Distributor Interchange Help Needed

[MOPARGRL4EVR]

To keep this simple I'll try to be short. I need to figure out what distributor I can get to replace the one in my Dakota.

This is the hitch. Its a 89' that the idgits that had it before I bought it tried to turn into a race truck. So they swapped out the 4 banger EFI for a V6 Carb. Ran the block # and found out its a 87' Chrylser 3.9L 238 (the 318 with 2 less cyl's). They also installed an 6A MSD Ignition in it.

Now I've spent 4months, calling and visiting auto parts stores trying to get it,and come to find out that, the Cardone distributor it has in it now, is no longer available as they have stopped making it. Even Cardone doesn't suggest a replacement for it.

The thing is totally rusted on the inside. I was told to try a MSD distributor, but seeing as how the motor doesn't go with the truck no one's been able to help with that either.

It's an Electronic Single pickup Distributor with Vacuum advance (although the vac advanced wasn't hooked up when I got the truck and it ran fine until the rust issue happened) .......

Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated as I'm at my wits end & unfortunately I can't just get another vehicle.

 

[85Rusty]

Any non magnum 3.9 dizzy should work fine

 

[bear]

Does it look like this one ?

 

[MOPARGRL4EVR]

Bear..... I wish it did look like that.
All of the available Cardone's are to short in one way or another or don't have the right insides, hence my "wits end".
Took some pics last night though, so sharing like I should have done in the begining.
Like I said, the truck worked fine without the vac advance, so I'm not to worried about that.


The rust happened after someone I no longer talk to, told me they knew where to hook it up at....and as you can see they didn't, because it rusted out the insides and now I'm in this mess.

 

[bear]

I'm willing to bet that that's a small block (318/360) distributer . Match one up to a mid 80's Dodge with a 318 or a 360 with electronic ignition . Make sure you check the length of the shaft and the diameter of were it sits in the block .

 

[bear]

I just realized that that wont work either because there's only six points of contact on your distributor shaft .

 

[85Rusty]

When you say "they're too short", are you referring to the shaft or the casing?

 

[MOPARGRL4EVR]

They've been to short in the casing and in the shaft, and if you compare my pic's to the one bear posted you'll see it's also to short in the lower part of the casing as well.

I already tried the 318 route, as that's what my 238 is, just with 2 less cylinders, found that out when I ran the # on the engine block.
I've spent months online etc., trying the different vechile models & years that the engine was used in and nothing matches up.

I already spent hours looking at all the the Cardone's that are made and came up with nothing that would work.

Going to do the same with the MSD's this weekend and keep my fingers crossed.
(Never thought I'd miss Ariz. ao much.)

 

[85Rusty]

The casing being shorter is ok. The shaft length going down in the block is what matters. The dizzy will just be a little lower profile. My buddy actually had to shorten his dizzy to put a 340 in his 63 dart

 

[JGC403]

I just looked one up on Rockauto.com looked one up for an 1987 Dakota with V6 and they have 2 different brands available. both DO NOT have the vacuum advance.

Looked up one for a 1986 D100 with V6, one avalible WITH vacuum advance from A-1 Cardone: 303690

Go to rockauto.com click the second tab at the top that says "part number search" put in: 303690 and it will come right up.

Why does it have a vacuum advance? Whats on the motor a carb or is it fuel injection? If its fuel injected the PCM should be controlling spark advance.

 

[bear]

87 was the first year for the 3.9 and it had a carb . ... Quick question Mopargirl ? Why was the Distributor pulled out to begain with ?

 

[85Rusty]

87 was the first year for the 3.9 and it had a carb . ... Quick question Mopargirl ? Why was the Distributor pulled out to begain with ?

I just learned something new! I thought all v6's were TBI prior to maggies

 

[MOPARGRL4EVR]

Quick question Mopargirl ? Why was the Distributor pulled out to begain with ?

I ordered a replacement one through Auto Zone, so I took it with me when I went to pick that one up so I could get my core charge back at the same time, but it wasn't the right one.


The Cardone part # for it is 30-3694
But you won't find any results when searching for it at Cardone, Auto Zone or even NAPA. Another parts store here shows it, but they say it's back ordered even though it's not even available through Cardone themselves.

That's why I'm trying to find a viable alternative.

Neighbor suggested I try cleaning off the rust......may have to try that although I'm not sure I want to.


THANK YOU for all of your help so far, helps me keep sane

 

[bear]

I can get you that Cardone part number but that's the same one as I showed you a picture of . My supplier say's he doesn't have it in stock but he can have it in one to two days .

 

[MOPARGRL4EVR]

Hey...thanks so much for the offer from your buddy Bear......

Sorry I was gone for so long. I was disabled in an accident a few years back and when my pain levels spike, they put me out of it for days on end.

Anyway, the auto parts store here that said that dist. was on back order got it in a few days ago, but I wasn't up to getting it until yesterday.

Everything is the same on new one as it is on my old one EXCEPT for the wires. The new one has a 3 prong plug and my truck only has a 2 prong plug off of the MSD Ignition, so not sure how to proceed. Wires on new are white stripe in middle and black ones on the outsides....my MSD has a violet and green wire only....

any ideas?

 

[bear]

You can tell from the picture that the other guy had swapped the plug so match it up to your old one and use that plug and just wire it the same as he did .

 

[MOPARGRL4EVR]

I did some more research and come to fing out that the 3 prong plug means that the distributor is ready-to-run and therefore doesn't need to be hooked up to my MSD Ignition, just had to plug it on to a connection that was already there.


I'm not getting any spark from the coil now, so off to do more research.



Called MSD.....so I know what I have to do at least.
Find the white wire and attach it to the original ground for the coil.
Finding the white wire wasn't to bad, they cut off back inside the tubing.

Now for the lovely job of figuring out where those numbnuts cut off the orginal coil ground.
At least it should work after that, just a huge project for me tracing wires, but at least it will be more than worth the pain.

Thanks again, will update in a few days.

 

[bear]

Good luck with it . One thing I always hated was chasing wiring problems when someone else had already been in there . Normally the problem is because of a scotch lock or a but connector because the other guy was to lazy to make a real connection . I hate those things .

 

[D J's DODGE]

Hello MOPARGRL4EVR I am glad you put a picture of the distributor. I have one but they are not factory they are an 318/360 dist. with a slant 6 reluctor. my truck did run with it. They use the 318/360 electonic ignition module

 

[MOPARGRL4EVR]

:smile:Glad it helped you some DJ.

Well the update is ...........

SUCCESS!!!

almost. The truck starts just fine, and man I learned a lot with this whole thing.

But, for some reason my fuel pump has stopped working. It worked at first & the truck wasn't warmed up enough, so had to restart, and no pump running. It's on the frame right under my butt so I can always hear it.

I checked the filter, not clogged. I tested the continuity and that's fine. Disconnected the ground (for the pump) & cleaned it all so it was good. Had the roommate go get 5 gals of gas & made sure the battery had a full charge.

I figure it could be either the pump relay or something amiss in the ignition switch itself, but I'm not sure how to test them.

I have 2 test lights, one for power on and one for power off.

So going to see if I can find info on how to test them, already checked Chilton & no help.


BUT......Hey I got it running :smile: thanks again for all the help. Soon I can check out the rest of the forums here, just need this thing on the road first.