Replacement distributor troubles.

So, finally tracked down the sources of the troubles in my 92 OCC. Popped off the distributor cap and found the sensor ring/pickup coil was trashed. So ordered up a new distributor from ebay and stabbed it in a couple of days ago. Car runs like a dream now, however a few issue cropped up after only driving 100 miles or so. I noticed the tach fluttering a couple times when cruising on the highway, car responded fine however. Also some noise and vibration coming thru the floorpan that wasn't there before. And it did cut out once and came back to life immediately. All these symptoms indicate to me a bad ignition module.....which sucks because that was part of the reason I bought a whole distributor!

Any thoughts before I buy a $80 AC Delco ignition module? One of my buddies is going to give me some CPU paste to use on the module to make sure it's properly heatsinked.

You need the white heat sink paste from Radio Shack for the module. Try the one from you old distributor. Just because the pickup coil and sensor ring were trashed, does not mean the module was damaged. I usually have a couple ignition modules from junk yard cars laying around to allow me to swap parts quickly and cheaply. I have never found a bad one in a junk yard car. I even keep a spare distributor for the same reason.

I found a brand new in package GM Delco module on ebay for $14 from a private seller, bought it this morning to swap out. My original module looks in rough shape as well however, not too keen on using it. Everything inside the distributor was pretty rusty and the magnet was cracked up bad.

Also wondering if I should replace the original coil as well?

got my "NOS" GM Delco Remy ignition module in today.

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Now to go install it

Remember to use the heat sink compound from Radio Shack. Do not use dielectric grease.

I have been told that if the magnet is cracked, it can cause misfires. It is not cost effective to replace the parts. Taking the distributor apart will ruin the bushings, and they have to be replaced. The distributor shaft builds up deposits on it, and is nearly impossible to remove. If you want a different distributor, get a good junk yard one with low mileage, or get a rebuilt one. The screws for the module are usually rusty and weak. I have not seen a source for them (maybe ebay). If the connector for the module in the distributor breaks, you can slide the connectors out, and replace the connector without removing the coil. I bought a cheap coil (about $7), and took the plastic connector off of it, and put it on the leads for the original coil. There is a little burr on the pins, that when pushed in, will allow you to push the wires, and remove the pins.

Isn't the B-body distributor different than a regular GM HEI dist?

Anybody know the part number for it?

The difference is the shorter base with the larger diameter. The B body distributor is still a HEI unit.

So I'm guessing you can't find these anywhere rebuilt?

Stingroo wrote:

So I'm guessing you can't find these anywhere rebuilt?

1-8-4-3,................

Stingroo wrote:

So I'm guessing you can't find these anywhere rebuilt?

Parts stores carry them, got mine from Advance. I'm pretty sure it was a dorman unit but not sure.

Rock Auto has them.

I bought mine on eBay, seller claims is a brand new unit.

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I searched but it seems GM/AC Delco does not make a complete replacement distributor for the b-body anymore, they do make component parts however. I chose to just replace the whole thing.

Car runs great now with the GM module. I used the clear goop that came with the module but I'll probably swap it out for some CPU paste in the next week.

Is the tach still working?When I replaced my module with a auto zone part my tach now shows twice the actual RPMs.

Tach works great. I had issues with the china module where the tach would flutter rapidly (sign of a bad module) so I swapped in a GM module and all is great now.

phantom 309 wrote:

Stingroo wrote:

So I'm guessing you can't find these anywhere rebuilt?

1-8-4-3,................

Haha I don't have that problem anymore :p I was just curious for the sake of discussion.

Stingroo wrote:

phantom 309 wrote:

Stingroo wrote:

So I'm guessing you can't find these anywhere rebuilt?

1-8-4-3,................

Haha I don't have that problem anymore :p I was just curious for the sake of discussion.

I did hesitate when I saw that question from you. I thought you were more well versed on the availability of parts for these cars than that question would indicate.

Actually I thought...what a dumbass question from the roo. 

As a clarification, the distributor for our TBI units is considered a REMOTE coil HEI unit. The coil pack is NOT sitting on top of the distributor like a Camaro dizzy, but  separated from it, looking like an old time conventional unit, hence "remote."
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Additionally the hole in the intake manifold is a "larger diameter" to supposedly make it easier to get it out of the manifold due to the fact it's buried under the low hanging cowl at the firewall. It's still a pain to get it out.


Dave

If you did not have the larger hole and shorter distributor, you would have to remove the intake manifold to get the distributor out. If you take the cap and rotor off, the distributor is not difficult to remove.

If the pickup coil, magnet ring / sphincter looking thing in the distributor is damaged, could it cause TBI injectors not to fire? I'm trying to figure out why my truck L05 won't run and its not fueling.

You'll need to check the ignition module circuit. If the ECM does not see a signal from the module, it shuts down the fuel pump. You should be throwing codes if that is the case.

Of course this assumes you actually have fuel available to the injectors. There should be a Schraeder on the fuel line on the engine. It looks like a tire valve . Crank it over for a few seconds, push the valve in. you shoud get a good squirt, Use a rag, keep aay from headers etc.


SAFER would be to use a fuel pressure gauge at the valve.

Ignition module is good, coil is good, fuses are good, there is fuel at the throttle body, throttle body has been rebuilt with new injectors, fuses are good. the only thing I can think of is the O2 sensor and the oil pressure senders aren't hooked up. Fuel pump is circulating fuel as long as the ignition is on. Another thing is that the coil is not in place, and I did not have it bolted down when trying to start the engine before and without that ground it may see a problem.

Spark should be a nice bright bluish white. If it's orange you could have issues with the coil itself, ground or the amperage coming to the coil. Any of which can cause a poor spark.

Easy check is take the wire from the coil off the dist. and let it spark to a bolt on the engine. DO NOT hold it in your bare hand, unless you like the tingle of thousands of volts with some other part of your body as the ground. A rubber handle pliers helps, held about 1/8 from a bolt.

Check your engine grounds as well. Don't be afraid to add a temporary ground back to the battery, For the testing purposes it can provide a helpful path back to the battery.

I do have a pair of spark plug pliers I can use for when I get the coil back in place and all the wires hooked back up.  Pulling the hood was about the best thing I could have done for access to the engine. I would not be surprised at all if this engine was not grounded properly.

So update. About a year after I installed the distributor, started having intermittent no start issues. Car would either not start or would run very rough. Some days it would start up fine and run fine all day. Long story short, I popped the distributor cap off and it was toast. The coil tower in the center experienced complete meltdown, and all the other terminals were severely worn. It looked twice as bad as the cap I pulled off my honda after 80k miles. So off to Advance, got an AC Delco cap and rotor for $30ish after the online coupon. Compared the old rotor to the new, appears the China rotor is slightly shorter than the AC Delco one. My amateur conclusion is the spark was forced to jump a bigger gap and as such caused the meltdown. This occured back in May 2015 and the car has been running smooth since, including the 600 mile round trip to WagonFest 2015.

The take away is, if you buy a new distributor for your TBI B, expect to replace and cap and rotor much sooner than anticipated. Or right away if you are picky. One thing I would not skimp on is the GM module however. Keep the China module as a spare in your glove box but don't run it everyday.