I want to change the vacuum advance unit to the correct type, but I have never taken a distributor apart before. I have taken off the distributor cap and rotor but I am afraid to touch anything else without advise. I would appreciate any guidance anyone has to offer. Thanks, Mitch
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Re: Change Vacuum Unit on 67 L-88
Mitchell,
I'm probably not the one that would be able to technically help, but I sort of figured that someone like Joe Lucia or Duke Williams could have just blurted out the answer. In fact if I remember correctly Duke helped remove the distrubutor from one of the original 67 L88's years ago. I think he still has it under his mattress . Anyhow, mostly out of curiousity, I'm presuming you presently have something different than what the original 67 L88 distributor had for a vacuum advance canister. I had to reference some photos to remember, but from what I can tell that is shown it's the "non-nipple" type. Is that what you are looking to add or replace? TBarr #24014 -
Re: Change Vacuum Unit on 67 L-88
Tom, Thanks for the response. I believe I have the correct distributor but the vacuum advance unit has a hole where someone has just broken off the nipple. I bought the correct type to replace it, took out my Chilton's and but I find it never as easy as they make it seem. It looks like this would not be a problem if the distributor was out of the car, but I can't reach the screw in the back under the magnetic pickup assembly. Thank again, MitchComment
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Re: Change Vacuum Unit on 67 L-88
Mitch,
Having done it once in the minds of some individuals qualifies them as an expert, but I am more than reluctant myself to mention what you might do. Also, looking at the Service Manuals for 1967 and 1968, it really describes no other way of removing the vacuum control assembly other than with the removal of the distributor from the engine.
In addition, you still have my curiousity. From what I can tell of some photo references, the vacuum pot has a hole as you describe without a nipple. And as I suspected, some information mentions that the 1967 L88 distributor, #1111240, though equipped with a vacuum pot used a mechanical advance. Do you believe your vacuum control is not the original, a home-made replacement maybe, or does your engine have a different intake and distributor configuration? TBarr #24014Comment
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Re: Change Vacuum Unit on 67 L-88
Tom, My belief is that everything on the car is correct but not original. I did locate the original motor but the gentleman wants alot of money for it. The distributor on the car does not have the part number on it (or I just can't see it).MitchComment
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Re: Change Vacuum Unit on 67 L-88
Mitch - if you REALLY have an original L88, and you have a line on the original engine, even if the cost is high, by all means BUY IT if you can somehow. IF it really is one of the original 20 L88's in 67 it has to be worth a fortune even without the restoration. Restored and verified originals sell for $400K and up from what I have seen in Bloomington....CraigComment
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Re: Change Vacuum Unit on 67 L-88
Craig, It is a real L-88. I got it at auction a couple of years ago. I have come to find out that there are only 12 1967 L-88's left and only 3 of them have their original motors. The one I have has the motor from one of the wrecks. It has been nicely restored but not to NCRS standards. I paid less then $400K but still had to take out a BIG loan. The orginal motor would be great but it will have to wait for now. I am still trying to find a fair value it. MitchComment
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Re: Change Vacuum Unit on 67 L-88
Mitch - I am ENVIOUS. You have a real piece of history. On my living room wall, I have the wide scan shot of all the L88's in the Bloomington Gold Special Collection XIV assembled in in 1998 for the show - armed guards were around the room at times. In that shot, there are 6 1967 L88's. It is a beautiful picture, by LaPayne photograhpy, 5 feet long and 12" high framed that I had sent after the show. In my mind, there will be no other like it and it is a piece of history.
By the way, as previous posts noted, there should be no nipple on the L88 vacuum canister. It was just there unused, with a hole. Yours sounds correct to me....CraigComment
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Re: Change Vacuum Unit on 67 L-88
Mitch,
If the distributor you have now was originally installed at the factory, then it would have a date-coded metal band also stamped with the distributor's part number on it. Many, maybe even most of those original distributor bands get discarded or "lost" over the years though. It seems to me, from what you have described, that your vacuum advance control is probably the original one to the distributor. If your engine now has the original equipment, parts, and function of a 1967 L88 then there would be no functional need that I know of to replace your vacuum advance control, unless you wanted to change or improve it's appearance.
Also, your situation is very interesting about your Corvette. I agree very much with what Craig says. In a sense you have quite nearly hit the "daily double". If at some time you would aquire the original L88 engine that came with your Corvette then the possibility exists for someone to "revive" the original 1967 L88 around your existing engine. Not so, with the way things stand for now, though, since you have the 1967 L88 Corvette car and title and someone else has it's original engine. Be careful, and good luck. TBarr #24014Comment
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