I have scoured the engine block and I cannot find a knock sensor anywhere. I have a stock 305 Vin H with the stock E4ME carb and electronic distributor. Both of them have recently been replaced in an attempt to improve the cars' driveability. I can say it runs 100% better. I do hear engine knocking on occasion and I wanted to replace the knock sensor. I purchased one and was going to replace it but to my disbelief I cannot locate the stupid sensor. Is it possible it does not have one? I've looked behind and to the side of the distributor, in front of, above and behind the starter and starter solenoid, all along the lower block on the oil pan line, and everywhere else. I see the temp gauge sender on the driver side but, I promise, I have looked VERY carefully along all block surfaces and I simply cannot find a knock sensor. I know my engine is original and I know the harness has not been butchered in any way. There are no remnants of wiring along the harness for the knock sensor. What am I missing? Please, someone with knowledge of this respond before I lose my mind. I do not need suggestions of where to look. I do not need hypothesis. I need an experienced technician with an answer.
Thanks to anyone who can help.
Mike Myrick

 

Temp gauge on the driver's side of the block? That's probably the knock sensor.

 

87 has the knock sensor at the oil pan rail / coolant drain hole on the passenger side. Did the 84-86 have it on the other / driver side?

 

85 was the first year for the KS on the LG4

 

Knock sensor in these cars (V8s anyway) is in the coolant drain hole on the pass side. Those GM engineers were [forrestgump]SMARRRRT[/forrestgump] ... they wanted to prepare the block back in the 50s for EFI, but didn't want the Frod & Xler guys to catch on, so they cleverly disguised the KS location as the drain. To complete the ruse they even added another hole on the other side to match it.

The earlier LG4 cars did not have one... not enough compression, and too lazy of an ignition timing curve, to need it, I guess.

 

naf said it. LG4 went without a KS from 84 back to the 70s.

 

Thank you "naf" and "jmd" for the answer I needed. So much for shop manuals being accurate. This is not the first time I've encountered a HELM manual with this issue. Probably won't be the last either. I appreciate both of your quick answers.
Mike