Awesome, thanks for your response. After doing some more digging and research, it looks like 1980 and later distributors are vacuum advance lock out and controlled by the computer. I can't say I've been overly impressed with the tech support there at QFI, but it seems the swap I was reading about was for an older vehicle that did not have a locked out computer controlled distributor, in which case, it would need to be locked out to allow the computer to control timing. This is of concern to me as I've never removed and reinstalled a distributor before, so not having to do this helps me breathe a little easier and saves me from having to buy an expensive $400 distributor.
locked out distributor
- Thread starter waldo786
- Start date
- Status
Just an update, I was told by the person at QFT that my stock distributor will not work. Basically with this car and how it's setup, I'm screwed either way. I need to get an MSD distributor for the computer to be able to control it, or get a mechanical/vacuum advance one. Wish they would have put that in the directions, because they do not.
You still do not need to get an MSD distributor (although it would be much easier).
You could buy a used distributor from an earlier car, and lock out the mechanical and vacuum advance on that.
QFT needs a locked out distributor, and an electronic distributor cannot be locked out. So long as the module is in it, it will go into open loop, and still control the timing. QFT wants to control the timing for you, and to do that they need a distributor that is not getting timing input from anywhere else.
This is the same problem my buddy has with his trans am, who is running a programmable MSD ignition. He needs to lock out his distributor. So i gave him an old one i had lying around. He is going to lock that one out, and run it. You can do the same, for less than $100 i imagine.
You could buy a used distributor from an earlier car, and lock out the mechanical and vacuum advance on that.
QFT needs a locked out distributor, and an electronic distributor cannot be locked out. So long as the module is in it, it will go into open loop, and still control the timing. QFT wants to control the timing for you, and to do that they need a distributor that is not getting timing input from anywhere else.
This is the same problem my buddy has with his trans am, who is running a programmable MSD ignition. He needs to lock out his distributor. So i gave him an old one i had lying around. He is going to lock that one out, and run it. You can do the same, for less than $100 i imagine.
- Status
Similar threads
