5SFE Distributor Differences

Tylerfishsmith · 01-29-2007, 09:06 AM

Have found that the stock 5SFE distributors will not work with my Autronic SMC ecm. I have tried the stock 93 dist. and the stock 91 dist. Am being told I need a California version. Apparently the distributors in California 5SFE equipped cars are different than all the rest. Having trouble finding out much info on this, like part numbers. The differences I have found to date are as follows:

Year # of Teeth on Crank Gear # of Teeth on Cam Gear

1993+ 4 1
90-92 24 4
California 24 1

The Crank and Cam Gears are under the distributor cap. There are other differences in the distributors, but for my application the problem is in the number of teeth that an aftermarket ecm can read. Basically from what I found, most stand alone ecm's need (4) teeth for Crank Sensor and (1) tooth for Cam Sensor. This type is stock on a 3SGTE after you grind off the correct 20 teeth on the crank gear. I need to find out if anyone knows anymore about this or could share any part#'s for the California version distributors. I have spent the last four years building this engine and now I run into this. Need some please. It seems no one has put a aftermarket ecm on the 5SFE, or at least I cannot find them. I posted in this forum, because I feel there would be more basic 5SFE knowledge here than in the engine management forum.

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

Tylerfishsmith · 01-29-2007, 07:00 PM

How about ideas where I can cross reference part numbers? Have searched all day and cannot find any info so far. Yikes!!!

Gairloch · 01-30-2007, 12:45 AM

It can take some time to figure out how to read if you're not a parts guy, but you can find part numbers here.

www.car-fiche.com

Tylerfishsmith · 01-30-2007, 09:35 AM

Thanks for the reply. I cannot access that site. Is it still current? Can you get into it? Maybe server is down, will try later. Thanks though.

Gairloch · 01-30-2007, 11:34 AM

I'm sorry, I remembered the URL wrong.

It's www.carfiche.com. No hyphen.

Tylerfishsmith · 01-30-2007, 01:43 PM

Thanks, got it. Seem to only have stuff on 3SGTE or turbo version. Will keep looking. Thanks.

TomsMR2 · 01-31-2007, 06:57 PM

theres only one part number for the dist. its the same year to year.. the ca to fed differences are very small and just bypassed internally in fed cars.

Tylerfishsmith · 02-01-2007, 08:03 AM

I have a 91 Distributor and it is quite a bit different than 93 plus version that came in my car. The differences are in the crank and cam gears located under the cap. It has to do with number of teeth and how the circuits are setup. An aftermarket ecm cannot read the 93+ version. It is not working with the 91 either. I know for sure it will read the 3SGTE version. The California version is different again. I need the California version for my project to work. It is just like the 3SGTE distributor only the housing and shaft are bigger diameter. I just need to find the part number so I can source one. Like finding a needle in a haystack as there were probably very few 93 plus NA's that were built to California specs.

TomsMR2 · 02-01-2007, 01:51 PM

sorry, i meant theres 2 distributers and they're all the same. theres no california version, theres only one part number for 91 style and one part number for 93 style.

TomsMR2 · 02-01-2007, 01:52 PM

Quote:

there were probably very few 93 plus NA's that were built to California specs.

the majority of them were. same with 91's.

TomsMR2 · 02-01-2007, 01:57 PM

.. wasnt mike colon running an autronic on his 5sfe?

Tylerfishsmith · 02-01-2007, 02:52 PM

I do not know. I will try to find out though. Thanks for the lead.

Tylerfishsmith · 02-01-2007, 03:46 PM

What is his board name? Cannot find any info on how to contact him.

TomsMR2 · 02-02-2007, 06:55 PM

tec2rm? or tec2mr? something like that. hes on the other board. its been years since hes had a 5sfe though.

Tylerfishsmith · 02-04-2007, 05:21 PM

Thanks I will try and find him over there.

