Installing and correctly setting a vortec distributor

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JohnR

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I cut holes in the top of an old distributor cap so I could look in while the engine was running, plugged the wires into it (in the correct order!!) and started the engine. I had done the previous rough setting of the distributor to know I was in the ball park.
I could now see the spark jumping from the rotor to the individual distributor pins. I rotated the distributor to minimize the spark gap. Starting the engine a few times cleared the code. That was 15,000 miles ago. Only cost will be a used cap or possibly buying a new cap.
 
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I wrote this article about setting a vortec distributor and thought it might be useful for y'all. I wrote it and coded the page on the tail end of a 14 hour graveyard shift, so let me know if you find something that needs correction, my brain starts to get fried at those hours.

http://www.gmtruckcentral.com/articles/distributor.html
I installed an Accel billetech distributor and did it the old fashioned way with aligning the number one terminal of the rotor with the cap and with the #1 cylinder at TDC. I didn't know any better at the time although I knew it's a non adjustable unit. It runs great. Never tuned any further and I have almost 398,000 miles on it. (Original) I think I got very lucky but I like your outlined process nevertheless. Thanks!
 

Saab84mw

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I wrote this article about setting a vortec distributor and thought it might be useful for y'all. I wrote it and coded the page on the tail end of a 14 hour graveyard shift, so let me know if you find something that needs correction, my brain starts to get fried at those hours.

http://www.gmtruckcentral.com/articles/distributor.html

Thanks it’s a very useful article it help me get my distributor set the only thing I see is you need to have the correct scanner to read the CMP signal if you don’t it won’t work fortunately a friend of mine had a scanner that would read it and I got it done.

Thanks again
 

Allen Helland

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I was unable to set my cam retard, couldn't find a shop to do it,I poured over every forum ,every word I could find on setting the timing.
DASH COMMAND ! $10 for all vehicle pids $10 for 1996 vortec specific pids among those vehicle specific pids is cam offset. I couldn't stand myself so at 3:00 am I dialed it in to 1.1 degrees . I don't know if this post is appropriate for this thread but I know if you're out there wrestling a '96,'97,'98 5.7 vortec I just made your day
 

Allen Helland

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you can NOT run timing advance at the distributor on a computer controlled L31 engine, like you could in older engines. the timing advance is completely computer controlled. you need to set the distributor at 0* +- 2* for proper operation, you can change the timing in the PCM with a tune if you have the hardware/software to do so...

also I highly doubt that any phone app will be able to read the CMP offset, its a very specialized GM only sensor that was only used for a few years, there are only a few scanners/loggers that I know of that can read it, the usual run of the mill live data code reader usually doesn't support it. if you have the app and it does allow logging of the CMP offset, let us know, that would be very helpful.
 

Allen Helland

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I found one ! I just set the distributor on my 1996 5.7 vortec to 1.1 degrees. DASH COMMAND. $10 for all vehicle download ,$10 for vehicle specific 1996 download.
For $20 I have finally I MEAN FINALLY got my truck timed.
 

Mangonesailor

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I found one ! I just set the distributor on my 1996 5.7 vortec to 1.1 degrees. DASH COMMAND. $10 for all vehicle download ,$10 for vehicle specific 1996 download.
For $20 I have finally I MEAN FINALLY got my truck timed.

Yeah, a lot of us have posted that this is what you really need to do it, but you DO really need to do a CASE relearn, even if you are just replacing the dizzy. This helps make sure the ignition module fires the coil at the exact right time and lengthens the life of your dizzy.

Also, do not get a plain aluminum dizzy. Either Plastic or painted aluminum. The aluminum in the cheap dizzys will corrode and throw aluminum powder everywhere and roast your cap.

Happened to me, twice.
 

98 Nitro

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Dash Command works great but the dizzy is such a pain to adjust, is there a specific GM 96+ Vortec wrench?
 

Mangonesailor

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Dash Command works great but the dizzy is such a pain to adjust, is there a specific GM 96+ Vortec wrench?

I have a flexible head 14mm that works for this. That's the ticket for the 454 at least

It's an x-beam too, I can break it free no prob now.
 
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