T.I. distributor I.D.

[Douglas L.]

Hey everyone, hoping someone can help me with this one. Just got a box of "old car stuff" from my recently retired boss(didn't want to move it from California to Florida). Along with some other kinda cool stuff(dual quad 653 intake with 2 WCFB carbs attached and 2 window mount evaporative coolers) there was this T.I. distributor. Has no tag but was hoping someone might be able to narrow it down a bit or give me some insight on how to do so if I posted some pics. Any help is appreciated!, Thanks, Doug

[Edward B.]

Re: T.I. distributor I.D.

Doug, the TI distributor really didn't change that much over the years, so it's hard to pin it down. In addition, it appears that your vacuum advance has been removed, so that makes it even harder to ID. (There were a few distributors that didn't come with vacuum advance, but I don't believe they had a plate riveted to the housing.)

Is there anything stamped under the cam?

Ed

[Joe L.]

Re: T.I. distributor I.D.

Hey everyone, hoping someone can help me with this one. Just got a box of "old car stuff" from my recently retired boss(didn't want to move it from California to Florida). Along with some other kinda cool stuff(dual quad 653 intake with 2 WCFB carbs attached and 2 window mount evaporative coolers) there was this T.I. distributor. Has no tag but was hoping someone might be able to narrow it down a bit or give me some insight on how to do so if I posted some pics. Any help is appreciated!, Thanks, Doug

Doug------

Well, it's a cast iron housing, tach drive distributor. So, that tells us that it's a Corvette distributor (or, a 1969 Camaro with ZL-1). TI was only used for the 1964 through 1971 model years, so that narrows down the possible year range.

Note that the distributor has a "half round" oiling groove. This implies an early big block application.

Note also that this distributor has no provisions for vacuum advance. It looks like the housing, itself, had provisions for vacuum advance but a block-off plate with retaining rivets was installed. I've never seen this before but the block-off plate somehow appears "factory". All 1964-71 Corvettes (and 1969 Camaro with ZL-1) used vacuum advance. For L-88 and ZL-1, there was a special "vacuum control" that had no vacuum nipple but, nevertheless, was installed on the distributor. So, I don't see how this could be an original Corvette distributor.

The only tach drive, TI distributor without vacuum advance that I'm aware of is the SERVICE-only, ball bearing distributor of GM #1111263. However, that distributor had a housing configuration that distinguished it from the PRODUCTION Corvette distributors or the distributor you pictured. The 1111263 distributor housing also had no provisions for vacuum advance and no block-off plate.

So, I can't really say what this distributor is but I think I can say what it is not.

[Patrick S.]

Re: T.I. distributor I.D.

Doug,first of all-nice boss. Does the rotating pole piece have one of the numbers stamped in it : 540,542,or 734?

[Douglas L.]

Re: T.I. distributor I.D.

Thanks for the input everyone. Definitely a early BB housing. As far as the any stamped numbers go, although partially obscured by a spring post there looks to be a 94 stamped on the advance cam... possibly a 34?

I agree with Joe that the plate riveted to the housing looks somewhat factory. The mystery continues.

Thanks again, Doug

[Larry M.]

Re: T.I. distributor I.D.

Wild guess...marine engine?