Need A 1111069 Distributor

[Doug R.]

With Carlisle less than a month away I will be looking for a 069 Dist. for my 65' L76. The first thing I need is a way to positivly identify the 069. I know the I.D. bands have been reproduced for many years and can't be relied on to tell the truth.Does anyone have pictures of the correct mainshaft, (football) weights,springs or anyother advice on what to look for in the correct part? I am easy to fool if I don't have the ammo (knowledge) that this T.D.B. posses. Thanks Doug

[Joe L.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

With Carlisle less than a month away I will be looking for a 069 Dist. for my 65' L76. The first thing I need is a way to positivly identify the 069. I know the I.D. bands have been reproduced for many years and can't be relied on to tell the truth.Does anyone have pictures of the correct mainshaft, (football) weights,springs or anyother advice on what to look for in the correct part? I am easy to fool if I don't have the ammo (knowledge) that this T.D.B. posses. Thanks Doug

Doug------

ANY 62-74 Corvette distributor can be reconfigured to match the exact specs of the distributor you seek. Add an accurately produced reproduction ID band and no one will ever know the difference. Don't get involved in expensive "treasure hunts" unless there's no alternative. In this case, there's a very good alternative.

[Doug R.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

Joe, Thanks for the reply,In order to convert my distributor to a 069 I need the correct componets right? I don't have any reference photo's to go by to get the right main shaft with the correct Auto-cam, weights or springs.This board mentions that the repro. shafts are not correct. Where can I get the correct items to reconfigure my Dist. to a 069. I need to purchase the parts from someone I can trust because I am not familiar enough to know the right ones when I see them. Is anyone reproducing the correct parts to build an 069 or do I have to find NOS parts? THANKS Doug

[David L.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

Doug,

As per my 1965 and 1969 Chevrolet Parts Catalogs (May 1965 and Oct. 1968) here are the GM part numbers for the major components of your 65 Corvette SHP 327 (exc. T. Ign., Hyd. Lifter) distributor (# 1111069). Refer to the illustration below:

Gr. 2.372 Shaft (includes "football") #1964337
Gr. 2.389 Springs # 1883498, (23/32" free length)
Gr. 2.388 Weights # 1880902
GR. 2.410 Control # 1116236 (I believe it is stamped "MS", "236", and "16")
Gr. 2.362 Housing # 1961404
Gr. 2.381 Cam # 1935632 (my notes show that a NOS 1935632 cam is stamped "534" and "CCW")

These are service parts as of May 1965 and may or may not be the same as on an assembly line 1111069 distributor.

As per Chev. Parts History:
1961404 replaced by 1851158 in Apr. 1973

Dave

[Joe L.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

Joe, Thanks for the reply,In order to convert my distributor to a 069 I need the correct componets right? I don't have any reference photo's to go by to get the right main shaft with the correct Auto-cam, weights or springs.This board mentions that the repro. shafts are not correct. Where can I get the correct items to reconfigure my Dist. to a 069. I need to purchase the parts from someone I can trust because I am not familiar enough to know the right ones when I see them. Is anyone reproducing the correct parts to build an 069 or do I have to find NOS parts? THANKS Doug

Doug-------


All you need is a correct vacuum control. Someone with a distributor machine can set up the distributor to match the '069' specifications without having the other original internal parts.

The specific internal parts for distributors was a PRODUCTION requirement to allow Delco-Remy to build distributors with certain characteristics without having to individually calibrate each one. Using a certain combination of parts would ensure a finished product which met certain specifications. Nowadays, those parts are not available but someone with a distributor machine and the skill to use it can custom-calibrate a distributor to match original specs without having the exactly original internal parts. In fact, I had it done recently for an L-36 distributor.

[Doug R.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

David, and Joe, Thanks a lot,this is exactly why I enjoy this board so much. The information that someone with my lack of knowledge around the details that make these cars operate like they should, can be obtained in day's instead of years, thanks. Now I need to find someone schooled in the use of a distributor machine, and not learning on the setup of mine. I was under the impression, that in order to have the specs of a 069, that the springs, the weights, and shape of the Auto-cam was critical to the mapping of the advance curve.If anyone has a tried and true lead on a dist. machine operator that does these dist. on a regular basis I would see if they would set mine up to the 069 specs. Doug

[Duke W.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

The '63 and '64 SHP/FI distributors both have 24 degrees total centrifugal advance, but the '63 does not come all in until 4600 engine RPM vs. 2350 engine RPM for the latter, and AFAIK both "curves" are actually linear

It could be that both distributors have the same internal parts other than the weights, springs, and VAC, but I don't know for sure.

In 1966 I installed the '64-'65 SHP/FI weights, springs, and VAC in my '63 340 HP. This cured the idle instability problem (the OE 15.5" VAC did not meet the Two-Inch Rule with the Duntov cam that idled at 12" @ 900) and the more aggressive centrifugal curve substantially improved low end torque without inducing detonation, which was a significant improvement since my SWC has a 3.08:1 axle.

The number stamped on my football appears to by 54, but it might be 64 as the first digit is right on the edge of the material and is somewhat obscured.

The weights have no numbers. The springs have five coils of .028" wire, and in the unloaded state (removed for the distributor) the coils do not touch.

The cam weight baseplate is stamped 724 CCW on the bottom, and it can be seen with a good flashlight and dental mirror.

