53 Y Block Lincoln ??? Distributor ???

BUBBAS IGNITION

BUBBAS IGNITION

Well-known member
This thing just came in from a customer for rebuild. I am kinda confused as to the use of the cable for spark advance .
I can assume thats a "farmer" add on ???? Never seen one of these from the factory. Appears to be a "bubbba" fix ???
 

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You have got to love the ingenuity of some people to keep things working which should have been dead years ago.
Regards
 
Well, tell ya what, that hole in the side of the dizzy housing where that wire is threaded thru is supposed to be for the + ground lead to the coil. Originally, the factory had a bakelite insulator thru that hole and a machine screw thru the bakelite insulator. A bare copper ground wire ran from one of the point set mounting screws, under the breaker plate to the screw located thru the bakelite insulator. Then another wire attached to that screw on the outside and ran to the coil.
 
Daves55Sedan said:
Well, tell ya what, that hole in the side of the dizzy housing where that wire is threaded thru is supposed to be for the + ground lead to the coil. Originally, the factory had a bakelite insulator thru that hole and a machine screw thru the bakelite insulator. A bare copper ground wire ran from one of the point set mounting screws, under the breaker plate to the screw located thru the bakelite insulator. Then another wire attached to that screw on the outside and ran to the coil.
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Thanks Dave , i wondered what that used to be for . I havent decided what the best repair is going to be as of yet.
I guess i have a couple options but i would like to use a later mechanical advance core and build it from there just to make it fairly trouble free.
 
I have several 1953 Lincoln carburetors at home (first holley teapot 4 bbl. with mechanical secondaries), and on the left side of the carb there is a clamp (just like a choke cable clamp) that could be for the end of this cable coming out of your distributor. Good chance it has something to do with changing the spark advance based on the throttle position. Not sure, but the cable looks about the exact length it would need to be to hook up to the carb. Sal Cicala
 
That might be a big truck distributor since the big trucks also used the Lincoln motor,the vacumn advance does not look like a car part and the cable could be used for the governor. The Lincoln Y block was used in big trucks up to 63 or 64 and not all had a governor so there could be a source for a distributor with the mechanical advance parts.
 
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I was at a Linc dealer in the 50's . The 53 Linc did have a cable from the carb to the dist. for some advance. Never worked well on street type driving. The 53 was built for the Mex. road race. They did win for two years. They did away with the cable on the 54 Linc. I worked on a lot of 53's trying to make them run well for the little old lades that bought them. LOL, Bill
 
scicala said:
Bill is right on the money. That is a '53 car distributor and the cable is for real and attahced like a choke cable to the driver's side of the carb right at the base. It had something to do with locking out advance under certain conditions. I'll try to attach a link with picture and explains how to adjust timing etc. Of Course Bill probably has all of this in his head.

http://operatormanuals.tpub.com/TM-9-4910-622-14-P/TM-9-4910-622-14-P0019.htm
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Hi scicala. Yes it's in my head from 60 years ago LOL. I'll try to remember more but doubt it. I do remember that we tried to make them run to satisfy the customer ( mostly in those years it was older men and women, they where not into hi performance .) That was the first yr for 4 barrel carb. on the Linc. I will admit to on a few that I disconnected the rear throttle plate ( it was mechanical and did away with the cable so the eng did not pop back when the customer gave it gas. It was not good for a luxury street car but did great in the Mex road race . I think the race was called Pan American race. It was from the southern Mex border to Tx one year and the next yr went South from Tx. Lincoln did great won two yr. I was interred, but our eng went out the first day. I was an SCCA racer in the 50's. Like to hear more if you find any info. I also ran a Linc Merc dealer shop back then. Later I have had my own shop for the last 50+ years. Bill
 
i looked up the correct name of the race, it was called the Carrera Panamericna. It was run in 1953 and 1954. The Lincoln's that where used both years where 1953's and they had standard three speed trans , not the GM Hydromatic trans ( spelling ? ) LOL. Bill
 
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