Ok I got this 87 lt with a 350 in it this weekend, the guy tells me the cc'd carb is shot but gives me a like new holly to replace it. Now always being a holly guy from back in the day I have no problem doing it so I mount the carb up and car wont start, the I realize that if the cc carb isnt hooked up then the cc dist wont work, well I have a good source of parts for a good price so I go ahead and pull an HEI dist out of a non cc impala I think it was get the stuff home find tdc and pull the old dist, go to install the new one and not only is the gear to fat to even fit in the dist hole but the shaft is short and fat as opposed to long and skinny for the cc dist so obviously this wont work. Now what I know about this 350 in the car is basically nothing but I can say that I got it running albeight really rough with the cc'd q-jet it was jacked up pretty good with bent linkages and the choke was hosed so the carb swap seemed like a good idea, I do believe that this is a late model 350 as the valve covers have the center bolts holding the valve covers on I have no idea what year they changed that (and to tell you the truth I have been a mopar guy my whole life but always wanted to do a chevy project due to cost so I really am just getting into the chevy workings) my question is what year dizzy do I need to get this thing to work I would love to get the mech sc holly to work as I have always always hated the vac sec q-junks (not trying to offend I know some of you out there love your q-jets) so if someone can just tell me what I need to look for that would be great, I will get some pics of the car up as soon as I can but in the mean time would love to get some assistance with this, I really want to get this running and see what I got.

Oh and by the way I read all sorts of stuff in the forums so please dont ask me to dig the archives, everything I have found says just swap in any old HEI and obviously thats not the case.

Thanks for the help ahead of time guys
Chilli

 

Welcome aboard thirdgen.org, and yes, you have indeed offended many of us. . .

I'm trying to imagine what sort of Impala would have a non-CC distributor that won't fit in a 350, and the only thing I can come up with is an Impala with a Buick V6 in it. Any SBC non-CC distributor should fit, all the way back to the 50's. Something seems very out of sorts here. The '87 should have had a small-cap distributor with a remote coil. What did yours have, and what did the one you tried to install look like? (if you have a digital camera, some photos may be helpful)

I'll be cynical and say that you either have a stock engine, or another 305. The centerbolt valve covers started in 1987, and were used on 305's as well as 350's, so no particular clue there. About the only way to know for sure what you've got is to get the casting #'s off of the block and heads, and that at least will tell you if you've got a 305 or 350, and if there is a serious mismatch of parts (after 20 years, all sorts of things could have happened).

The car should have started, even with the CC distributor. Something is messed up, so start by looking at the things that have been disturbed since the car last ran.

 

Ok first off sorry to offend!! hehe, second it was an early model impala I know its a v8 cause it has 8 plug wires, it is an HEI dist with the coil on top, but the shaft and gear size is way different please see attached pics, anyway I am going back to the jyard tommorow to exchange it (got a really good yard that gives 30 day returns). Now I think I read this right that you said it wouldnt have mattered wether I had the cc carb or the holly on it it should have still run the car? it does not need the cc carb for the cc dist? if thats the case why do people say that you have to swap in a non cc dist when changing the carb? anyway like I said dont have much info other than what p.o told me as far as engine size he said it was a 350 gonna have to get under it and try to get the casting numbers off the block. anyway I guess I got the wrong dist so I will get another one tommorow, I am almost starting to think the the donor car I got it out of didnt have the original motor in it it kinda looked outa place, more I think about it it may have been an older monte like pre 80? with a transplanted engine cause something didnt look right when I pulled it but of course like I said I thought any HEI would have worked. anyway the one on the right is the cc dist that was in my car the one on the left is the jyard version, Thanks agian for the help.

oh yea and the 87 did have the small cap and remote coil.

Chilli

 

That looks more like an Olds or Caddy distributor, although I don't have a lot of exposure to them.

All I said is the engine should have started with the CC distributor. I didn't say the CC distributor would work properly - there's a difference.

The block casting # is above the bell housing casting behind the driver's side head. The head casting # is under the valve cover. Not the easiest places to look, but that's what you've got to do.

 

well like I said it didnt look to be the original engine in the car so I am going to go back tomorow and get a different dizzy and start from there, I think that my problems were not just isolated to the carb because when I got it started and running it felt like it had a horrible miss but I know by looking at the q-jet it has issues and considering the condition of the holly I wanted to go ahead and swap everything out, im not worried about e testing as I dont have e testing were I live so agian seems like the best option for me. How the hell do you guys get the block casting numbers when they are above the bellhousing? gotta be a trick im guessing a flashlight and a mirror will come into play somewhere.

and after I put the holly on the car was trying to start but just wouldnt run so I am guessing that there was probly a timing issue to go along with the jacked up carb.