No small cap dist? Why?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 296
Likes: 2
From: Commerce, MI
No small cap dist? Why?
I was suprised to find my '88 had the old style "large cap" distributor rather than the later small cap the most GM cars went to in the mid 80's. Why the old mech. advance set up? Has anyone done a conversion on these? Doesn't the TPI F-body use the small cap dist? I couldn't dial in an advance weight to save my life, rather have the ECM worry about it.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,655
Likes: 24
From: Charleston SC
Re: No small cap dist? Why? (Gearheadotaku)
Why would you want to convert it? unless you are going to race the car or spin big RPMs the HEI bigcap is a great distributor. The only reason the small cap HEI w/external coil was built was to save some space near the firewall. The advance (as stated in the previous post) is electronic and controled by the ECM for your car not mechanical like the late 70s units (although I thought they where also good distributors and I never had a problem setting up my mechanical or vacume advance).
Take it from an Opti owner, be thankfull you have HEI and that it isn't mounted under the WP.
[Modified by 84LT1, 8:12 AM 2/12/2004]
Take it from an Opti owner, be thankfull you have HEI and that it isn't mounted under the WP.
[Modified by 84LT1, 8:12 AM 2/12/2004]
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 296
Likes: 2
From: Commerce, MI
Re: No small cap dist? Why? (84LT1)
Hold on a second, theres a vacuum advance unit hanging off the side of mine, haven't had the cap off, but I'm sure there is a mech unit inside.
[Modified by Gearheadotaku, 9:07 PM 2/12/2004]
[Modified by Gearheadotaku, 9:07 PM 2/12/2004]
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 83,383
Likes: 87
From: Boston, MA
Re: No small cap dist? Why? (Gearheadotaku)
Hold on a second, theres a vacuum advance unit hanging off the side of mine,
Drifting
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,931
Likes: 1
From: Norcross GA
Re: No small cap dist? Why? (scorp508)
Like said, (Mid80's) large and small caps are elec controlled. Only diff is coil in cap or not.
If you have a vac can on the side of yours,... someone swapped in a 70's vintage HEI. Not sure you can do this, as the ECM pulls rev info from the 80's HEI module.
If you have a vac can on the side of yours,... someone swapped in a 70's vintage HEI. Not sure you can do this, as the ECM pulls rev info from the 80's HEI module.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,818
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From: Alive and well in Burlington NC
Re: No small cap dist? Why? (scorp508)
Hold on a second, theres a vacuum advance unit hanging off the side of mine,
Are you sure you aren't looking at the fuel pressure regulator? :confused:
Are you sure you aren't looking at the fuel pressure regulator? :confused:
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 296
Likes: 2
From: Commerce, MI
Re: No small cap dist? Why? (Steel Blue 91)
I'll do some digging tonight. Don't believe I wil be able to get pics up though. In the catalogs, (Corvette Central I believe) they show these peices for 84-91. Swear I saw them on the car. Thought it was strange. Will investigate further. Thanks for the tips. :confused:
[Modified by Gearheadotaku, 9:08 PM 2/12/2004]
[Modified by Gearheadotaku, 9:08 PM 2/12/2004]
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Re: No small cap dist? Why? (Gearheadotaku)
If it has a vacuum can on the side, than it (at least at one time) has a centrifgual andvance. Maybe someone slipped some electronic guts into an old housing. Otherwse the ECM won't run the engine. The ECM looks to the distributor to tell if the engine is cranking or running to activate the fuel pump. Without the distributor signal, the ECM won't pulse the injectors. What size carb are you running?
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 296
Likes: 2
From: Commerce, MI
Re: No small cap dist? Why? (Gearheadotaku)
OK, headed across town to my garage. Fumbled with tools while shivering in the cold. Raised the dist. cap from by car and.....Where's the smiley that stands for open mouth insert foot? Yep, you guys are right again. No sign of mech advance here. The 'vac unit' was a little further south than I remembered, in fact it's now disguising itself as my oil pressure sending unit.
Looked at the big cap and assumed 'old tech inside' Can't judge a book by its cover....
I'd like to thank Corvette central for pointing me down the worng path with their "84-91 High Performance HEI Tune-up kit" which includes "adjustable vacuum advance canister and hi-performance advance kit" among other things. The fact that it was noted for 4-pin modules should have warned me it would not work on an ECM car. So why is it in their C4 catalog?
Oh well. I nominate myself for D.O.D. (Dummy Of the Day)
(gee, I wonder if one of those tornado thingee's would be a good idea. Be great with my air foil.... :lolg: )
[Modified by Gearheadotaku, 9:26 PM 2/12/2004]
Looked at the big cap and assumed 'old tech inside' Can't judge a book by its cover....
I'd like to thank Corvette central for pointing me down the worng path with their "84-91 High Performance HEI Tune-up kit" which includes "adjustable vacuum advance canister and hi-performance advance kit" among other things. The fact that it was noted for 4-pin modules should have warned me it would not work on an ECM car. So why is it in their C4 catalog?
Oh well. I nominate myself for D.O.D. (Dummy Of the Day)
(gee, I wonder if one of those tornado thingee's would be a good idea. Be great with my air foil.... :lolg: )
[Modified by Gearheadotaku, 9:26 PM 2/12/2004]
