Cardone Reman Distributor $24

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rocketscience
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My tercel:: 1983 4WD SR5
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Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by rocketscience »

Was wandering around lost on ebay and stumbled upon this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/122797438277

$24 bucks!! They say they have overstock hence the price but thats way too low. I ordered one, I'll update when I get it. It says 30 day returns too.

Edit: Oops I should have put this in the parts forum, feel free to move it.
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Petros
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by Petros »

I have experience with three different rebuilt distributors on my Tercel, and on two others. All three were junk out of the box, oddly all started and ran, but greatly affected performance. I would never use a rebuilt distributor. Regular price for a reman is well over $100, not worth it. I am sure some of them might be good, but I would not buy or use any.

My experience may have been just bad luck, and yours might be good, just be wary. If it has any odd behavior (low economy, reduced power out put, hard to start, etc) that starts right after you install it, good chance the "new" reman is also junk.

At that price, the internal spare parts may be worth it alone, so I might take a gamble on one like that (I already have several spare used factory distributors, and one junk reman), just be very wary of it, they do not have a good track record.

good luck.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
rocketscience
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My tercel:: 1983 4WD SR5
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by rocketscience »

Wow, good to know, I'll throw it in and test it immediately. I agree that for the price even just for the internal parts would probably be worth it, I have another spare used one but the bearing is starting to fade on it.

Thanks!
rocketscience
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by rocketscience »

It'd be worth it just for the vacuum advance! I repaired one diaphragm on mine but it'd nice to have a fully functional one.
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garyfish
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My tercel:: 1985 Tercel SR5, stock; 1987 T4WD DLX wagon, manual tranny
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by garyfish »

agreed, a new vacuum advance unit alone will cost at least $74 + shipping (from Amazon.com), or maybe a bit cheaper if you get lucky on eBay or RockAuto.com or PartsGeek.com

according to the eBay listing in the original post above, the Cardone 31-740 remanned dizzy is supposed to be only for the 1983 Tercel w/ a 3AC engine, and it has 2 ports on the vacuum advance... why wouldn't this dizzy also fit later models with the same engine?

also, I see that the same eBay seller has another remanned dizzy (Cardone 31-772) that fits 1983-86 Tercels w/ a 3A engine & one port on the vac advance... for the same ridiculously low price of $24.99
https://www.ebay.com/itm/A1-Cardone-Dis ... 2797438248

I wasn't even aware that any of our wagons used a one-port vac advance... Canadian models maybe?
1985 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon, 300K
1987 Tercel DLX 4WD wagon, 6-speed manual, 274K -- got this one running Jan. 2015 (had been sitting for 2 years); this has been my daily driver since 2016
oldfaithful
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by oldfaithful »

You don’t need the vacuum advance if you take the vacuum lines off and plug them and set your timing to 10 degrees BTDC, (there are articles on this forum from other members) they work so much better than having them set at 5 degrees with the vacuum lines connected. I also use high test gas, better fuel mileage and more power with it.
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irowiki
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by irowiki »

Actually if you keep the vacuum advance and set it to 10 degrees it is even better.
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jimcrazy
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by jimcrazy »

might be a Canadian thing ,,we got them with 1-2 or 3 hoses
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by jimcrazy »

pics
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garyfish
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by garyfish »

^^^ thanks for the info, Jim... and for the photos
1985 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon, 300K
1987 Tercel DLX 4WD wagon, 6-speed manual, 274K -- got this one running Jan. 2015 (had been sitting for 2 years); this has been my daily driver since 2016
rocketscience
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My tercel:: 1983 4WD SR5
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by rocketscience »

I think part of it is that the 83 didn't have an HAC so there is no 3rd port on the dizzy from that. One of my advances has two, the other has three but the diaphram for the inner one isn't functional anyway. I don't currently have an HAC but I wonder if you could T it into the other port's line. I think the HAC port on the dizzy when present is oftentimes a smaller inner diameter so if you were going to T into the other line putting a restriction of some sort in the HAC line side might be good.

I saw the one with 1 port, I'd definitely like 2. You could certainly use the one that is listed for the 83 on any of our years.
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garyfish
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by garyfish »

on my '85 and '87 T4WD's, I have disconnected the HAC vac line and plugged the ports at both ends, so I only actually need 2 ports on the vac advance unit
1985 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon, 300K
1987 Tercel DLX 4WD wagon, 6-speed manual, 274K -- got this one running Jan. 2015 (had been sitting for 2 years); this has been my daily driver since 2016
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Petros
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by Petros »

different emissions set ups used the one, two or three vac line advance. You can make any of htem work by altering your system, not a big issue. the vac advance is only used when at part throttle condition, it allows the timing to advance a few degrees since leaner air/fuel mixtures burn slower, as in a part throttle condition, (vs. full throttle). It is supposed to improve your part throttle cruising economy a little. I have not noticed much of a difference. you suffer no loss in power or drive ability to disable the system.

Depending on the year of car they use the vac advance to try and get different spark timing at different driving conditions to slightly reduce emissions. so it actually would be beneficial to just connect the one port to the vac line that gives the max advance for all part throttle conditions, and just cap off the others. In most states these cars are exempt from emissions testing, and in those that are, even in California, I do not think their field testing would ever detect the difference. Capped off entirely, set a 5 deg BTDC, you would get lower emissions. You just have to reset it after the test to 10 deg BTDC to restore your economy.

BTW, DO NOT run it at 5 deg BTDC, it may reduce emissions slightly, but it means the exhaust is much hotter and you run the risk of losing an exhaust valve that will break off and do a lot of damage to the engine (usually, but not always, turning it all to scrap, not salvageable). I have seen several stock 3ac engines that were set to the federally mandated 5 deg btdc to reduce emissions with completely destroyed themselves when the ex valve head broke off while the engine was running...not a pretty sight.

So all you fugitives from federal law, you can either obey the law and risk loosing your whole engine, or set it where every other country in the world allows the 3a engine to be timed, and save your engine.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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Petros
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Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by Petros »

my west cost federal '84 3a engine never had a HAC, but that is actually a beneficial gadget. It leans the mixture and advances the timing for high altitude conditions (I think over 3400 ft or something). It greatly improves high altitude performance, but if you rarely or never get above 3400 ft, it makes no difference. After '84 it was mandatory on all federal 3a engines, before it was only in the "mountain states".
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
rocketscience
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Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 12:46 pm
My tercel:: 1983 4WD SR5
Location: Tenino, WA

Re: Cardone Reman Distributor $24

Post by rocketscience »

Its something I've been thinking of adding, I just don't have one yet. I didn't know it leaned the mixture, thanks for the info.
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