The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop What type of distributor

Hi can anyone tell me what type of distributor this is and can I get an electronic ignition conversion for it.Cheers

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That is for a chevy v8 engine. yes you can get an electronic conversiion for it. But if you have room I would get a factory electronic dist (HEI).

Without seeing the bottom of it all I can say is it is a point type GM distributor from the mid 60's to the mid 70's. Buick, Olds, Pontiac, Cadillac, Chevy, and a number of non-GM cars also used this same distributor. The tops are identical but the Chevy had about 9 nine or 10 inches that fit down in the block while all others were much shorter. As stated, use a factory HEI if there is room so you can buy parts anywhere and cheaper.

Does it fit your truck? Do you have a truck? What motor does it fit? Did you find it in a box? What do you want to do and with what motor?

Would help to see the whole distributor.

Yes it's in my truck.56 Chevy with 265 small block.I want electronic ignition

Can anyone supply a link to a HEI for a Chevy 265 V8.Also will the timing require setting,or is it a case of old one out and new in?

Any Chevy V8 HEI from the early to mid 1980's is a drop-in fit. The distributor you have in the picture is not an original equipment item for a 265. It's one of the externally-adjustable distributors with a window in the side of the cap from the late 60's and early 70's, so somebody has already done an upgrade. The HEI you need will have two connectors in the cap and a vacuum advance unit. Stay away from the ones with no vacuum and a 4-wire connector coming from the distributor housing. Those require electronic timing advance from a computer. Run a 12 gauge or larger power wire all the way from the ignition switch to the HEI distributor.

Anytime a distributor is swapped, or even moved a little, the ignition timing is affected, so the timing will definitely have to be reset. It's also essential that the distributor gets installed properly to assure the right firing order is maintained. If you're having to ask these kinds of questions, you definitely need to find a pro to do the swap.
Jerry

Thanks for the info. It did not matter what distributor it was. Just what motor you have. As Jerry says, most Chevy HEI will work and easy to install. It is possible that the HEI cap may hit something.

I had an idea the distributor wasn't stock and was thinking of going the conversion route instead of replacing the whole distributor.I wasn't sure which conversiin kit would be the correct one for this type of distributor.

The conversion kits I'm familiar with are notoriously unreliable. They also contain proprietary parts that could take months for you to acquire if you should happen to have a failure. At least original equipment General Motors parts are somewhat more available, and they have the added advantage of a lot more research and development and millions of them were manufactured over a couple of decades. Few if any aftermarket replacements can show that kind of track record.
Jerry