Black D309 Dist. caps

[Tommy_Mathison]

Why are there black and brown D309 caps? I assume only brown is assembly line corect?

Tommy M.

[Pacecarjeff]

Black is correct - brown caps were for ultra heavy duty applications, and were not factory installed, except in very rare instances. NCRS is still trying to figure that out. ???

[Keith Tedford]

GM Oshawa used to have the parts distribution facility in the north end of the car/truck assembly complex. When they ran short of parts, it was not uncommon for them to clean out the parts warehouse of a given part just to keep the line going. That could explain the oddballs thrown in here and there. I have a couple of black D309 caps number 1942654 and they are still in their orange, black and white boxes. There is no Delco-Remy lettering on the top of the caps. I think that these would have been typical over-the-counter pieces perhaps. I also have a black Delco cap with "Delco Remy Patent Pending R moulded into the top. It is brand new and came on an old King ignition tester that I bought a couple of years ago. I was told that it is correct for our '69s.

[Verne_Frantz]

Keith, The engine plants installed the distributor in the engine before it was racked and shipped to the vehicle assembly plants. Perhaps if a cap was damaged, then it would have to be replaced at the assembly plant, so it's possible there were a couple varieties floating around.

Verne

[Salvatore]

I thought the brown caps were for the high horsepower BB corvettes?

[Keith Tedford]

I was just referring to parts in general. You are right about the engines coming in with the distributors already installed. The parts complex next door was pretty handy. GM workers could actually go in and buy parts over the counter just like at a dealership. It was a regular stop for us car guys in the late '60s and early '70s. We also got to see lists of obsolete stuff that was being sold off to dealers at discounted prices.

[Pacecarjeff]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought the brown caps were for the high horsepower BB corvettes?

[/ QUOTE ]

Typically the brown caps were found on the L88, and L89 Corvettes in 1967. NCRS still is not 100% sure and still trying to prove that this is really true.

[Tommy_Mathison]

Wern't the copper contact D309R caps used for all high HP solid lifter applications? Most were brown but I just pulled the string on a D309R Delco Orange and White can and it was black with copper contacts. Im confused...

Tommy M

[wundercluck]

I thought the brown caps were just used with T. I. Ignition?

[Lynn]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought the brown caps were just used with T. I. Ignition?

[/ QUOTE ]

That is what I thought.