I Need A Distributor For A 231 Buick V6 Any Suggestions

Been working on my 67 CJ5 with parts from every year imaginable.
My CJ5 came with an oddfire distributor in an evenfire engine.
I was told it was 1976, but it ended up being a 1977-1978.

After checking around, by the time I buy a remanufactured distributor/cap/etc, I'd have enough into it to buy a complete "performance" distributor.

Anybody have any recommendations on a good dependable distributor, performance or not?

James(FinoCJ) helped me a bunch over on the willys forum, so I figure I better leave him alone, I'm guessin he's had about enough of me. lol

Thanks
Jim

 

Have you looked at TA Performance? They are the V6 experts.

 

You can buy all the parts for a distributor for a 231 in a 78 buick regal on Rockauto, even a complete distributor.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...l+231cid+v6,1020003,ignition,distributor,7108

 

This.

Also, early CJ’s the V-6 was an option so you would be better off posting in that section since your ‘67 is an early. Intermediate is ‘72-‘75 and never had a V-6 from the factory.

 

I bought one of the distributors from Rock Auto, probably made in China, but it worked fine.

 

Usually RockAuto has the best prices, and they often have “remanufactured” distributors which are original GM parts that have been rebuilt. I much prefer these over the overseas made “new” distributors.
-Donny

 

Block number is 1255862.

I sure feel a lot better about getting her to run after checking out the block number.
Now I feel like I'm on the right track, sometimes it helps to be stubborn, I'm thinkin the guy I got the Jeep from gave up tryin to get her to run, correctly.

If not, I'm going to turn it into a piece of yard art and rebuild one of my other engines. lol
I now have an odd fire distributor, for my odd fire blocks, I think. lol

One more question though on even fired-odd fired blocks.
Other than the crank, and the cam, what else would be different in just the 2 blocks?

Thought of another question. LOL
A couple guys noticed that there aren't any smog control devices on the engine, how would that affect the timing of the engine

Jim

PS:
James, we caught a bunch of walleyes last night, yummy. lol

 

There’s nothing wrong with odd-fire V6s, actually I prefer them. The actual blocks can be interchanged between even and odd-fire engines. You can even bore a 225 block to accept 231 standard pistons.
Its the crankshaft, cam, and rods (and distributor!) that have to stay together for either an even or odd-fire engine. The even-fire crank has the rod journals ground on a split, meaning each rod has a different offset, with a thin divider between them. The odd-fire rods are paired together on the same journal. The split journal requires the rod big end to be a little thinner, and offset, to account for the crank’s divider between them. Pistons can interchange between either engine because the wrist pin offset can “absorb” the difference.
I’ve built an odd-fire out of an even-fire block. Someone gave me an odd-fire with a block cracked from freezing. I had a ‘78 block that I swapped the parts from the cracked block into.
I generally have stripped the smog stuff like air injection into the heads, off the engine. I typically run aftermarket intakes with no EGR. I do keep the vacuum canister on the distributor functional as this certainly affects the timing, along with the built- centrifugal advance.
-Donny

 

Your block casting number was used from 1975 through 1987, so it covers the range of both odd-fire (‘75-‘77) and the even-fire engines.
-Donny

 

Donny;

Now that was real helpful, thanks. LOL

I'm going to just go with the idea that since I couldn't get it to run right with the oddfire ignition, that it would have the be an even fire block. lol
I'm no expert, but when I look at the engine, the heads, intake manifold, the block look like they came from the factory together, the rest of the parts are anybody's guess.

If not, I'll soon have a brand new, hardly used HEI ignition for an even fire 231 for sale. LOL

I have an oddfired block on my engine stand, as I write.
I was out spinning it and noticed that when the #1 cylinder is at tdc by the timing marks, that #3, and#5 cylinders were almost even around the bottom of the cylinder.
#4 was almost at the top of the cylinder.
I'm guessing that the pistons in an even fire block would be in a different location in the cylinders, since they are equal.
Have any ideas on an even fired #3, and #5 pistons location in the cylinder?
I'm thinkin if I took a 6" steel rule inserted it in the plug hole and came up with a different measurement that would for sure prove that it was an even fire block.
What do you think?

Jim

 

You should be able to find it by some simple geometry. Odd fire pistons are separated by 120 degrees, at three locations on the circle. Even fire pistons are spread by 90 degrees, matching the 90 degree V of the block. None of the pistons will be at the same height in an even fire engine, while the odd fire engine will have paired heights, one of each pair on the exhaust stroke and one on the compression stroke.

Pretty much think you don't need to pay attention to the cylinder numbers. Just measure the distances of all 6; odd fire will have three pairs, and even fire will all be different.

Never mind - not going to work, because the block angle will make a different distance for each pair. With enough work, you could figure it out on paper, but not on a lark. Conceivably you could measure the compression stroke on each piston, and determine the angle separation between them. The even fire engine will come to TDC at every 120 degree. Odd fire will be off by half the difference between 90 and 120? Trying to do this in my head, I think that's right - 105, 135, 105, 135... the hot rod shops sell degree tapes you can glue to your balancer.

 

Probably the easiest way to check would be putting #1 at top dead center and then turning the engine exactly 90 degrees. If the Cylinder 6 is now at top dead center, it's an odd fire. If it still has 30 degrees to go, it's an even fire.

That or pull the pan and look at the crankshaft.

 

Do that before you buy anything aside from a pan gasket.

 

It's probably leaking anyway.

 

yep.....Rear seal.

 

Joel Posted this chart years back......Thanks Joel !
You've got a '77-' 78 Even fire 231 :
Great engine......Get your distributor @ Rock Auto. It's the Re-man of the OEM AC Delco.
ACDELCO 88864759 Professional; Remanufactured (Instant $7 Manufacturer Rebate on ACDelco Reman parts!) Info
Even Fire Engine; Electronic Distributor
.....Plus , It's on sale

 

That is also a possible 1977 odd-fire.