Getting right to the questions. Just a couple hours ago, I discovered that I need a new distributor (or a good used one or reman). The $tealership didn't have one on the shelf, they can get one by Tuesday, but it's almost $300. That's a budget buster for me. The local CarQuest had a house brand new one, CarQuest labled box, part # T1639 for about $100. They had it in stock, and I went and got it just before they closed.

I'm not a huge fan of "Made in China" and this one has that label as well. Has anyone had any experience with this dizzy? Am I buying trouble? Would I be better off if I make a "u-pull-it" run tomorrow and grab a used one from a boneyard? The folks at CarQuest know me, and they'll take it back with no questions if I don't use it. I was trying to avoid another boneyard run here, and if this one is "good enough," I'll go with it. I know even if I keep the CarQuest dizzy, I should get rid of the "Made in China" cap and rotor and use the AC-Delco ones (Made in Mexico I think) I already bought for this job.

The rest of the story:

I started on fuel injection assembly replacement/upgrade, lower manifold gaskets, valve cover gaskets, plus dizzy cap, rotor, PCV valve and new plugs, plus repairing one broken bolt on the thermostat pipe flange and a new thermostat and upper hose and both heater hoses. This was already going to be a big job.

Discovered two new broken bolts (from previous owner and her mechanically challenged boyfriend), one in throttle body that holds the throttle cables bracketry, one back next to the dizzy that holds down the fuel line bracket. The fuel line coupling nuts, on the back of the bracket are rounded, as well, and I also discovered missing nuts on studs for several other brackets/holders, and a throttle cable with the outer jacket kinked and broken clean through, with duct tape wrapped around it.

The biggest and worst discovery was my distributor and distributor cap. I went to pull wires off the left (odd bank) side of the distributor, to get back to the fuel lines, and when I tried to pull the wires, my distributor cap was completely loose, as in not attached to anything and moved freely when I touched it. The back hold down screw had a small part of the cap that had cracked off completely, and the front hold down screw was missing. Also missing was half of the tab on the distributor with the threaded hole for the tie down screw. I no longer have a hole for the screw, I have a notch with part of the threads in the back of the notch. There wasn't even any duct tape holding it in. I Have no idea how the thing was even running.

That's how I have come to need a new distributor.

I also had to order new throttle cable from the $tealership, not bad really, only about $20 and it will be here Tuesday morning. I've got hardware, tools and hopefully adequate talent to fix the rest of it.

 

I've read positive reviews of the skip white aluminum distributor in this forum. The oreilly distributor I bought years ago has a lifetime warranty. Most of the plastic ones, including mine, will crack before the screw is tight. I heard mine click when I tightened it. When I mess with it again I was going to make a sheet metal bracket to hold it together. Then I read a post about a metal bracket for reinforcing the plastic at oreillys. That's the route I'm taking.

 

Skip White Performance Detail Description

i have one in mine and it works flawlessly..

 

So do I, and only $40. Yes. made in China.

 

OK then. That answers my next question already.

This CarQuest unit is also an all metal one. Probably "fine Chinese Silver" alloy or some such.

I was looking on Amazon and from the reviews there, metal=great, plastic=mixed reviews.

Right now, I think I can be on the road tomorrow with this CarQuest one, so I'll probably just go ahead and use it. I might order one of the Skip White units to have as a backup, or for some comparison.

 

Maybe even the exact same distributor.

For example MSD, Summit house brand, and Jegs house brand small block chevy billet distributors are all exactly the same Chinese pieces, but sold for different prices. They put a different color (black) cap on for Summit, and the plug wire hold down for MSD says MSD on it - otherwise identical.

 

I'm also running a Skip White and so far I have zero complaints our issues with it. I would suggest swapping out the cap and rotor for a good quality a.c. Delco set tho.

 

ACDelco Cap and rotor for sure. I would also make sure that you use ACDelco plug wires as well.

 

I know from several previous GM vehicles that it's only AC-Delco for plugs, cap and rotor.

I've had reasonably good luck with other higher quality, name brand wires over the years. The AC-Delco wires are expensive, especially if you get the exact fit ones instead of the "universal" ones that need to be trimmed to fit right.

I've had good luck in the past with Delphi wires, Belden wires and Denso wires. Of those, I've always gotten at least 60,000 miles from all of them. I tried to make a set of Denso's last as long as iridium plugs in one vehicle (90K+), and they had misfire issues for me at about 72K miles.

I would avoid super-cheap Chinese made wires and "house brand" wires for sure, but my experience is that good quality wires work, even if they aren't AC-Delco.

 

I have the Skip White distributor in my bravada with Delco cap and rotor...runs great with no issues.