I just bought every thing I need to do a tune up. I got 8.5 msd wires,msd cap and rotor,and bosh plat. 4's now. I don't want to sound stupid but what goes onto the rotor (the top comes off and you could put something inside of it) do you put the blater coil there and if so do you need one because I did not order one?and if its yes could I use the stock one for now until I could get an msd one ? Thanks

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean when you ask what goes on the rotor....

GM made two types of distributors. One had an external coil and the other had the coil built in to the cap. As far as I know, TPI engines use an external coil.. (Have you looked at your car to see what you have?)

If you do have an external coil you'll find it located at the back of the engine. It's bolted to the intake on the passenger side of the engine a few inches from the distributor cap. There will be a thick ignition wire (that looks like a sparkplug wire) running from the coil to the middle of the distributor cap.

If you have the external coil, then the cap you have is probably no good for you. The external coil cap is one piece and doesn't come apart.

The internal coil cap looks similar to this:
http://www.dansracingsupply.com/images/MSD8411.jpg

The external coil cap looks similar to this:
http://www.dansracingsupply.com/images/MSD8437.jpg

 

The one I have is the internal one I got it off summit so they said it would fit but I looked a my car and it looks like it has an internal so do I just take wut evers inside the stock one and put into the new msd one?

 

I don't think the cap with the internal coil will fit on your distributor. I think it's larger and the hold down screws won't match up with the base of the distributor.... Also, it probably doesn't have the cutout at the bottom that allows two plugs to connect to the ignition module which is mounted at the base of the distributor under the rotor.

I would send it back and get the proper coil and cap..

 

I got this off of summit racing and it said it goes to an 86 t/a 305 tpi I just did not get the coil to go with it so I thought I could just use the stock coil for now until I get the new coil. So I have to send it back wut do you sugest I get?

 

Have you taken the back cover off your plenum and LOOKED at the distributor? You'll be able to tell at a glance if you have the right cap or not. (It will save a lot of further discussion too )

If your car has the coil-in-cap, then you should be able to take the coil out of your existing cap and place it in your new cap. If the coil is not in the cap and is mounted externally, then it won't fit.. It's a different shape.

 

1986 had an in-cap coil, research before you give someone wrong advice.

If the new cap is heavy then there is a new coil inside. If it's light (as light as a hollow cap of plastic would be) then you need to swap over the coil from the old cap or get a new coil.

 

i thank you guys for the help and yes i got the right cap so im usein the old coil for now until i get my new one from summit.

 

My comment was "I think TPI engines have the external coil". He wanted to know if his cap would fit... I showed him pictures of both coils and asked him to look at what he had in his car. I also told him where to look to see if he had an external coil.

I'll admit I wasn't sure if the 86 TPI had an internal or external coil.. I was trying to walk him through determining whether he had the right cap or not.. That was his question.. Where exactly did * I * give the wrong advice???