59ab distributor

46fordnut said:
looks like the one i have ...as said before you need a cap and rotor macs has both and the correct points as well.. Napa by me has points in stock and rotor . cap i had to get from macs. make sure when you put the cap on it is in the tab in the distributor and on tight with the clip..you should hear a loud "click" when you put the big clip on to hold the assembly on the car. if you replace the points yes. you need to set the gap and should set up the distributor on a distributor setting device .
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well i am not sure how to do that and dont know of anyone around here that messes with a flathead
 
fisheasy said:
well the cap is broke in one spot. I tried putting the big wire back on but its not even holding it on tight. here are a few more pictures

2012-01-01093746.jpg

2012-01-01093709.jpg
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Some how that rotor dosen't look right,aside from the fact that the brass blade,and the contact strip are busted off and it busted the cap.Like maybe it was too long. Yoy also need the 2 gaskets that belong in there. One goes on the bottom of the inside cap and one on the bottom of the outside cap. ken ct. usa
 
Thanks guys I will get the parts mentioned and when they come in i will check back with you guys about proper placement
 
your points should be set between.014 and .016 then there is a manual way to time you distributor . i have never had mine done. it runs fine, point gap is the most important on any car. if set correct the car will be fine . i set my points to .015 my car runs on the highway at 65 no ping :cool:. the manual style adjustment it posted on this site . under somebody else having other issues with a 46 distributor .
 
I have a 47, and the fan belt I use sits a little low in the groove of the pulley, and what I don't care for is that the belt sits ever so close to the bale wire and if the belt has a enough slack in it, that it may be possible for the belt to grab the bail and pull everything apart, that being said I would think it would look pretty mangled and your photo's don't appear to make it look that bad, and looks like you took the fan belt off from the photo's.
Just a thought to check the fan belt and tension reflection when installed and just how close it is to that bale.
 
So when i get the new points and stuff am i going to need to remove the distributor out of the motor or is it going to be ok where it is?
 
i find easier to work with the distributor and points out of the car. just remember where the rotor was pointing when you took the distributor out. if you dont it could be 180 out of time . i put the rotor pointing up at the vacuum brake . i use the very tip of the rotor as a ref point.
 
fisheasy said:
So when i get the new points and stuff am i going to need to remove the distributor out of the motor or is it going to be ok where it is?
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It's not only easiest to take the distributor off of the engine but also to remove the plate that the points are attached to from the distributor by prying out the lock ring that holds it into the slot in the distributor housing. That makes it much easier to replace the points and while you're at it check and clean the vacuum advance mechanism and vacuum brake pad and piston and lubricate the bushing bearings on each end of the distributor shaft.

Here are the instrucitons for setting the timing of the distributor manually:

64233138.jpg


And here they are for replacing the points:

64274337.jpg

64274342.jpg


And vacuum brake adjustment:

64274567.jpg
 
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42-46 rotors are longer than late 46-48 rotors.The long rotors are used with the cap where the wires plug directly into sides of cap.I much prefer the early cap to the later 2 pce one. Early rotor #C21A 12200 Late rotor#59A 12200. 49 & up rotor#7RA 12200 These # are from FOMOCO of CANADA parts book. Early cap uses clamps#1GA 12144 This may or may not be your problem,but it is something to think about.
 
Thanks guys been dragging my feet a little bit and still have not picked up the parts yet. But i thank you for your help
 
yeah when i went there the other day they had everything but the right cap. I still have not picked them up though
 
I believe I see a problem, though I am not sure how it fits in...
Look at lower picture in post #16; see the little notch in distributor casting rim right in line with the centerline of vac brake?? I believe there should be a little steel bar there serving to align the cap. It is vanished, and from the other pic in same post that is where the zone of destruction is in the cap. I think that whatever removed the cap may have done the breaking against that little piece of steel and caused its disappearance...
Presumably the rotor (looks like tip plastic is scuffed and brass rivet gouged??) contacted the cap...I don't know what else could motivate the cap here!
Bad rotor, severe end or radial play in distributor, bad cap, cap not fully seated??
At any rate, pulling the distributor is VERY easy and all work will be easier, and with damage like this you MUST have it off do you can rotate, push, and pull by hand and make sure your new parts are not going to collide!
 
Bruce Lancaster said:
Look at lower picture in post #16; see the little notch in distributor casting rim right in line with the centerline of vac brake?? I believe there should be a little steel bar there serving to align the cap. It is vanished,
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Here is a picture of a distributor with that metal there so you know what you're missing.
64421710.jpg
 
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Bruce Lancaster said:
Look at lower picture in post #16; see the little notch in distributor casting rim right in line with the centerline of vac brake?? I believe there should be a little steel bar there serving to align the cap. It is vanished, and from the other pic in same post that is where the zone of destruction is in the cap.
Click to expand...

Hold on a minute. Looking at the top picture of your distributor in your post #16 it looks like in that picture something is in that spot (right above the edge of the cap at about 1:30 o'clock) but on the lower picture it's gone. Maybe it fell out and you'll find it on the ground somewhere. Maybe you already did and this whole discussion is moot.:rolleyes:
 
Now I can see the pics, it looks like the brass part has broken off the rotor arm. This probably came off and jammed in the cap, knocking it off. It could be that it is the wrong rotor, the one for the crab cap is bigger, but I'm not sure if it is possible for it to turn at all without jamming.

Nonetheless, that rotor is scrap.

I would remove the dizzy, buy a new cap (47-48 style) a matching rotor (same years) and assemble it on the bench, checking that it spins freely.

Or buy the crab cap, rotor and conversion clips.

Then bolt it all back on the engine and give it a run. You shouldn't have to reset the timing just to get it to run, if it was correct before.

Mart.

Your call.


EDIT: Dammit, replied after only reading page 1!

M.
 
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