76 C3 - Distributor Upgrade?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 429
Likes: 2
From: Oak Ridge NJ
76 C3 - Distributor Upgrade?
Just installed my freshly rebuilt engine in my 76. The distributor that came with the car ran fine for the short duration it was on the road before the motor was rebuilt. Replaced the engine harness new so that there would be no problems. Well, The tail harness coming off the 'Procom' distributor base use to get plugged into the old engine harness which was a total mess. The new harness doesn't have anywhere to plug this distributor in. I have the tach plugs which don't change but don't know what to do with this distributor end plug. See the link below for pics. I don't know if this distributor is something worth keeping - and if it requires cutting into the new engine harness I'll discard and look for a upgrade. The engine has decent modifications which will run good on the street. Nothing crazy, just something more aggressive than stock. I'm not a distributor guru, should I go for an updated version? If so what kind? Should I go with a separate coil? Is this unit worth keeping? I hate the red cap and plugs. With the car yellow and engine orange and the distributor cap and wires red, it looks silly to me. I could swap for a black set possibly(?) Is the Procom brand a good distributor? Thoughts?
Thanks,
Mike
http://pix.kg/p/720257043507%3A507090363/sct
Thanks,
Mike
http://pix.kg/p/720257043507%3A507090363/sct
Last edited by Iggycat2009; May 8, 2012 at 09:23 PM. Reason: The distributor is called a 'PROCOMP' sorry.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 691
Likes: 25
From: Boynton Beach Florida
The black plug connects to the distributor cap. There should be a square leg that sticks out of the coil cover. It should be located on the drivers side towards the firewall. The plug goes in from the bottom and close to the cap itself. That's why the wire isn't very long just enough to go from the bottom of the distributor up the side of the cap to the plug in location.
You should see some raised markings also. A "+" or "12v" for positive 12 volt power and "Tach" for your tach wire. Each of these is a single spade connector that also get connected from the underside.
You should see some raised markings also. A "+" or "12v" for positive 12 volt power and "Tach" for your tach wire. Each of these is a single spade connector that also get connected from the underside.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 429
Likes: 2
From: Oak Ridge NJ
Palmbeach76 hit the nail on the head. I looked under the cap and saw that the tach leads AND the power leads all plug into the same location. I could have sworn the leads came from the wiring harness for power.. (It's been over a year since I had it apart ...and forgot)
I was on the Procomp website tonight and it appears they offer the black cap/rotor and wires.
thanks for the information - I'm sure I'll have more questions as I progress through start up.
Mike