01-29-2007, 09:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
Tylerfishsmith No Skills Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 32 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	5SFE Distributor Differences Have found that the stock 5SFE distributors will not work with my Autronic SMC ecm. I have tried the stock 93 dist. and the stock 91 dist. Am being told I need a California version. Apparently the distributors in California 5SFE equipped cars are different than all the rest. Having trouble finding out much info on this, like part numbers. The differences I have found to date are as follows: Year # of Teeth on Crank Gear # of Teeth on Cam Gear 1993+ 4 1 90-92 24 4 California 24 1 The Crank and Cam Gears are under the distributor cap. There are other differences in the distributors, but for my application the problem is in the number of teeth that an aftermarket ecm can read. Basically from what I found, most stand alone ecm's need (4) teeth for Crank Sensor and (1) tooth for Cam Sensor. This type is stock on a 3SGTE after you grind off the correct 20 teeth on the crank gear. I need to find out if anyone knows anymore about this or could share any part#'s for the California version distributors. I have spent the last four years building this engine and now I run into this. Need some please. It seems no one has put a aftermarket ecm on the 5SFE, or at least I cannot find them. I posted in this forum, because I feel there would be more basic 5SFE knowledge here than in the engine management forum. Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

01-30-2007, 12:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
Gairloch Dreaming of apexes Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 4,472 Thanks: 115 Thanked 223 Times in 196 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (7/100% )	It can take some time to figure out how to read if you're not a parts guy, but you can find part numbers here. www.car-fiche.com __________________ "Inside the car, the world beyond the driver's immediate horizon ceases to exist. Alone with the solitude of his desire, survival sense numbed by the speed, he's outrun the mediocrity of the outside world, slipped the shackles it tries to clamp on us all. He is running free, chased only by a fear of failure, for failure is to risk ejection into the real world." ~Mark Hughes

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01-29-2007, 07:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tylerfishsmith No Skills Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 32 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	How about ideas where I can cross reference part numbers? Have searched all day and cannot find any info so far. Yikes!!!

01-30-2007, 09:35 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tylerfishsmith No Skills Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 32 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Thanks for the reply. I cannot access that site. Is it still current? Can you get into it? Maybe server is down, will try later. Thanks though.

01-30-2007, 11:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
Gairloch Dreaming of apexes Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 4,472 Thanks: 115 Thanked 223 Times in 196 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (7/100% )	I'm sorry, I remembered the URL wrong. It's www.carfiche.com. No hyphen.

01-30-2007, 01:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tylerfishsmith No Skills Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 32 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Thanks, got it. Seem to only have stuff on 3SGTE or turbo version. Will keep looking. Thanks.

01-31-2007, 06:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Formerly Tom Brokaw Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bay Area Posts: 2,138 Thanks: 8 Thanked 165 Times in 138 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	theres only one part number for the dist. its the same year to year.. the ca to fed differences are very small and just bypassed internally in fed cars.

02-01-2007, 08:03 AM	#8 (permalink)
Tylerfishsmith No Skills Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 32 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I have a 91 Distributor and it is quite a bit different than 93 plus version that came in my car. The differences are in the crank and cam gears located under the cap. It has to do with number of teeth and how the circuits are setup. An aftermarket ecm cannot read the 93+ version. It is not working with the 91 either. I know for sure it will read the 3SGTE version. The California version is different again. I need the California version for my project to work. It is just like the 3SGTE distributor only the housing and shaft are bigger diameter. I just need to find the part number so I can source one. Like finding a needle in a haystack as there were probably very few 93 plus NA's that were built to California specs.

02-01-2007, 01:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Formerly Tom Brokaw Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bay Area Posts: 2,138 Thanks: 8 Thanked 165 Times in 138 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	sorry, i meant theres 2 distributers and they're all the same. theres no california version, theres only one part number for 91 style and one part number for 93 style.

02-01-2007, 01:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Formerly Tom Brokaw Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bay Area Posts: 2,138 Thanks: 8 Thanked 165 Times in 138 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	.. wasnt mike colon running an autronic on his 5sfe?

02-01-2007, 02:52 PM	#12 (permalink)
Tylerfishsmith No Skills Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 32 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I do not know. I will try to find out though. Thanks for the lead.

02-01-2007, 03:46 PM	#13 (permalink)
Tylerfishsmith No Skills Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 32 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	What is his board name? Cannot find any info on how to contact him.

02-02-2007, 06:55 PM	#14 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Formerly Tom Brokaw Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bay Area Posts: 2,138 Thanks: 8 Thanked 165 Times in 138 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	tec2rm? or tec2mr? something like that. hes on the other board. its been years since hes had a 5sfe though.

02-04-2007, 05:21 PM	#15 (permalink)
Tylerfishsmith No Skills Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 32 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Thanks I will try and find him over there.