F.I. Distributor

[Don H.]

Can you tell me the differences in a 1110914 and a 1110111 F.I. distributors? Thanks, Don H.

[Joel F.]

Re: F.I. Distributor

hi Don,

I'd give Jerry Bramlett a call. I am not sure if there is a huge difference other than late vs early in the model year.

[Tom P.]

Re: F.I. Distributor

hi Don,

I'd give Jerry Bramlett a call. I am not sure if there is a huge difference other than late vs early in the model year.

Another excellent source for dist work/knowledge is Don Baker. He specializes in rebuilding dist, especially FI dist.

[Bruce B.]

Re: F.I. Distributor

Here goes:
11110914 was used in 58 through 61 solid lifter engines. It is dual point externally adjustable, tach drive centrifugal advance. The mainshaft top cam, football, is stamped with #42. The points cam is stamped #122. The advance weights were stamped #37 and some have a hole in the heavy end. The upper housing clamp was much smaller then previous clamps used on 889, 905, 906 and 908 units. In addition this was the start of using the removeable data plate.

The 1111011 was used on 1962 FI after the initial distributor 1110990 was discontinued early in the 62 model year. It was identical to the 990 (dual points, mainshaft cam #54 advance weights #37) except it sometimes used a points cam #724.

This info was provided to me by someone ( possibly John DeGregory) and it covers all FI distributors from the initial 1110889 up and including the last FI distributor 1111070.

[Mike E.]

Re: F.I. Distributor

In addition, the 914 had a "flag" type drive for the tach cable, where the 990 and 1011 used a rectangular drive.

[Don H.]

Re: F.I. Distributor

Thanks everyone for the replies. Mike, what do you mean by "flag" type drive? The only difference in all the F.I. years I was aware of is a slight difference in length of the pump drive cable. Thanks, Don H.

[Tom P.]

Re: F.I. Distributor

The "flag" on the end of the tach cable where it inserts into the cross shaft has a raised flat, or key, that goes into a slot in the dist cross shaft.
The rectangle end is squared off just exactly like the square end of a speedometer cable. Thus, the cross shaft has a square hole in the end instead of a slotted hole. This change from a slotted cross shaft to a square hole in the cross shaft occured in 61, but I don't know exactly when.

[William C.]

Re: F.I. Distributor

In additiion to the difference in tach drive, there is a difference in the advance curves. The 914 curve comes in later and has less total advance built in than the '011. '914 specs are (dist rpm and dist advance, so X2 for engine specs) 600/0-2, 750/1.5-3.5, 1950/6-8, 3000/10-12. The '011 is spec'd at 425/0-2, 800/4.5-6.5, 1600/8-10, 2300/11-13 again multiply both rpm and advance numbers by two to reflect what you would see on the crank damper with a timing light.

[John D.]

Re: F.I. Distributor

Here goes:
11110914 was used in 58 through 61 solid lifter engines. It is dual point externally adjustable, tach drive centrifugal advance. The mainshaft top cam, football, is stamped with #42. The points cam is stamped #122. The advance weights were stamped #37 and some have a hole in the heavy end. The upper housing clamp was much smaller then previous clamps used on 889, 905, 906 and 908 units. In addition this was the start of using the removeable data plate.

The 1111011 was used on 1962 FI after the initial distributor 1110990 was discontinued early in the 62 model year. It was identical to the 990 (dual points, mainshaft cam #54 advance weights #37) except it sometimes used a points cam #724.

This info was provided to me by someone ( possibly John DeGregory) and it covers all FI distributors from the initial 1110889 up and including the last FI distributor 1111070.

Excellent report Bruce. Some guys think all you have to do is change the cross shaft so the tach cable fits but they don't have a clue. The curve between the two distributors is not the same.

What Bruce just told you took us many years to figure out.
62 was always the mystery year to me as far as distributor go.
The early 62's use the '990 and the rest use the 011. As Bruce mentioned the two used different distributor cams. #722 and #724. If Baker is looking in here correct me if I am wrong.
Now we have not been able to come up with a print of the '990 distributor. Besides the cam being different the lead wire "may" be a different length but this is just a rumor.

Story: I am sure some of you know that GM sold an over the counter service replacement for the 58 to 62 that had the later style cross shaft for the square tach cable. But in the box was a plastic adapter so you could use the round tach cable with the key hole slot for the 58 to 61's.
I used to have this little plastic adapter but haven't seen it around for an eon and probably never will.
Anyone out there have a NOS SR 58 to 62 distributor in the box with the dirrections sheet and adapter? JD

[Bruce B.]

Re: F.I. Distributor

John,
I have a slightly used 914 distributor in the GM box but no direction sheet.
I bought it on Ebay a few years ago where it was advertised as just a GM FI distributor. When I received it it looked NOS complete with box, so I called the seller and asked where he got it.
He worked for International Harvester in Indiana and told me they did some tests using Rochester fuel injection. When they were done testing all the parts went on the scrap pile. He told me IH then sold any part as scrap for I believe $0.30 a POUND. What a deal.
He did not know where the fuel unit went.