Magnetti Marelli Distributor

This is the reason some of classic Ferraris and Lamborghinis are hard to work on is because they stuff big engines into small cars with small engine compartments. Both Ferrari and Lamborghini use this type of Magnetti Marelli distributor with 4 sets of points stuffed inside.

By the time we disassemble the distributor body and clean it up, replace the points and bearings and clean and adjust the advance mechanism we have about$700 in overhauling the thing. The advance mechanism on 365 GTC/4′s and 400I seem to get rusted up the most of any car we work on because they are right at the rear opening of the hood and lots of water gets dumped onto them allowing the advance pins to seize up. The photo of the distributor cap shows the corrosion in the towers.

4 sets of points in a Ferrari Distributor

Corrosion in Ferrari distributor cap