Using Gm V8 Hei Distributor In Oddfire V6

About a year ago a counter clerk in one of my FLAPS said that the odd-fire V6 could use an SBC V8 distributor by eliminating two plug wires but he didn't remember how to do it. More recently a man struck up a conversation with me about my '70 CJ5 Dauntless while in the Lowes parking lot. I'm certain it's a common situation for other owners of these old Jeeps to have people ask questions or relate stories about formerly owned Jeeps. This gentleman was of the latter group and told me about a Dauntless powered CJ5 he once owned. One of the things he said was that he had replace the points distributor on the odd-fire V6 with an HEI distributor from a Chevy 350. He said he simply skipped the distributor's number 3 and number 7 plug wire locations on the cap. He knew the firing order for the Dauntless as well as other details about the odd-fire engine that I know to be correct. The point is moot for me because the PO installed an aftermarket HEI distributor on my engine. But...on the face I can see it working yet logic tells me it can't. I have searched the internet to verify or refute his claim and I can't find anything on this subject. This leaves me to ask those with the knowledge and wisdom on this forum for an answer.

Can the V8 distributor be used on the odd-fire V6 and is it as simple as eliminating two plug wires?
-Martin

 

no.
http://members.toast.net/rbuchholz/heiexp.html
http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/100859/

 

Your counter clerk is full of crap, doesn’t know what he/she is talking about, and doesn’t understand an oddfire l.

 

No, as the others have said. An odd-fire Buick needs to fire in the following crankshaft degree intervals 90,150,90,150,90,150. A V8 distributor with two post unplugged would be some combination of four 90s and two 180s depending on which plugs you pull. An example: 90,90,180,90,90,180. There is no combination of this that would work since it's only odd twice and it's the wrong amount of odd.

This misconception comes from the odd-fire HEI distributor using the same plastic casting as the V8 caps with two posts unused. However internally the cap has long pickups that put the posts in the right place of the rotor rotation. You can see the strange pickups in this picture from one of the above links:


Separate from that, the trigger needs to have 6 lobes with the correct odd-fire spacing so it fires when it's supposed to.

 

There is some misinformation on the web also. Be careful with your research.
The links posted by 47v6 are good!
You can buy a reman odd-fire dizzy from NAPA, Rock Auto or other FLAPS for a 1977 Buick 231 V6 Century or similar.
Many opt for the D.U.I. dizzy as it seems to have a better reliability and track record these days.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I knew y'all would have the answer. Logically, it didn't seem plausible but hearing from two different people that it worked made me curious.
-Martin

 

Do a Google image search for Chevy v8 hei and then do Buick v6 hei.
The Chevy distributor is about twice as long as the Buick.