I FINALLY GOT THE PROOF THAT MY 1963 FUELIE L84 CAME WITH A D-310 SHORT TOWER CAP NOT THE D-308 THAT WAS IN DISPTE BY OTHER MEMBER OPINION, I WAS TALKING TO DON BAKER A WELL KNOWN EARLY FUELIE INJECTOR DISTRIBUTOR RESTORER, HE SAID HE HAS THE BLUEPRINTS OF THE 1963 FUELIE DISTRIBUTOR AND THEY ALL HAD SHORT TOWER PART # WAS A D-310 THE D-308 WAS THE STOCK 327 DISTRIBUTOR CAP, THE D-308 NEVER CAME ON A 1963 FUELIE DISTRIBUTOR,I'AM JUST SATISFIED THAT I GOT THE RIGHT CAP ON MY 63 FUELIE. DANNY #38266
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Re: D-310 DISTRIBUTOR
Danny-----
I'd love to see Don Baker's blueprint, if it's SPECIFICALLY for the GM #1111022 distributor. In several different reference sources that I have, I have access to the blue prints for quite a few GM distributors, although not for the 1111022. Not a single one specifies what the Delco part number or GM part number should be for the distributor cap to be used as part of that distributor assembly. So, if the blueprints for the 1111022 does specify the cap part number, it would be unique in that respect.
Although the blueprints that I have don't show the cap part number, they do show various dimensions. The height of the distributor cap towers can be inferred from these dimensions. In fact, drawings that I have for later FI distributors do show dimensions consistent with a short tower cap. Even if the '022' drawings show dimensions consistent with the short tower cap, it would be interesting to note if the drawing was revised anytime during its "life" and, if so, when and what changes occurred. So, I'd love to see a copy of this drawing.
I've done a little more research and have found that, according to GM, the GM #1943047 or Delco D-310 distributor caps were used only on distributors GM #1111035, GM #1111063, GM #1111064, and GM #1111070. The latter 3 distributor part numbers are the 64-65 FI distributors. I've not been able to determine what the 1111035 was applicable to, although I've searched high and low.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: 1963 Distributor Cap
Joe,
Would love to see the blueprints also! Once again, looks like the D308 MAY BE, and probably was the distributor cap that was on 1963 fuelies when they left the production line. This was obviously ANOTHER 1963 one-year only item. And, as you have stated in several emails and postings that the D310 was the SERVICE replacement that became available in 1964/65.Rick Aleshire
2016 Ebony C7R Z06 "ROSA"Comment
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Re: 1963 Distributor Cap
HI RICK. WERE PUTTING MORE GAS INTO THE FIRE, RICK I LIKE YOU TO CALL DON BAKER YOUR SELF AND SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HIS INPUT ON THE D-310 CAP EMAIL ME RICK AND I'LL GIVE YOU HIS PHONE NUMBER. DANNYComment
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Re: 1963 Distributor Cap
Rick-----
Don Baker's phone number is 815-498-9522 and he operate his business from northern Illinois. He also sells many early Corvette parts. If you call him, see if you can get a copy of the blueprint for the 1111022 distributor. I'd love to see it.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 1963 Distributor Cap
Don is at Fall Carlisle. I spoke with him last week after he was recommended to me by John DeGRegory who did my Fuelie unit (and it looks incredible!).
Don definately advocates that the D310 is the correct distributor. We talked in length about it. I didn't get into the blueprint thing with him though.
Joe 63 FI ConvertibleComment
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Re: 1963 Distributor Cap
Joe-----
I'd be interested in what his opinion is based on. Plus, if he has a blueprint of this particular distributor, I'd love to see a copy of it. That might answer a lot of questions. Basically, I'm neutral on the matter; the issue doesn't mean anything to me one way or the other----I have no "stake" in it, whatsoever. If it turns out that there is some really good basis for believing that the D-310 was used on these '022' distributors, that's fine with me and I'd like to hear what they are. Like I say, everything that I have found indicates to the contrary and I've cross-checked this with many old references (things from around the time 63's were produced). I'm interested in facts, not having something turn out a certain way. The way that "I want it to be" is the way it actually was.
