Distributor Terminals

[IdahoMan]

Quick question..

On my Distributor's left(driver's) side there are labels and terminals. Like this:

\______________/
  |"C-" GND "B+"|
  |                     |
  |                     |
  |  TACH   BATT |
  |____________|

(Also: See PIC)

It's terribly difficult to access or even see what's there, but it looks like five terminals and five wires: The three inner wires appear smaller and are red, green and black. The two outer a larger and both are red.

Can someone explain to me, or just link to, some info on what each of there are for and where they run to?

Thanks.


Sincerely,
IM

[enaberif]

The main 3 are fed from the base of the distributor.

The other two provide power Bat+ and Tach.

[VileZambonie]

See image

[IdahoMan]

Thank you Vile.

Let me see if I understand this...

C- Terminal:  ?
Ground Terminal: To the vehicle body
B+ Terminal:  ?
Battery Terminal: To ignition Switch (so it must go through the firewall somewhere yes? To bulkhead or straight-through?)
Tach Terminal: To a Tachometer. (I don't have one, but there is a wire running from the terminal to.. somewhere.)


IM

[78BIG-TEN]

The C-,gnd,bat terminals connect to the 3 wire connector from the module inside the dist.
The Bat+ is a switched ignition ffed to power up the coil.The tack is if you are running a tach otherwise not used

[enaberif]

Bat+ will be usually connected 1 of 2 days. Through the firewall to the fuseblock or to the bulkhead.

On older trucks there were points converted to HEI people generally ran a new wire through the firewall because points use a resistance wire which causes grief for hei.

For the tach wire well some trucks came pre-wired for them but others people added this and install their own tach.

[IdahoMan]

78BIG-TEN, ena,

I'm afraid there is no "Bat+" on the Distributor.

There is:

"C-"
"GND"
"B+"

"TACH"
"BATT"

[enaberif]

78BIG-TEN, ena,

I'm afraid there is no "Bat+" on the Distributor.

There is:

"C-"
"GND"
"B+"

"TACH"
"BATT"

BATT .. BAT + .. same thing.. requires 12v lol.

[78BIG-TEN]

Batt=Bat + in other words switched ignition power.Use a pretty heavy gauge wire here.
I use minimum size of 12 Gauge.If not using a tach then don't connect anything

[timthescarrd]

Here you can see where the three back ones go into a module on the base of the distributor


As others have said, the TACH is to feed signal to a tachometer BATT is just a 12V source that has power only in ignition ON and START

[IdahoMan]

Major thanks.