42- 48 Ford crab

Sid

Sid

Well-known member
I got persuaded to try a Stromburg e-fire dist. a couple years ago. The first one I received the car would not go above an idle and even idled like crap. Sent it back and received another one. Put it in and car ran okay for one summer. Last time I drove it started running crappy and backfiring etc. Also getting just over 6 volt to coil as recommended with a 1.5 ohm coil. Anyhow I am going to install a 42 to 48 crab point dist. My timing cover is the early 3 bolt version. I have the adaptor and cam button to adapt to a 2 bolt dist. Question is do the 2 bolt dist. need vacuum? I see the adaptor has a fitting hole for vacuum. Does it just use intake vacuum as 97's have no vacuum ports?
 
Sid said:
Question is do the 2 bolt dist. need vacuum? I see the adaptor has a fitting hole for vacuum. Does it just use intake vacuum as 97's have no vacuum ports?
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Sid....Two-bolt distributors NEED vacuum. The two-bolt cover shows the SMALL vacuum hole at top.


434526


The two-bolt dizzy showing the vacuum hole at top (BELOW), surrounded by the black, rubber seal.

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The 3-hole dizzies normally sourced their vacuum from the front-most set of DUAL holes on the drivers' side at bottom edge. The top hole was for a bolt, and the bottom hole was for distributor vacuum. REAR vacuum hole was for wipers.

Coop


490290
 
The dizzy needs vacuum. I suspect if you watch closely, you will see that the square portion where the vacuum line connects bumps into on the adapter....I forget, the block, or a part of the timing cover, and needs some filing to get it to seat flush. Best decision to go back to the crab, a very well designed unit. Due to the duel points, its best to set them up on a dizzy machine. If no one local can do it, I suggest 3rd gen, or Charle NY as Our wonderful Bubba's ignition has gone into retirement.
 
So can I just source my vacuum from the intake manifold since my cover is the 3 bolt version? There is a port on the 3 to 2 bolt adaptor.
 
You might not need the button. If you have a short nose cam you will need it.

As stated the 3 to 2 bolt adaptor will require some filing of a square edge to round it off to achieve a good flat fit to the cover. Use the 3 bolt gasket.

Mart.
 
Make sure the dizzy slides in and out of the adapter easily before installing in the engine. Mine didn’t, had a heck of a time in aligning the tang. I honed the adapter with a cylinder hone for a nice smooth fit, then installed the adapter on the engine. The dizzy then aligned easily and slipped right in the adapter.
 
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Thank you Dean.
Just wondering has anyone else had any issues with the Stromburg E-Fire dist.?
 
Sid said:
Thank you Dean.
Just wondering has anyone else had any issues with the Stromburg E-Fire dist.?
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Yep, several threads about them. It seems the the design, that uses only one bearing, is not very durable among other problems.
 
Hi
Regards from Finland. I also bougth e fire to my -39 coupe, it was not registed back then but i drive it in my yard then i notice Flatheadmurre´s note about e-fire dist. i pull my dist of and it was bone dry, maybe flatheads dont splash oil to dist bearing very much. So i drilled litle hole straigt to bearing so i can oil it outside . Next issue was when i shut it and after while trying to start it just bangs and pops in carb and pipes. I then discover that rotor does not contact cap coil good, original ford crab rotor has better design. So i drilled that litle coil of dist cap and installed coil wich have litle spring under it like some dist have , i also make new bras plate to rotor. Now it works well
Ari
 
So going back to points with the 42-48 crab dist. do you run a 1.5 ohm coil or a 3 ohm coil? On a 40 Ford there is a resistor up under the dash. Is it necessary to use this resistor. Still 6 volt positive ground. I'm at just over 6 volt with resistor bypassed. I bypassed for the E-Fire dist. I am using a pertronics 1.5 ohm coil ow. I hear a lot of talk about the blue streak. Is it better and if so anyone have a part number?
 
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I'm guessing the blue streak you speak of is the Bosch blue coil. Its the one recommended by Bubba's ignition for conversion to 12 volts as it has the proper resistance built in. Personally I like original coils rebuilt by Skip Haney
 
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Hi, The 42 to 48 distributors are identical. The caps are different, and held to the body of the distributor with clips in the case of 42 and a bail for 46-48 Yes there is vacuum to the unit which operates the vacuum brake, delivered to such by a hole in the timing cover that mates to a corresponding hole in the distributor. There is what looks to be an o-ring on the back of the distributor where it mates to the cover. In reality, when new it was a cup made of rubber which prevented leaks. I had some NOS ones decades ago but no more. I put a 6V Pertronics on one of my flatheads and it would run about 10 seconds. They sent another and it did the same thing. This was a while ago so I don't remember all the specifics but I did call the manufacturer and asked if they tested their point replacement unit on a flathead engine. I was amazed to discover they had not. There are reasons automobile manufacturers have proving grounds as the drawing board might not prove it's worth where the rubber meets the road. Good luck, Captain Zero
 
If i would have timing fixture i would use original crab with poits . I think that the biggest reason to buy modern elektronic dist is because those things are hard to find, at least here in Finland
 
Is anyone using the Standard Motor Ignition Coil UC14. On a Flathead Crab dist.? If so is a resistor requires? they require a resistor? Ohm is between 1.05-1.27 From what I come up with.
 
On your six volt system, you want a total of about 1.5 ohms, which will allow about 4 amps through the coil/distributor. It's the amps that matter.

If the coil is about 1 ohm (that's about what original coils are), it needs the resistor. 1 ohm by itself would allow about 6 amps, which is too much, would cook the coil over time.

If the coil is 1.5 ohm, can run without the resistor, will give 4 amps by itself.

If the coil is around 3 ohm, would give about 2 amp thru the coil, too little. A 3 ohm coil is designed to be used on a 12 volt system.
 
Update on Stromburg E-Fire. I pulled the distributor this evening. What I found is the shaft at the rotor side is loose as a goose. I'm not a very happy camper as this piece of crap cost over $300.00 and I doubt it has 500 miles on it. The first one I received the car wouldn't even run. Back in the early days Stromburg may have had a name but this distributor is junk. If I didn't know better I'd think it came from China.
 
Its hard to believe it could eat up a bushing in only 500 miles. I wonder if it was not running true, or off center in the manufacture process.
 
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