Hi all, I just joined and have never posted before, so be gentle! 1967 Camaro with th350 trans., 6 cylinder. Put in a 350 and now I can't drop the distributor in without pounding in the firewall! Anybody else ever run into this problem before?
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Hi all, I just joined and have never posted before, so be gentle! 1967 Camaro with th350 trans., 6 cylinder. Put in a 350 and now I can't drop the distributor in without pounding in the firewall! Anybody else ever run into this problem before?
Welcome to CHR, Grandpa! We're a pretty gentle group here, so hopefully you'll feel OK.
Thinking about the '67 Camaro with the in-line six I'm thinking that the distributor indent in the firewall was sized for the old point style distributor, which was about five inches diameter at the base. I'm thinking that your SBC 350 is likely running an HEI distributor, which is more like seven inches at the base of the cap? I have zero experience with Camaros of that vintage, but I'm wondering if that might be the problem? Someone else may be able to offer first hand experience to get you going.
I was gonna ask the same question as Mr. Spears. Which dizzy are you using.?
You might need something like this, it has a smaller cap
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdm-pce376109601
Well the site went down for a while, but I messaged Mike/34_40 that I was watching one of the hot rod build shows on MotorTrend the other night and they were bringing a '67 Nova SS back to "nearly stock", kind of a "resto-mod" with a 350SBC. When they went to crank it fired but they couldn't get it in time because the HEI distributor was hitting the firewall and couldn't rotate far enough. The guy explained that "...back in the day the engine had a points style distributor that was smaller..." Bottom line, they didn't want to cut the firewall, so they used a smaller top dizzy, fired it up and quickly got the base timing set.
Hope that you didn't give up on CHR because it was down for a few days! If you have time, we love to see pictures of projects!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rspears
I referenced that style of distributor in post#4 It's probably a Chinese unit so I would find a good rebuildable points style and rebuild it it using a Petronix or like style electronic module
make sure your fan is square with the rad. if you can raise the trans a little it will buy a lot of room for the distributor.
Brent is moving the site over to a better server :DQuote:
Originally Posted by rspears
Welcome to CHR!
We’re an odd lot of mostly old hot rodders with a smattering of youngsters here that keep us on our toes. The well of information is deep and I continue to learn and enjoy the posts.
I would not alter the firewall and I think Ken is pointing you in the correct direction, re; a smaller diameter distributor. I have no experience with Procomp Electronics but my insides are having a tough time with a $78 distributor. It is the size you want, but the one review is not good and I would shy away from it. I have used the Mallory Unilite on multiple occasions and had very good success – however, it is north of $400! https://www.holley.com/products/igni.../parts/3748201
Another company that I have used on a few builds and highly recommend is Davis Unified Ignition (D.U.I). They make a really good product and have a kit built for tri-power and blower setups where firewall clearances are an issue - Chevrolet V8 Tri-Power Ignition System https://performancedistributors.com/...nition-system/
I checked their site and they are 8-10 weeks out on delivery of this product but if you can wait, it’s a hundred bucks less than the Mallory unit. It does require an external coil – come with the kit. They're located in Memphis and you could call them (901) 396-5782 and tell them about your build. They're nice folks and may have an another solution that will ship right away. I know from experience that if you ever have issues with their componnets they are super patient and helpful.
Hope this helps a bit – let us know what you decide.
Regards,
Glenn
If you still have the OEM dizzy. I can vouch for the Petronix kit. Swap out the points and insert their gear and never deal with points again . I've done a number a few change overs and never had an issue.
I'll second that. I put a Mallory dual point in the 66 Mustang years ago and after a lot of setting points I went with a Petronix unit and matching coil and zero problems since.Quote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
And someone pointed it out to me that it is spelled Pertronix! Just in case you need to search it out! LOL
Thanks for all the responses. I do need to replace the trans. mount which might give me a little more room. It was an HEI distributor I was trying to drop in that a friend of mine gave me. I bought one from summit and haven't even checked it yet! I'm not home right now but that's the first thing I'll check
Thanks for the link NTFDAY. and I remember seeing wild Willie at OCIR back in the 70's! Quite a show indeed!
1/2 inch spacer under the trans is a lot cheaper than an over priced distributer.
I used a Pertronix D104600 small, stock appearing distributor in my T Bucket. 16,000 miles on it with no problems.
I've had a lot of BIG things happening to me lately but now I'm back to working on the car some, it feels good! The tranny mount was bad and that helped put everything back where it should be. However, HEI distributor still doesn't fit so I'm buying one from DUI, thank you Glenn. To make a short story longer, I removed the stock 6 cylinder and put in an ATK 350 long block which means I need everything that bolts on to this engine. I've got the intake, 600 or 650 carb and manifold, Patriot headers from Summit, and mechanical fuel pump kit with actuating rod and plate from Speedway Motors. So far so good. One of my old neighbors gave me a dipstick and tube but it seems to be just a hair too big to tap in. My question is should I grind or file it down to make it snug or look for something else? Of course the oil level is very important! Full disclosure, I've worked on foreign cars and other mechanical "stuff" but have zero experience on V8's!
I will also be needing to order a radiator and shroud, (I have the stock 6 cylinder radiator that would need to be gone thru if you guys think that's better than the new stuff), water pump, harmonic balancer and pulleys etc. so again, bare with me and be nice! I'm bound to be asking a lot of stupid questions in the future. Thanks in advance for any advice, Steven
Good luck with the dizzy. While I have zero experience with the dui products I don’t think it’s any smaller, narrower. But I could be all wet. I think you’re going to select a radiator based the application, at least to start the search anyway, things like having air conditioning will need to be considered of course. And as always-the only foolish question is the one that you don’t ask!
Like Mike/34_40 I have no direct experience with DUI distributors but I trust Glenn's experience. Their TriPower setup (which Glenn Recommended) looks to be OEM pre-HEI size.
For your radiator, the old six cylinder radiator won't work well for the V8, and like Mike says especially if you install A/C. It just doesn't have enough volume to handle the added heat load.
On your dipstick, be sure that you got the matched tube & stick for the level measurement to be right. You don't say if the unit your neighbor gave you is an old OEM piece or aftermarket, but they need to match. Some of the OEM units are really tight in the block, but they also are just thin sheet metal without much extra meat to grind/file. What type of dipstick/tube are you dealing with?
It is a new aftermarket one, new, but not packaged. It came with the dipstick. Chrome, about 7 1/2" long with a bend in it.
Another question, I was told this engine takes 6 quarts of oil. Is that correct? It's a remanufactured 350 with stock pan.
If using stock oil pan the capacity is 4 quarts plus 1 for the filter. Five quarts is pretty standard for initial fill. Don't overfill as the crankshaft hitting the oil reservoir will cause foaming in the oil which can be disastrous as the pump is designed to move liquid - not gaseous material. Too much oil can actually ruin an engine as the pump is not supplying enough oil (in liquid form) to essential bearing surfaces.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grandpa830
I would also just add that after the initial fire up and run don't be surprised to find you're about 1/2 quart low on oil. This is due to the oil collecting in areas that won't drain back.......commonly, clinging to the internal surfaces and in areas like the lifter valley, lower edge of the heads and a little bit that is below the the level of the drain plug hole. This is pretty normal and not something to get concerned.....top it off and enjoy. Of course on any fresh engine you do want to keep an eye on all the fluids and address any leaks.
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Awesome, I will put 5 quarts in when the time comes. I've always used Valvoline, what viscosity would be recommended for So.Cal.?, and thanks again