Is a Lean-Burn distributor the same as a normal electronic distributor?

[goose]

The reason I'm asking is because I'm looking at getting a '74 Dart Swinger with 318; it ran fine until about a week ago when the distributor broke. The guy just wants it gone and I can't pass it up! I have a spare lean-burn distributor and also a spare points-style distributor but no "regular" electronic distributor. I'm obviously not going to put in a points-style for many reasons, but also I'd rather not have to get another distributor if I don't have to. Will the lean-burn physically plug into the wiring harness and make the Dart run? It'd only be temporary until I could get an electronic distributor.

[road chicken]

No, the Lean burn and the Electronic distributor are NOT the same. The lean burn has only the inductive pick-up and the computer sets the advance. Where the Normal Electronic had the pick-up, mechanical and vacuum advance. I don't know if you could plug the lean burn in. I would think so, since the pick-ups are the same. You just wouldn't have any advance in the spark. So just to move it possibl,. just set it 10 BTDC to get it home. good luck.

[rumblefish360]

It will plug in and run. Your gas MPG's will be bad until you get the correct distrib. in there. Its amazing what a vac-adv. distributor will do it terms of mileage.

[goose]

I don't need to drive it far so I'll use the lean burn to get it home.

[NitroMethane]

I have to wonder, can you put the advance assy from the points ditributor into the lean burn, effectively giving you a "normal" electronic distributor? Probably won't work, it just sounds too easy. Can this be done?

[road chicken]

Nitro: too much work. the LB distributor doesn't have the cutout for the vacuum advance in the housing, and I don't think it has the proper shaft to add the mech. advance stuff.

[NitroMethane]

Perhaps, but I have more time than money.