81 dizzy recommendations?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 104
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From: Frankfort IL
81 dizzy recommendations?
Hey all, OK. I can't identify the dizzy thats in this 81 vette. It's got wires coming off the top and side which I was told is for the computer, yet it also has a vac advance on it. I understand that vac advance distributors ca be hooked up to either a ported source or the manifold. This dizzy has a vac line going to the thermostat housing. What the hell am I missing? Why is this as confusing as it is? This is the only problem with buying someone else's project, trying to "decode" everything they were doing can be a headache at times! So I guess the question is this: What distributor are other 81 owners out there using? Are you happy with it?
Pro
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Chesapeake Virginia
a "true" '81 dist. does NOT have a vacuum advance can on it, besides the spark plug wires there is a connector with 4 wires coming off the side.
I have seen some dist. (not '81's) that the vacuum advance line is routed through a thermal switch that is on the thermostat housing, basically, it won't let the dist. advance until the engine is warmed up.
I have seen some dist. (not '81's) that the vacuum advance line is routed through a thermal switch that is on the thermostat housing, basically, it won't let the dist. advance until the engine is warmed up.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 104
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From: Frankfort IL
a "true" '81 dist. does NOT have a vacuum advance can on it, besides the spark plug wires there is a connector with 4 wires coming off the side.
I have seen some dist. (not '81's) that the vacuum advance line is routed through a thermal switch that is on the thermostat housing, basically, it won't let the dist. advance until the engine is warmed up.
I have seen some dist. (not '81's) that the vacuum advance line is routed through a thermal switch that is on the thermostat housing, basically, it won't let the dist. advance until the engine is warmed up.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 104
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From: Frankfort IL
So I finally got the 1981 shop manual. Looking at the book it appears there are 2 distributors listed. One is an hei with a vac advance, the other is an est controlled by the ecm. So the hei looks like what I have now, so why is everyone saying that the 1981 only had the est model and no vac advance? I'm confused as hell now... Any clarification?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
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From: Southern NH
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 104
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From: Frankfort IL
[hQUOTE=qwank;1586746697]because it did. your shop manual isn't the correct one. it should look like this:
[/QUOTE]
that's the exact shop manual that I had. In the section talking about distributors in ignition and talk about an HEI it has a vacuum advance as well as an HEI est which is all electronic controlso the 1981 hea hadd both these distributor?
[/QUOTE]that's the exact shop manual that I had. In the section talking about distributors in ignition and talk about an HEI it has a vacuum advance as well as an HEI est which is all electronic controlso the 1981 hea hadd both these distributor?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 61
From: Southern NH
I'll double check when I get home, But I dont ever remember reading that.
can you post some pictures up of your engine compartment and distributor?
the lines going to the thermostat housing control the smog pump and charcoal canister i think, I cant remember off the top of my head
can you post some pictures up of your engine compartment and distributor?
the lines going to the thermostat housing control the smog pump and charcoal canister i think, I cant remember off the top of my head
Last edited by qwank; Apr 25, 2014 at 12:58 PM.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 104
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From: Frankfort IL
I'll double check when I get home, But I dont ever remember reading that.
can you post some pictures up of your engine compartment and distributor?
the lines going to the thermostat housing control the smog pump and charcoal canister i think, I cant remember off the top of my head
can you post some pictures up of your engine compartment and distributor?
the lines going to the thermostat housing control the smog pump and charcoal canister i think, I cant remember off the top of my head
https://www.corvetteforum.com/c3-tech-performance/3454897-carb-and-dizzy.html