Distributer (Loose)

[mantta]

My distributer fits very loosely in the cylinder head, even with the lock screw tight I can wiggle it quite a bit. This causes the ground to be intermittent because my shielded cable that goes to the ignition switch is not grounded to the head bolt, it is the small diameter reproduction kind. I was thinking of shimming the part that goes into the head or taking a tubing cutter and making a few ridges on the cylindrical portion that inserts into the head. Any ideas other than that out there? Thanks!!

 

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I think the tubing cutter is a novel idea. No way it could harm anything. Bill W.

 

[Drive Shaft Dave]

Check for proper length of the distributor shaft. Take the shaft out and reinstall the dizzy and see if it fully seats on the head.

 

[rollingsculpture]

try a new set screw ,worked well to tighten up my unit

 

[Logan]

If you tightened the set screw to tight the first time you might have stripped out the threads on the head or screw. Back out the screw, and i would run a tap threw the threads on the head to clean up the threads. Unless the end of the screw that touches the distributor is just completely worn down, i think that a stripped thread might be your problem.

 

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I think he means the distributor just fits too loose in the head hole. Maybe the hole was grossly rusted in the past & maybe someone took too much metal out with a sandblaster??? This is 80 year old stuff we're dealing & who knows it's history?? Bill W.

 

[Tudortomnz]

As previous posts, take out set screw & lock nut, make sure dist. body is seated correctly on head [ has locating pin] then re tighten screw. Do not overtighten screw or lock nut. If it still does not hold the dist. firmly, replace screw & nut with another.

 

[mantta]

The body of the distributer seats into the hole in the head perfectly. The lock screw is tight and the threads are fine. It is just that the hole diameter and the distributer hub have so much difference in diameters.

 

[Joop]

Did you try another distributor.

Can you post a picture.


..

 

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Think someone bored it out to fit some different size distributor or a magneto? Bill W.

 

[mantta]

I am going to take it out and measure the diameter of the hub. I think I have another body and I will compare the dimensions. I will either change bodys or try the tubing cutter trick on the hub of the one that is in the car. Thanks for the help!

 

[mantta]

I took the distributer out and measured the diameter of the hub that fits in the head, it measured .975". The hole it fits into measured 1.007". That is .032" clearance. I measured another distributer hub and it measured 1.00". So, I am changing distributer bodies. Thanks for the assistance.