Thread: This maybe a dumb question.

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This maybe a dumb question but why didn't Chevy ever fool around with the idea of distributor in the front like a Ford. I just think that you would have much more clearance in the back especially when your trying to clear a firewall.

Well, there are probably several reasons.

1) It would also entail moving the oil pump and drive to the front, and a front sump pan is harder to squeeze into a chassis.

2) Traditionally, most GM products have had them there on the V8's.

3) When any auto maker builds a product they could care less about how easy or hard it it for us to squeeze it into some other chassis later on. All they care about is how it will work in the car they are building, so they simply allow for that distributor when they engineer the car.

4) They probably saw no reason to do so. It functions just as well there, and aside from the distributor clearing the firewall issue, there is no reason for it to be on the front.

5) It would entail redesigning an engine that has basically existed since 1955, and that would cost money.

But I think the main thing is that there is just no reason for them to want to make such a change. (If it ain't broke.................)

JMO,


Don

A few years back, somebody was making a front drive for chebbies that relocated the distributor to the front..... Can't remember who it was. But yeah, like Don said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. When you want to put the chebbie engine in something and have a bit of extra setback, all you have to do is notch the firewall for cap clearance.....

When you have to work on the distributor and you have back problems,and it's a Fard,,,,you think,,,"Yep,,,(better idea)".

when i get up in the morning with a back problem and find out i have to work on a ford, i call dave or denny, and go back to bed.

I've seen those front drive distributors that drive off the cam with some kind of belt setup. I just don't know if I would trust something that is not meshed gear to gear.

I guess you would get more accurate timing with a distributor driven off the cam. What would you cover the open hole in the back of the block with?

Originally Posted by Gerald Streeks

I guess you would get more accurate timing with a distributor driven off the cam. What would you cover the open hole in the back of the block with?

duct tape of course

Well I guess you could just take the gear off and cut the top off of the old distributor.

The Buick 231 V6 indeed is a GM engine with a cam driven distributor mounted up front. Any easier to work on than the rear mount small block distributors? IMHO- Nope.

-Fordlords-

This maybe a dumb question but why didn't Chevy ever fool around with the idea of distributor in the front like a Ford. I just think that you would have much more clearance in the back especially when your trying to clear a firewall.

The real answer is that GM didn't care whether or not you can fit their motor in another car.

Chevy did change to a front-mounted, cam-drive distributor - on the LT-1 motor.

why run a distributor when you can have a full computer managed system with coil of plug