Load matic Dist

flatrod

flatrod

Senior Member
Can anyone tell me how a 56 dual vac loadmatic dist is supposed to work? Will it work with a 55 teapot carb?
 
The '55, '56, '57 carburetors (& their vacuum ports) and the distributor vacuum advance cans are each year specific and not interchangeable.
But the distributor housings for '55 & '56 are effectively the same, you can change out the '56 vacuum advance can to a '55 style to match the '55 teapot carb.

Pictures below, the different vacuum advance units for: '55, '56, '57
 

Attachments

  • 55 vac can.JPG
    55 vac can.JPG
    29.3 KB · Views: 3
  • 56 vac can #2.JPG
    56 vac can #2.JPG
    14.4 KB · Views: 2
  • 57 dist copy.jpg
    57 dist copy.jpg
    38.6 KB · Views: 3
Last edited:
Part of the calibration for the Load-O-Matic spark advance systems are the primary and secondary springs under the distributor cap. Not saying this is physically possibe, but if using a '56 distributor with a '55 teapot carb, I would use a '55 style vacuum diaphragm on the distributor, along with the '55 primary and secondary springs. Better yet, the entire '55 distributor.

Sal
 
I agree. Incomplete solutions are seldom as good in hindsight.
.
.
 
Last edited:
FWIW, I say ditch the loadamatic altogether and get yourself a 1957-64 Distributor. You will need new cap because they are different from 55/56 but all caps for 57-64 are the same. Also you will need to modify the Teapot Carb per Ted Eaton's specs on his website if you want vacuum advance. You could always plug the port on your carb though and just run the mechanical advance. Fuel mileage won't be as great however.

When I ditched the load-a-matic years ago my Y block woke up.
 
Hot Rod Reverend said:
FWIW, I say ditch the loadamatic altogether and get yourself a 1957-64 Distributor. You will need new cap because they are different from 55/56 but all caps for 57-64 are the same. Also you will need to modify the Teapot Carb per Ted Eaton's specs on his website if you want vacuum advance. You could always plug the port on your carb though and just run the mechanical advance. Fuel mileage won't be as great however.

When I ditched the load-a-matic years ago my Y block woke up.
Click to expand...



Another good suggestion from Hot Rod reverend. The Load-O-Matic systems to me are a little slow responding and inconsistent. Too many things have to be just right. Even then, mediocre at best. Too me it's for people that are intent on keeping a car 100% original.

Sal
 
While you're at it, ditch the manifold for a 57 "B" manifold and your carb options get way better.
 
Thanks for all the good info. This is what we have, 56 TBird with a 55 carb and intake. It wasn't working with a later dist. I have a 56 dual vacuum Bird dist, put it in with the one side to the original 55 vacuum port and the other to a vacuum source at the front of the manifold, manifold vacuum. Looked to me the same as using a 56 carb. Still does not seem to work right. It may have a bad vacuum can on one side or the other. Its a friends car, when it comes back to me, I will test it, but I think he will go with a 57 dist and run it without the vacuum advance part.
 
flatrod said:
This is what we have, 56 TBird with a 55 carb and intake. It wasn't working with a later dist. I have a 56 dual vacuum Bird dist, put it in with the one side to the original 55 vacuum port and the other to a vacuum source at the front of the manifold, manifold vacuum. Looked to me the same as using a 56 carb. Still does not seem to work right. It may have a bad vacuum can on one side or the other. Its a friends car, when it comes back to me, I will test it, but I think he will go with a 57 dist and run it without the vacuum advance part.
Click to expand...
If the '56 T-Bird (and the '56 T-Bird distributor) has a mechanical drive tachometer and the owner wants to keep that working, a replacement '57 dist will also need to be the tach drive version, and follow Ted's instructions to modify the '55 teapot vacuum port.

A '57 dist is the better one to have, especially if the owner is thinking of doing carb & intake manif upgrades in the future. Prepare to dig pretty deep in the wallet to buy one though. The one I copied the picture of (in comment #5 above) is on ebay for $795.
Mallory makes a mechanical advance (only) Y-Block distributor #3838701, that has a tach drive cable fitting..... $435 on Amazon.
https://www.google.com/search?q=mallory+3838701&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Just as another option.... and for much less money, the '56 dist you have should be easy to re-work to match the '55 carb, it's mostly the same already.
The '57 tach drive dist I have was a real mess and needed to be totally rebuilt. I saw an ad in Hemmings for a fellow in Denver and had him fix it. (it cost less than half the price of the Mallory)
I can give you his phone number if you want it.
Or, here's a link to the 'Distributor servicing' ads in Hemmings.
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/?0=0&adtypeFacet=Services%20Offered&sort=sort_time_desc&page_size=15&typeFacet=Distributors

.
 
Last edited:
All dist discussed are tach drive dist. I have a 55 and a 56, my friend has a 57 that was in his 56 when he got it. He was thinking more original look, but now has decided to use the tach drive 57 with Teds mods to his 55 carb for his 56 Bird..... confusing sometimes!!
 
Ok, not that confusing.
I didn't know you already had a '57 T-Bird/tach drive dist. You're almost done then. (haha)
Good luck with it.
 
Do post some pics or details of your work. I also run a loado and it would be cool to se another swap. Maybe someday I may grow enough courage..
Good luck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top