRCLE TRACK magazine, Trucks, Towing and Toter-Homes. Now, we all know that it is prettyhard to go racing without the benefi t of something that can tow your race car. Tow vehicles range from the simple pick-up truck struggling to pull the weight of a mini-stock, to elaborate toter-homes that look like they belong at a Sprint Cup Series race rather than your local dirt track. But regardless of how you tow or what you tow with, there is some very important information that you need to know to get you to and from the track safely and economically. This new department will feature a wide variety of information on towing, different tow vehicle options and a wealth of related topics. We'll investigate not only safe towing practices, but we'll also feature new product reviews and we'll uncover techniques and practices that will allow you to tow more economically which will in turn save you money, money that you can turn around and spend on your racecar. And who doesn't love having more cash to spend on the racecar?
So enough chatter, let's get right to it with a product review of Performance Distributors' new "Instant Timing Knob" D.U.I. Distributor.
Memphis, Tennessee, based Performance Distributors has long been known for manufacturing a high quality racing distributor at fair prices. Many racers across the country not only use a D.U.I. in their racecars, but also in their trucks. Recently Performance Distributors introduced a new feature to their truck distributor, the "Instant Timing Knob", making it a perfect ignition for a tow vehicle application.
You can now actually change your timing with the simple turn of the Instant Timing Knob. The knob eliminates the need to loosen and re-tighten your distributor hold-down clamp and it's a piece of cake to operate. Simply turn the knob to advance or retard your timing. One half turn of the knob is equal to one degree of timing, while one full turn equals two degrees of timing. The advance curve can be calibrated for your daily performance driving needs, and then when it's time to tow your racecar to the track on Saturday night, all you have to do is pop open the hood and turn the Instant Timing Knob to retard your timing. This prevents engine damaging detonation that the extra load of your racecar can cause. We know of more than one racer who abuses their tow rig in this very fashion.
An added bonus is that you don't need a timing light to make the changes and you'll never burn your hand when rotating a distributor in a hot engine.
In addition to the high accuracy of the Instant Timing Knob, each D.U.I. distributor's mechanical advance is calibrated on a distributor machine throughout the entire rpm range. The unit comes complete with the 50,000 Volt D.U.I. Coil, which is located in the cap. The high output Dyna-Module, which has more electronic dwell time, is also inside the distributor. Finally, because the D.U.I. produces a longer duration spark, you can open up your plug gaps to .055-inch, burning your fuel more completely. Retail price for the D.U.I. units with the Instant Timing Knob start at $359 for the street version, and go up to $449.99 for the race version.
We love the fact that this unit is simple, quick and easy to operate. Plus it allows you to better maintain your tow vehicle without spending a lot of time under the hood which means you can spend more time working on that racecar.
