Which Distributor w/ cmdr 950?

[fastzcars]

Hay Mr Big B. I think your in the right track. the tpi engines from 87 through 91 have that distributer. Maybe Grumpy Vette can confirm this. but 99% sure. Have fun

[Mike C]

The small cap distributor showed up in '88 I believe. It is on ALL fuel injected V8's. You can also buy them new from Holley, MSD, and GM as well. In the GM performance parts catalog, I think they are $150.

[Guest Mr. Big Business]

Which distributor is best to use with Holley's TBI commander 950? From the commander's instructions:

Large Cap Computer Controlled GM HEI – Plugs directly into the 4 pin weatherpack ignition connector in the Commander 950 harness.

Small Cap Computer Controlled GM HEI – Requires adapter (PN 534-138) that plugs into the 4 pin weatherpack connector in the Commander 950 harness. This adapter is included with complete Chevrolet SB and BB Multi-port EFI systems.

Large Cap Non-Computerized HEI – This distributor uses mechanical and vacuum advance and is not capable of having the Commander 950 control timing.

Crank Trigger CD Ignition Systems – The Commander 950 can control the timing on any engine that uses a crank trigger(magnetic or Hall effect) and capacitive discharge ignition box.

Non-Computer Controlled Inductive Ignition Systems – Any inductive (non-CD) ignition system (most stock ignition systems are inductive) can be used to provide an RPM signal to the Commander 950. These systems will not allow the Commander 950 to control ignition timing. Points ignition and the Mallory Uni-lite systems fall into this category.

Magnetic Pickup Distributors with Mechanical Advance – Standard magnetic pickup mechanical advance distributors such as a Holley or MSD can be used with a CD ignition system. The C950 will not be able to control timing. Connect the

yellow/black ignition wire to the tach output connection on the CD box.

NOTE: It is not advised to use a magnetic pickup distributor to directly feed the magnetic trigger input of the C950. If the magnetic pickup distributor is connected to the C950 via the inductive pickup trigger wires, the pickup/rotor/cap phasing must be corrected. This operation will require machining to the distributor and is therefore beyond the scope of most users. Even with the phasing corrected, the electrical noise inside the cap may be strong enough to cause tuning problems. Instead, it is advised that you use a crank trigger system or a computer-controlled distributor.

I'm guessing that it would be best to allow the Commander to control the timing, so I don't have to deal with vacoom or mechanical advance. I may be answering my own question, but it looks like the best choice is the Small Cap Computer Controlled GM HEI. If that's right, what years/models should I reference to get this distributor.

I plan on putting this on a crate ZZ4, if that matters.

 

Thanks,

Henry