i have a 1980- olds cutlass calais with a 350 engine. the dist has a five pin module in it can i swap that module over to a 4 pin?

 

saw this on another forum

You could also use a distributor with a 5-pin module and replace the module with a 4-pin one. That would require plugging the extra hole in the housing where the connector for the knock sensor wiring used to be. Distributors using 7-pin modules can not be converted to non-computer controlled use since they do not have advance mechanisms (they use the computer to control the advance).

 

thanks, that's what i thought. how is a knock sensor hooked up to vacume? or did someone mess up a while ago?

 

i found out i have the wrong dist,that is why i couldn't get it to run right,there is no knock sensor on my car,so now i need to find the right distibutor.

 

found out it is the right dist for the smaller v8 like a 307? don't know if they take the same dist or not.

 

also ran across another web site and found out the part is a vacume switch that retards timming 5 or 10 degrees at wot to offset detination. it senses the vacume and grounds out and retards the timming . the rest of the wiring is as folows terminal c =neg side of coil,terminal b=positive side of coil, terminal r=ground through the switch (n.o.),h=green wire to trigger in dist,l=brown wire to trigger in dist.