paintball2000

I have a 85 TPI with Computer controlled HEI. Does anyone make a drop in distributor replacement. every place I look has the non Computer controlled HEI with vacuum advance. what are my options?

vetteoz

Appears only current option in a coil in cap HEI version is this

http://www.summitracing.com/int/part...make/chevrolet

If you convert to the remote coil F-Body / truck style dist there are more options

http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/msd-8366
http://www.summitracing.com/int/part...make/chevrolet
http://www.summitracing.com/int/part...make/chevrolet
http://www.summitracing.com/int/part...make/chevrolet

BOOT77

What are you planing to do? You can upgrade the HEI some, better control module, better coil. Think you can even wire in an msd box, well I know you can on nonComputer HEI's. I like the msd external coil adapter for HEI myself. You could change computers and go with a diff dist too.

BOOT77

FYI on my 85 tpi car I replace the center electronic part of the dist for like $25 at advanced auto. Other than the control module and radio noise thing that's pretty much it. Clean the housing and shaft, lube it up reassemble new cap rotor decent coil and you got a rebuilt dist.

paintball2000

I am having a problem with the car at 2600 rpm breaking up and falling on its face. I think the problem is in the distributor so I was looking for something that would drop in and be better than stock

paintball2000

what you replaced from advanced do you have the part number or name of it ? is everything else the same from the parts as non Computer controlled?

DanielRicany

You posted about your RPM problem before, and some people suggested a clogged catalytic converter. This is a VERY common problem, so before you go and replace the distributor to find out there was nothing wrong with it, I recommend unbolting the catalytic converter and driving with it out of the exhaust. This is a free way to test to see if the catalytic converter is the problem, its like 8 bolts to remove the cat. If you can rev passed 2600 RPMs after this then you have a bad cat. If not, we will help you find out what the problem is.

BOOT77

I'd check the cat like he said it's free. It was the pick-up coil and make sure you got the whole assembly, back when I bought it I got it from autozone, the one they had was just the center part and would require me to reuse part of the orig assmebly. The one I got at advanced was only a few dollars more and I just had to unbolt the old and bolt up the new. But that was many yrs ago and looks like prices have gone up.

cumbercr

I got the distributor for my 85 from www.performancedistributors.com.

paintball2000

Please dont take offence but why would it only do it under load. It it was a clogged cat would it be all the time. Thats the reason I keep pointing at it not advancing. I guess what I said just contradicts both of us.

paintball2000

I can rev it out of gear and it goes up no problem

BOOT77

Can't see why it would be ignition then either. That would make me think it's more drivetrain, fuel delivery or maybe even a short/loose wire.

paintball2000

Its a stick....it does it in all gears

hooked073

because you are noticing more weaknesses under a load then any other time. the fastest and best methoid to test for a cluged exhaust is a vacume gauge. I have seen vehicles just like you are saying have a clugged fuel filter also. general speaking if there is a problem with the ingition system you can feel it best under light load then any other time. I say generaly. But to answer your question just about anyparts store should have your dist.

paintball2000

I did fuel filter air filter plugs wires cap rotor pcv and throttle body thinking one of them would fix it.

paintball2000

All the auto parts stores carry the distributor with vacume advance. They can get the computer controlled but it is stock and special order. If im going to put a new one in I would want to upgrade a bit

beerme

I know this might sound stupid, but can you safely lift the rear end off the ground and put in gear and see if the issue arises? The quote above about load made me think possibly it is a heavy load problem. If the problem didn't occur with the wheels off the ground you have eliminated spark and I would think the cat as the issue.

Again, I know the above is probably stupid so i am going back to my can of beer now.....Best of luck....

BOOT77

My vote is fuel if it revs fine in park, the load of driving demands more fuel. Filter, pump, regulator, loose wire, bad ground, bad wire that when you "get on it" tugs on the wire/harness and causes glitch in fuel or ignition.

On my c3 the the factory tach was going bad and caused a stumble that was really hard to trace and is rare, but sometimes factory tachs going bad can cause HEI ignitons to mess up. GL

hooked073

Beerme the best way to load an engine with out a dyno it to set the parking brake. You have a std so the only thing you can do is hold foot on the brake give it some gas and loat the engine by letting out the clutch some. Be care full you do not want an accident. One fast questiong how did you test to see if you had a cluged exhaust??

paintball2000

I have tested it yet....i have to wait for it to be a tiny bit warmer out....7 degrees in not jacking the car which will turn into all day event when I end up having to grind the bolts