I was a pretty good mechanic thru the 70's and could diagnose and fix any points ignition system. I even developed an understanding of GM HEI distributors after a while, but vowed that I'd NEVER own a vehicle that was fueled and timed by a computer!
It's now 25 years later and all my personal vehicles are (sadly)1994 and newer.
It looks as if I'm going to have to develop an understanding of how the newer stuff works and update my diagnostic skills!
About three years ago, I bought an 83 Olds Cutlass as a high school car for my son while I finished building his 62 chevy shortbed. The plan was to keep it running till I was ready to start dismantling it to donate all to my willys wagon streetrod project. It's got a 5 litre olds.
About six months ago, it started running REALLY lousy and (I thought) flooding, and so I replaced the solenoid-assisted carb with a reconditioned Holley.
Everything that I didn't recognize as a functional piece was jettisoned and plugged off, if necessary.
Now I find that there is no spark! The distributor has no vacuum advance or centrifugal advance and the Haynes (worthless) book only generally explains that the ECM controls the timing electronically. I'm baffled by this revelation because there is only two wires attached to the distributor... the "hot" (pink, keyswitch) wire and the tach wire. What is the coveyance of ECM control to the distributor? Is it the tach wire? Since I've already done a partial "rip and tear", I'm wondering if I can merely replace this distributor with a pre-1981 HEI and ignore the ECM "happily ever after"!
If anybody has a clue, I could sure use some advice!