Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

In summery, is the Standard DR474 cap the best one these days?

I have been around this issue for a while and ready to end it.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

I know you have seen my thread and commented, so here is my take. Most all the brands I looked at are selling the exact same cap and rotor. My original MSD that failed at 14.000 miles matched exactly the new one I purchased. Even little details like a capital E on the cap top matched almost any of the brands that I looked at. I am guessing there is one company that is making caps and rotors in China. Could be several companies making them, but they are all using the same mold. The one that was a little different was from Standard Motor Products (this is also made in China (per their website)). I am going to buy a new Standard cap and rotor and keep it in the truck. At about 10,000 miles I am going to inspect the cap and rotor and compare it to the pictures of my just failed cap and rotor. If it looks close to the failed cap pictures, I am going to replace it with the Standard. If it goes out before then at least I will have the cap, rotor and tools to fix it.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

I agree with your comments above. Let me know how that works.

Has any one used this cap and rotor from Rock Auto?

UNITED MOTOR PRODUCTS DCR820X
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...061367&jsn=910

I reached out to United Motor Products to see if their parts are crap like the rest.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

I'm surprised nobody has made a problem solver Vortec distributor cap with regular short 8mm brass or aluminum studs around the whole perimeter of the cap.
Even if they have to have 90° bends out the sides of the cap it's better than this mess.

Running full ignition power all over robinhoods' barn under a thin piece of thermoplastic to save 4 inches of plug wires is a recipe for short lifespan.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

Found this too :https://sites.google.com/site/astros...ibutor-disease

Seems like it would be applicable to some of the situations described here.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

I am serious about this issue. I do not feel good about putting on a new cap and rotor that is exactly the same as the one that failed at 14,000 miles. If the old one only listed 14,000 miles, it is likely it will fail again. My last one did not fail from continuity or a broken spring or cap. It just appeared to wear the terminals down and die. I checked Standard Motor Products web site for my 1996 5.7. They only list cap DR-474 and DR-331 for rotor. They do not list the DCR820X that is listed as a premium part from Rock Auto. I don't know if they stopped making that model, and Rock Auto still has some in stock. I placed the order through Rock Auto for the DCR820X. The DCR820X is a cap and rotor set. I am thinking about installing the premium new part and keeping the other new one as a backup. I hate getting stranded on the road. I was lucky I wasn't in the middle of no where.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

Thank you sntrym95 for posting that link. You maybe on to something. My distributor is new (14,000 miles) but you never know. I think I need to check the play when I get the new cap and rotor. The condition shown in the video, could be causing the excessive erosion of the terminals.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

I checked for play in my distributor and mine has less then the good one in the video. Following the symptom's of PDD that I have, they all apply!

I have had my truck for a long time. My burned up set lasted me almost 60k. Before that I never has this issue.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

So which years does the problem apply to?

1996-????

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

The V6's with the same dizzy are affected by this too. This should apply to all from 96 till the LS's came out.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

Okay, thanks - but I'm ignorant: when was that?

Basically every 5.7 Vortec has this problem?

I want to replace my 1989 K1500 xcab "ranch truck" with a K/20 or K2500 single cab, manual/gas. Anywhere from 1973 to 2006, depending on price and condition.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

And this is why we keep talking about this kind of stuff. One of us eventually comes up with a gem like this.

Thank you for this piece of information. :metal:

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

So the short answer is replace the distributor for the worn gear.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

Like I've said before, my now over 200k miles 98 has never had these problems.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

All this talk is making me dizzy ;) :lol:

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

I got to 200k with no issues either. At around 250k is when mine started. Now im at 260k. I will take out my distributor this weekend and take pics of the gear and see how the wear is.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

Update 2 years later and cap is toast... it was running like crap, especially when it was raining and damp out, my distributor doesn't have the vent holes. (Eidt: Looked at distributor I took out again and it does have vent holes)

https://i.ibb.co/5n88zMj/IMG-20210310-103627.jpg

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

I'm loathe to replace any major OEM parts with Chinese replacements that I don't have to. They tend to have tolerance problems with the final machining of the case castings that place the distributor too deep or too shallow. If there's not too much side play in the distributor shaft I'd replace the driven gear on the end of the distributor. If it's possible to re-bush the OEM casting to tighten up the distributor shaft I'd go that route before installing a dubious quality Chinese part.

I'd take a look at the cam gear (drive gear) with a bore scope as well.
The driven gear end play probably needs to be set with shims after 20-30 years of service. Similar to rebuilding a big cap HEI without the additional fun of re-working the advance mechanisms.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

Good point Hatzie. I dont have the tools to rebush it but I can replace the gear.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

So new distributor, cap and rotor and still runs like crap.
Seems like when it goes into lockup it is the worst, bucking and sputtering.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

Update.
I got the P1345 code after changing distributor.
Cleared that and fixed by using this method.

Teeny bit of misinformation here . . . First of all, there is a way to do this with an affordable scanner that just clears codes, and secondly, a P1345 code does not always indicate an improperly installed distributor, so try a couple things before you start yanking your distributor. It could just be 8-10 degrees off. Anything more than +/- 2 degrees from spec will trip the code. If you don't want to buy the $1000 2-way scanner, or don't want to pay a mechanic $250 to do this adjustment, here is what I did. Old school. You will need a scanner that can at least clear codes. Get the blue-tooth scanner/adapter (amazon) and pay the $2.99 for the "torque" app (the free one is lame) and you can get some basic real time info and reset codes etc. all for way under $25. First of all, if your distributor is 180 out, or a tooth or 2 off it won't run for **** or at all, and is another whole post. So let's focus on this specific situation: Reasonably installed distributor, running well, still throwing the 1645 code. Clear the code. Start the truck. Start a timer to see how long before the code is thrown. 4-6 seconds equals too far advanced. Loosen the hold down. Back it off 2-4 degrees at a time, repeating the code clearing/restart procedure. You will quickly find that there is a correlation between the quickness the code is thrown and how far advanced it is. As you back off and restart, it will take longer to throw the code (ie 8-12, 12-16 seconds) then voila, you will find the sweet spot. If I had the $1000 snapon scanner, I would be able to rotate the distributor in real time @ 1000 RPM and get it into spec (within -2 to 0 degrees I think). The above took me 15 minutes and now the 1645 code is gone forever. On down the road!

Stumbling and sputter is not as bad but still noticeable at light load throttle.

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

Well A Year later I just Hit 14000 miles it mines Still Running Strong Been Driving in rain On and off Last few Weeks Going to do Full Service This weekend, LOF Going to Pull Dist Cap Off And Check It, Hopefully I Don’t Jinks Myself But seeing it’s sunny In California Almost Year Around Maybe I’m Lucky!

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

I have had the P1345 code for years and most of it with no issues. If I understand these distributors, they are in a fixed position. The ECM does the adjusting as needed unless its way off.

Will a worn gear give you a P1345 code?

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

You can read the cam offset value if you can figure out how to add the PID to Torque Pro and decipher the output.
https://torque-bhp.com/forums/?wpfor...topic&t=5579.0

This thread from Pirate 4x4 talks about the procedure to use this value setting the distributor.
https://www.pirate4x4.com/threads/se...-help.1074268/

Re: Is this the new normal for parts.....ie Vortec dist. cap
 

Found this video this morning about correcting the P1345 code. It was interesting how this person solved it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obP09XSt4Yo