A blueprint showing the use of the D-310 or a cap of the D-310's dimensions would go a long way to providing alternate and credible information that the '022' distributor was built with the D-310 cap. Of course, other facets of the blueprint, such as, but not limited to, a complete list of revisions and dates, would be just as important to the issue.
Very often in the automotive restoration hobby, beliefs are built upon misconceptions or poorly researched information. Sometimes, things that are taken as "truisms" are based entirely on anecdotal information passed down from "generation to generation". For example, as the good Doctor Rebuild has so often and accurately pointed out, "you can't make a repro from a repro" (because you don't know if the repro that you're making your reproduction part from is accurate in the first place). If you accept as a "truism" the fact that a certain part that you have in hand is accurate without further research, you may be setting yourself up for grief, especially if you invest in making further reproduction parts based upon that one, unverified, unresearched piece.
Unfortunately, in a case like this distributor cap, it's very hard to check out a known ORIGINAL example of an '022' distributor with an absolutely known original distributor cap. As I mentioned before, most folks changed these caps fairly regularly. Even if we could find one such known example it would not be a large enough sample size to say that ALL 63 FI's were built the same way. For example, if we were fortunate enough to find such a car with a known original cap and that cap turned out to be a D-308, that wouldn't mean that the all 63s had the D-308; cars built afterwards could have changed to the D-310. By the same token, if we we found a car with a known original D-310, that would not mean that cars built before that car were equipped with the same cap. We are extremely unlikely to find many 63 FI Corvettes with absolutely known original distributor caps, so we have to get to the facts from other sources.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 1963 Distributor Cap
Joe, I agree, facts should be the driver wherever possible. I sent my distrbutor (1111022) to Don earlier this week. He is going to look at it after he returns from Fall Carlisle. He is going to call me when he looks at it to discuss action plan and estimate. I'll ask him about the blueprints and see what other info he may be able to provide.
Thanks
Joe 63 FI ConvertibleComment
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Re: D-310 DISTRIBUTOR
Joe,
I'm sure that if you called Don, he would be glad to share his information. Maybe between the two of you we could put this issue to rest.Comment
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Re: D-310 DISTRIBUTOR
Pat-----
Since it looks like Rick and Joe will be calling him anyway, I'll leave it in their capable hands to get the information and so I won't have to bother him with multiple calls on the same subject. Hopefully, he'll be able to provide a copy of the blueprint drawings; I'd LOVE to have that.
Regarding the blueprint drawings, I'll use this opportunity to correct something I said earlier. I said that none of the blueprints that I had access to showed the part number for the distributor cap. Foolishly, I had been looking only at ONE page of the drawings. Other pages DO SHOW the GM part number for the caps used on the specific distributor assembly. This makes it even easier to confirm the caps used if one has the complete blueprint package for each distributor. In any event, even from the dimensions sheet, one should be able to infer the cap used.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 1963 Distributor Cap
Danny -
It would be helpful if you'd turn off your "caps lock" key - posts in upper case are hard to read, and are considered as "shouting"Comment
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Re: D-310 DISTRIBUTOR
Joe, I also have the D-310 used on Oldsmobile engines '59-64 except 330 engines, likely that applicatin is what made it available for Chevrolet to use on the FI engines.Bill Clupper #618Comment
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Re: D-310 DISTRIBUTOR
Bill-----
That's good information. I've now confirmed, too, that the 59-64 Oldsmobile applications used the D-310. So, the cap was already in the "parts bin" and could have been used for the '022' distributor. Certainly, we now know that the D-310 was not developed specifically for the 63 or 64 Corvette FI application.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: D-310 DISTRIBUTOR
Why did the Olds engines use the "short cap"?
DukeComment
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Re: D-310 DISTRIBUTOR
There's a rocket for every pocket/ long live the rockets. just happen to be building a 394 to install in my 50 olds. Do you recall the i.d. thaat one has to drill in the 394 crank to accept the 50 olds 4 spd. hydro. i wanted to machine the 394 crank for the old hydro before i pull the 303 and hydro. thanks, mike P.S. i figured an olds question would work on this forum since the 394's donated their dist. caps to our treasured 360 and 375 hp sb chevys. mikeComment
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