Non-electronic; that's going to be tough since this engine came along around 1988 and electronic distributors were the norm by then. I don't know if a 2.8 V-6 distributor will interchange or not, but early versions of those had vacuum controlled small body HEI distributors. That's the only thing I can think of off the top of my head.

 

Astro vans with a 4.3L V6 were around in 1986, so were the Caprices with a 4.3L V6. I believe they were non electronic HEI style distributors in those. You may still find one in a boneyard.

I don't think the 2.8L 60* V6 will work, but the old Chevy 3.8L(229 90* V6) distributor should work.

Randy...was your "2.8" a typo? Did you mean the 3.8?

 

Great! I'll keep my eyes open for that one. Which cars (or trucks) came with the 3.8?
Thanks!
Chris

 

Make sure if you find a 3.8 it's a Chevy and not a Buick which came in Monza's. You can also look for the rare 200 V-6 which came in early 80's Malibu's. I was told it "Chevy never made" a 200 even though I had one! I had the pivot pins for the advance weights pull out and throw the weight throught the cap! Couldn't find another one so I disassembled the dist, pulled the reluctor(the 6 pointed star under the advance) and did the same with a V-8 HEI from my '78 Camaro, swapped 'em and it ran like a champ!
So if you can get(or have) a V-8 HEI, just go buy the reluctor from one of the above mentioned cars and piece it together and you should be all set.

Jeff

 

I think I have a spare in the garage... If you don't find one let me know and I can try to dig it up. Just go to a junk yard and ask for a dist for a 81 malibu with a 229/3.8 chevy motor and automatic trans. The caprices and montes also used this dist.

email me at fig426@aol.com if you need me to look for the spare.

 

Originally posted by 19_Chevelle_69:
Astro vans with a 4.3L V6 were around in 1986, so were the Caprices with a 4.3L V6. I believe they were non electronic HEI style distributors in those. You may still find one in a boneyard.

I don't think the 2.8L 60* V6 will work, but the old Chevy 3.8L(229 90* V6) distributor should work.

Randy...was your "2.8" a typo? Did you mean the 3.8?

No, I was thinking strictly S-10 pickup, which only came with the 2.8 or 4.3 V-6 engines (and of course, an inline four which is irrelevant for this discussion). I never compared distributors from the two engines side by side, but I do know the 2.8 was around as early as 83 or 84, and they were still using vacuum controlled distributors then. I thought it would at least be worth looking into.

 

No, I was thinking strictly S-10 pickup, which only came with the 2.8 or 4.3 V-6 engines

OK, I thought you may have meant the 3.8(229) Chevy. My fingers have a bad habit of hitting the wrong keys once in a while.

 

Okay guys, I just came back from a romp through my favorite pick-and-pull yard. I wish the news were better. There was not a single distributor in any of the above mentioned engines that was not electronic. The only thing I found was an early small body HEI in a 2.8 V-6 out of a 82 or 83 S-10 pickup. It was a vacuum/mechanical advance distributor, and was the only one there. All the 80s vintage Astro vans with V-6 engines had electronic distributors, as did the V-6 Impalas.

 

I'll make the rounds at my local yards here...I'm armed with some good info now so I should be able to dig up something!!
Thanks guys!!
Chris

 

UP TOO LATE

 

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Does this mean that the post-1980 60 degree V6 and 90 degree V6 distributors interchange?

Is FWD or RWD a factor?

Just curious.

 

This is from James Stone, owner of Stone's Wrecking Yard near Justin Texas. He said he thinks the 79 and 80 Monte Carlo with a 229 V-6 will interchange, but he advises you to compare it to the one from the 4.3 to make sure the housing and the gear and the shaft length are all the same.

Otherwise, you'll be giving MSD a call.

 

Hey guys wait a sec. If I remeber, the early 90 degree V6 all use semi fire crank shafts. Firing at 132/108deg. While the 4.3L V6 use a true even fire crank. Firing at 120deg.

