i am working on a 1980 olds 350 and the dist has a vacumes solinoid with two wires on it. is this an emissions part or something to do with shifting?

 

A picture would help a lot to figure out what you're talking about.

 

if i had a camera or a cell phone i would use it to take a picture.

 

google similar images ?

 

the solinoid only has one wire and the dist module has five wires.i took the dist out of the car,boy was that a pain, the dist didn't want to move, yes i took the hold down bolt out,but i didn't want to twist. so i gave it the p.b.blaster treatment and i finally got it out,i then took the module out(made in mexico)cleaned the bugs and spider webs out of the dist and the vacume canister as well. when i put it back together the only screw i couldn't find was the one that holds down the capacitor. i think i will change the module to a gm module and a new cap and rotor with brass inserts instead of aluminum. what size is that capacitor hold down screw and where do i get a new o ring. or can i put an older dist with four wires instead of five?

 

i found out the fifth wire was suppose to be hooked up to a knock sensor but mine was hooked up to a vacume solinoid with one wire not two as i thought eairler. still not sure where the knock sensor is,i will try to find out myself and report in.

 

The only Olds V8 that ever used a knock sensor was the 1989-1990 307 with CCC, so that module was incorrectly installed by someone.

 

found out it is the right module but the fifth wire goes to a vacume part with a wire on it. the vacume diagram shows the part coming out of the dist but not what it is. i don't think it has a computer because the carb has no electrical on it.

 

it is a vacume switch that senses vacume at w.o.t and grounds out the fifth terminal to retard timing and prevent detionation.