Street89vette

Looking for a good distributor that works with factory ecm. Part stores keep showing a vacuum advance distributor for replacement part. The original does not have a vacuum advance canister. would like to go high performance but not interfere with factory ecu. any suggestions???

steven mack

Vacuum advance will not work with the factory ecu.Buy a good aftermarket one.It is one of the most important part of your ignition system.

bjankuski

Is there something wrong with your original distributer? The factory distributer works well for almost all applications.

Street89vette

installed a msd red cap with press down L-screws. had to modify the base by cutting out bolt down screw base. big mistake. aluminum grindings coated the interior of the distributor and caused intermittent misfiring that lead to hours and hours of work to diag problem.
ordered a factory reman and staying with original dist.

this was very hard to nail down. if you grind on an hei distributor, completely disassemble ever piece and clean..............

BOOT77

You want to know if you can make a non ecm vac advance large cap dist work to replace the one you messed up. Not use another because your dissatisfied with almighty GM stock components.

If you use the correct module out of yours it should work, well I think the pick-up coil is the same. You will still need to use the correct wiring from your dist on the new dist that connects to the harness. To make it less messy and be sure the vac advance doesn't move you could use a vac advance delete/lock out kit.

You could even just buy any cheap new/used HEI and only use that housing with your old parts possibly. Just take your dist gear off and slide out your shaft, unbolt the picked coil and bolt it onto the new/used one after you disassemble that one. I'm not 100% but I've rebuilt old style and ecm styl hei, so I think the housing is the same except a slot for the vac advance can. Well other than the L hook grooves or bolt tabs.

FYI a member on here figured out you can just cut the hooks off and use bolts with those caps.

WVZR-1

OP - I have an OE housing that you're more than welcome to if you pay $10 + the shipping. Housing, shaft, pick-up coil and gear. It was part of a package purchase that I can't use. Transfer your electronics to it and you'd I think be good. I can't tell you from experience that it's good but if you'd like to consider it you'd be likely good to go.

The OE distributor # would have been an 1103879 and judging from the date code a '91 production. Yours is likely stamped 1103680 and the housings are the same part#.

BOOT77 is correct - if you've still got your old cap, you use those screw after cutting the L from the new cap. I don't recall a cap that's assembled differently that wouldn't allow that.

Here's a thread where it was mentioned but I've seen threads mentioning doing it way back in early 2000's.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ing-locks.html

Here's another from '07

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-or-clamp.html

OP - Where are you located?

eutu1984

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dui-12611bk drop in replacement.

steven mack

If you don't have the money for a new one . Another option would be a good used one from a local auto wrecking yard.Make sure they will take it back if it does not work.Be careful of buying rebuilt ones.Some come from China and are very inferior to original ones they use cheap wiring and even used moduals inside.

anesthes

Doesn't the vette use a different connector ? I remember years ago the camaro and vette (large cap, computer controlled HEI) wouldn't swap without changing the connector. One used a L-bolt style cap, the other used screws as well.

-- Joe

eutu1984

according to summit it will fit though in the pic it looks like the it has the L-bolts. in the one review it was used in an 89 vette.

VikingTrad3r

i purchased a new cap from a local autozone type store up here in canada. it was blue. GARBAGE. the plastic was super soft and cracked while mounted to the engine!!

i just put the old one back on, which was black and said ac delco. another waste of money i spent while "re-doing" my car. My original was just fine.

Cliff Harris

The L bolts were only used in 1984. All later caps have 4 1/4" hex head screws.

The main thing you need is an ignition module inside the distributor. It sends DRPs (Distributor Reference Pulses) to the ECM and uses the spark advance information from the ECM to control when the ignition fires.

anesthes

Also provides you with a built in advance curve if the +5 volt signal is lost, which will limp you home.

I have an aftermarket billet dizzy on mine. I double checked last night and it's the same connector as the Y-body (I don't know why I thought the Y was different, but last time I checked was 10+ years ago so memory is fuzzy). These go for around $100 on ebay. Works fine on my 600hp blown car, but it's the "L" style cap. Not factory correct. Cardone makes one with the correct style mounting for about $117, also on ebay.




-- Joe

cv67

with the rest
The HEI is probably the most reliable dist ever made
Unless youre turning a buttload of rpm or your setup has "special needs" its fine as is stock
Dont waste your money on the special caps coil huge wires etc you ll be putting the stock stuff back on.
Look for mods where you dig into the motor if you want to "feel" something for your money
Weve all bought into the cheap mods that dont do anything I know I did.

Churchkey

L cap will work just whiz wheel the tabs off the studs, remove the studs & springs, bolt it on.

If just a color change for engine bling paint a stock cap.