MSefi.com read only forum (Jan.15,2018)

I just ordered my ms II system, and am wondering which distributor would work for a Pontiac 350 V8.

The only computer controlled pontiacs were in 1980 (anti knock only) and 1981 (full ecm/spark) with the 301/301 Turbos.

Will the 1981 distributor work in my car?

Thanks

Any points or HEI distributor will work too. I used to run the MSD probillet in my 400 using the VR circuit. I've now switched to a 36-1 crank wheel using a ford CAS.

I believe the 400, 350, 301, 260's will fit but its been a while so I could be mistaken. Either version of the HEI will work with the MS2 & 3.xx boards. The one with the 4 pin module (74-79) can easily signal the MS for fuel control. It can also be 'locked down' and then you feed the pickup coil direct to the ms (skip the module) and let the MS direct control the coil (the ms becomes the module). I have also read where people upgrade to the 7 pin (spark control module) and let the MS drive the module, with an MS2 V3.xx I dont see any advantage to this method, I suspect it was done for earlier versions that did not support direct coil control. The 81 Dizzy should work fine either by using its 7 pin module or bypassing it and using direct control. The advantage to the 81 is it is already locked down.

Locking down the dizzy involves disabling the weights and vacuum advance so they are both locked. The trick is that you have to have it indexed properly, that is make sure that when the system fires there is the proper relation between the rotor and cap terminal. With MS it should be fairly easy, all you would have to do is drill some holes in an old cap then use a timing light to see where it is firing. You then move the dizzy a bit which will change the timing but you then adjust the trigger offset in MS to get the timing back in place.

Some pics & info on locking down a 4 pin GM hei dizzy are here:
http://www.mez.co.uk/ms9.html
quite old now and was for MS1extra, where i used another module to drive the coil.
V3 pcb's can do that directly now.