I don't think the distributors interchange. Well housings might. But you'll need a new relcutor and cap.

I read somewhere computer contolled distributor can be converted to direct 12V by switching to a 2 prong module.

Later
Steve

 

Originally posted by wanarace:
Hey guys wait a sec. If I remeber, the early 90 degree V6 all use semi fire crank shafts. Firing at 132/108deg. While the 4.3L V6 use a true even fire crank. Firing at 120deg.

I don't think the distributors interchange. Well housings might. But you'll need a new relcutor and cap.

I read somewhere computer contolled distributor can be converted to direct 12V by switching to a 2 prong module.

Later
Steve

Those were Buick 3.8's. Odd fire and even fire. '74 or '75 was a crossover year, I think. Odd fires are easy to spot because the plug towers on the cap are "paired" As long as the distributor is in the back, it's a Chevy.

Jeff

 

Well I got my info from "Chevrolet Power" book printed in 1994, it says that the smaller 90deg V6 Chevrolet engines (200ci 1978-1979 and 229ci 1980-1984) use semi-even crank shafts. Now it could be a typo, but I don't think so.

Also I know for sure you can get a true odd-fire crank shaft for the 4.3L race motors, and they need a true odd-fire distributor.

Later
Steve

 

Originally posted by wanarace:
Well I got my info from "Chevrolet Power" book printed in 1994, it says that the smaller 90deg V6 Chevrolet engines (200ci 1978-1979 and 229ci 1980-1984) use semi-even crank shafts. Now it could be a typo, but I don't think so.

Also I know for sure you can get a true odd-fire crank shaft for the 4.3L race motors, and they need a true odd-fire distributor.

Later
Steve

I had one of the 200" sixes and from what I remember the plug towers were evenly spaced. But that was over 10 years ago and 2 days is about the limit of my memory so I'm sure I could be wrong. Still, the original question was where to get a non-computer controlled distributor and with a little surgery on a V-8 one and a $12 part, you can make one for the 4.3. I did and it was running strong when the junkman came and took it due to the body mounts coming up through the floors.

Jeff

 

I'll agree with that. The V6 relcutor and a new cap on a V8 ditributor should work just fine.

Later
Steve

 

The 90 degree V6 came in oddfire, semi evenfire(18 degrees split), and evenfire(30 degree split).
All the 4.3s have a journal split of 30 degrees. The 200/229 distributor won't work. The 4.3 engines with the distributor you are looking for would be found in Astro vans and light trucks 1985-87 with a Q-jet carb. If you find an engine with a 2 barrel, it'll be a 200/229 and have the wrong distributor.

 

Originally posted by Greybeard:
The 90 degree V6 came in oddfire, semi evenfire(18 degrees split), and evenfire(30 degree split).
All the 4.3s have a journal split of 30 degrees. The 200/229 distributor won't work. The 4.3 engines with the distributor you are looking for would be found in Astro vans and light trucks 1985-87 with a Q-jet carb. If you find an engine with a 2 barrel, it'll be a 200/229 and have the wrong distributor.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Jeff

 

I had an 86 monte carlo with a 4.3 in it, FYI

 

This may be a silly question but how does a person remove the reluctor from the distributor? Is it pressed on? I didn't see a snapring and it doesn't want to pry off. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

 

Originally posted by Greenacarina:
This may be a silly question but how does a person remove the reluctor from the distributor? Is it pressed on? I didn't see a snapring and it doesn't want to pry off. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

If I remember right, there is an amazingly small snap ring. If the dist is old, there maybe a build up of grease that will make it difficult to see. I'll see if I have an old dist lying around and take some pictures.

Jeff

 

Anything new to report on this? I am kind of curious.

 

OK...what I've got so far is this-
Found a non-electronic HEI distributor from a 2.8 V6 at the local pull-a-part. I've taken the reluctor and pickup out of it and will transplant them into a non-electronic HEI from a 350 once I find one (dime-a-dozen). So I'm pretty much halfway there!!