TI distributor: fact or fiction

[Mike E.]

[Patrick B.]

Re: TI distributor: fact or fiction

Pure nonsense.

[Duke W.]

Re: TI distributor: fact or fiction

Typical Web BS. Single point and TI distributors use the same finished machined housing. You can turn a single point into a TI and vice versa. I've done it recently for a friend. The complementary parts are as follows, the first column is single point and the second column TI.

Breaker plate/points/condenser..... stationary pole piece

Cam Assembly...............................rotating pole piece

Corvettes have a unique housing and mainshaft for the tach drive gears, and FI distributors are unique to FI due to the high pressure pump drive, but I'm quite sure that the breaker plate-stationary pole piece and cam assembly-rotating pole piece interchangeability is the same as non-FI Corvette distributors.

Duke

[Richard M.]

Re: TI distributor: fact or fiction

I'm uncertain where on the web this thought was stated, but I believe the discussion likely revolved around the distributor lower 3/4 grooved annular ring at the oil galley area in the block just above the gear.


It was later discovered by GM engineering that this was unnecessary and all service replacement distributors did not require it. It was likely initially done to quicken oil flow directly from the oil source port to the two output ports in the block(up to the heads), rather than traversing 360* around the full annular ring.

If the distributor with the 3/4 annular ring is actually improperly installed, it could in fact block oil flow, just the opposite caution of the quoted statement. By design, the VAC would interfere with the intake and plug wire bracketry, and inability to correctly install the tach cable, and therefore would prevent such an occurrence.

More info HERE and HERE

[Mike E.]

[Ron G.]

Re: TI distributor: fact or fiction

Mike,

For what it is worth, I have owned corvettes that were originally T.I. equipped from the factory and have put in non-T.I. distributors and never had a problem, of course they were driver quality cars.

- Ron