I believe the last two digits of the above number is the total advance from the fact that L-79 and '66-'67 300 HP engines use a cam/weight baseplate assembly stamped 730 CCW and the maximum centrifugal spec on those engines is 30 degrees, but the curve is non-linear.

It's possible to come close to an original curve without all the original parts, but I think what Doug is looking for is someone with a known original unmodified '64'-65 SHP/FI distributor to inspect and report the above numbers on their distributor so he can at least determine if what he has is OE or something else.

Can someone lend a hand?

Duke

[Doug R.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

Duke , That would be good, then I could see what the original unmolested set-up looks like. Thanks Doug

[Terry M.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

David, and Joe, Thanks a lot,this is exactly why I enjoy this board so much. The information that someone with my lack of knowledge around the details that make these cars operate like they should, can be obtained in day's instead of years, thanks. Now I need to find someone schooled in the use of a distributor machine, and not learning on the setup of mine. I was under the impression, that in order to have the specs of a 069, that the springs, the weights, and shape of the Auto-cam was critical to the mapping of the advance curve.If anyone has a tried and true lead on a dist. machine operator that does these dist. on a regular basis I would see if they would set mine up to the 069 specs. Doug

Contact William (Bill) Clupper. He is a frequent poster on this board and can be reached through the COMMUNITY radio button above. The drop down box will get you MEMBER LIST to click on and then look up his name among the many Williams listed. Send him a message. He will fix you up.

[Duke W.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

I sent Clup an email asking him to look at the thread and advise.

Duke

[William C.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

Generally with a combination of springs and some judicious massaging of weights and some patience with a distributor machine you can get most of the period original distributors to achieve any of the factory curves at a very close match. Been doing that since around 1970 because I had a distributor machine for my drag racing adventures (still have one). Stay away from the later '73-74 distributors, but even they can be adjusted to about any curve if you get into swapping parts enough. Most factory distributors don't meet the original specs after a couple of years of use, and some never did in reality, so find a distributor that is early enough to NOT have the hole drilled thru the back of the crossgear cavity and a knowledgable distributor mechanic can get it tuned to your specs.

[Jack H.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

Generally with a combination of springs and some judicious massaging of weights and some patience with a distributor machine you can get most of the period original distributors to achieve any of the factory curves at a very close match. Been doing that since around 1970 because I had a distributor machine for my drag racing adventures (still have one). Stay away from the later '73-74 distributors, but even they can be adjusted to about any curve if you get into swapping parts enough. Most factory distributors don't meet the original specs after a couple of years of use, and some never did in reality, so find a distributor that is early enough to NOT have the hole drilled thru the back of the crossgear cavity and a knowledgable distributor mechanic can get it tuned to your specs.

Not to derail this thread, but I'm trying to do similar to Doug. I currently have a used tachdrive distributor that I'm accumulating parts and assembling for a modified (faster in curve) '67 L79 configuration. However it has the hole drilled in crossgear cavity. So is this always indicative to a later non-desired distributor? If so, what is undesired about it, i.e. the football?, the cam (this has a 522 CCW)?, or ???. Thanks for any and all assistance. I'd like to cut my losses sooner than later if I'm on a bad path.

[William C.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

Ok, as best I can tell looking at old parts books. the distributor housing was changed a couple of times, with part number 196140 being used for 1963-70 smallblock distributors and also for the 1968 427 tach drive dist. The 1851158 later replaced it and I believe that is the one used in the 70's with the hole in the rear of the crossgear housing. Only two configurations of housing are shown over the years, and I doubt that any functional significance can be applied to the change. Totally irrevelant to the timing and curves as determined by the springs, slot length the pin rides in, shape of the "football" and associated hardware. That is one reason a distributor machine is a MUST to properly set up a timing curve.

[Duke W.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

The attached photo is what I believe are '64-'65 365/375 HP centrifugal weights/springs that are installed in my my 340 HP SWC. I bought and installed them circa '65-'66. Then they went into the TI distributor (from the 12-mile L-88) from '68 to '75 and back into my original single point distributor when I removed the TI for the last time (and later sold to David Burroughs when he owned that infamous L-88).

The springs have five coils of .028" wire and note that the coils do not touch in the relaxed state. The weights have no stamped numbers. Note that the inside of the weights is straight except for the little bump-out toward the end.

They retract all the way the way to the football, but not all distributor weights do so. Sometimes the weights actually touch each other before they touch the football, which means advance can change with different geometry weights - something to look for.

If someone has what they believe is an unmoldested distributor from these engines, either single point or TI (please specify) I would appeciate confirmation that they are what I believe them to be. Also, I'd like to know the number on the football and the cam/weight base assembly that you can see from the bottom with a dental mirror and flashlight.

Duke

365-375HP centrifugal wgts-sprgs.jpg

[Wayne M.]

Re: Need A 1111069 Distributor

Duke --- had a look at a 1111060 (365hp K66 distr) that I have, but don't know history on it. Band is stamped 4_C_30 [March 30th, 1964]. I've seen at least 2 others on eBay with same band date, so Delco must have run a batch that day. The weights sure look like yours. There are no stamped numbers on them. The football is stamped "03" and underlined. The rotating pole (starwheel) is 736 (over) CCW. In the last pic you can see the geometry of the weights vs. football.