Are 273 distributors different?

[Kevin74]

Hello,

I purchased two aftermarket distributors for my 273, but both wound up being identical, just sold by a different company.

These ready to run distributors are sold by Assault racing and also by A-team Performance. At $50, they are much cheaper than other aftermarket units, but they don’t fit!
Any ideas? I see people on this site using these distributors. Perhaps 273 uses a different distributor than other LA small blocks?
In the pictures, please note that the aftermarket unit is longer, and has a different shaft end.

 

[4spdragtop]

How is shaft end different? All sb are same size BUT they could be oriented differently.
Can you grind the flat part at bottom of shaft down(shorten it)?

 

[valiantwagonguy]

looks to me you just need to grind a little off the bottom of the shaft where it fits into the gear. A small block dist is a small block dist 273-up

 

[toolmanmike]

Nope, 273's are the same as every other LA small block. You are the second person lately that mentioned that their Assult Racing small block distributor was wrong.

 

[halifaxhops]

I see it looks like they never ground it to length. One of the problems with inexpensive one wires. Also you have no idea if the curve will work also.

 

[Kevin74]

Please also note that the factory shaft end isn’t totally straight like the aftermarket. The factory end has a groove. I wasn’t sure if this was important for engine oiling.

But thanks as always for the great advice! I was afraid to grind on the aftermarket shaft end, because I knew I couldn’t recreate that groove.

 

[halifaxhops]

It should be fine.

 

[67Dart273]

That groove is unimportant, likely some result of the machining operation. It IS TROUBLING that even the Chinese can't get a shaft cut down to within 1/8" of the proper dimension

 

[pt70]

That groove is unimportant, likely some result of the machining operation. It IS TROUBLING that even the Chinese can't get a shaft cut down to within 1/8" of the proper dimension

And if you think that's bad, I installed a Chinese Charley gas tank in my Dart. The hole for the fill pipe was off by over a half an inch!!. [Rock auto]. The fill pipe went in, but I had to slice up that rubber seal in the trunk to get the screws in.