Distributors - '32-'36 vs '37-'41

Jack 34pu

Jack 34pu

Senior Member
I found a 1932 -36 distributor that has the rubber plugs allowing point adjustment and 3 bolt coil. Any advantage over the 1937-41 with 2 bolt coil?
Also found a '40-41 with brown coil. Any value there or just a different color.
Amazing what you can find rooting around accumulated STUFF!
 
I'd go with a 1941 with 11 stamped on end of shaft because there is a better supply of good parts and the advance curve is better for post-depression gas. The 1941 11A version has the best curve. Coil...you simply want one that works when hot, likely requiring a rebuild!
 
There could be issues with the fan hitting the coil, check that out. They all run good when set up properly on a strobe machine with a good coil and condenser. I would stay with the right type dist and coil. G.M.
 
I didnt respond as the answer isnt a easy one sentence answer:eek:

The early bell unit uses a large distributor cam and one piece strap ignition points. Large tip rotor and wide space side caps. Not really a issue on a stock engine etc advance is typically 7-8 degrees or 14 to 16 degrees engine.
The large cam and strap contacts are somewhat rpm limited at 3500-4000 rpm. ( fine for a stock engine)

The later unit ( Bruce suggested) uses a small cam and twin point sets which allows a higher rpm band . (5000 rpm) The 11A version is a 22 degree advance unit like the later crab unit.
Rotor is small tip with narrow side cap spacing.

As far as the coil is concerned basically same with either unit,,
 
brown coil is an original equipment for Ford, send that one out to skip haney and rebuild if you want originality, otherwise sell it to restorer and use a black aftermarket coil- my experience with the newly remanufactured coil is not so good--I intend to go with the rebuilt coils from skip
 
Bubba, the Ford Service Bulletins show all the front mount distributors to max out at 18 degrees advance except the 1933 aluminum head 40A distributor. Visually looking at the advance mechanisms it appears to me that the 40A has more total advance than the others, and that all the others have the same total advance. Can you give specific information about the total advance you have seen on your distributor machine for each front mount advance mechanism? I respect if you would rather not share this information from a business perspective.

To my memory the different Ford front mount advance mechanisms are:
1932
1933 aluminum head 40A - I have one marked 40A and one not marked at all
1934 though 1936 - all the ones I have seen are marked 40B (or the end of the shaft damaged)
1936 through 1940 - smaller point cam, etc
1941 - same size as 36-40 but marked 11A.
1942 through 48 - short shaft for two bolt distributors.
 
38 coupe said:
Bubba, the Ford Service Bulletins show all the front mount distributors to max out at 18 degrees advance except the 1933 aluminum head 40A distributor. Visually looking at the advance mechanisms it appears to me that the 40A has more total advance than the others, and that all the others have the same total advance. Can you give specific information about the total advance you have seen on your distributor machine for each front mount advance mechanism? I respect if you would rather not share this information from a business perspective.

To my memory the different Ford front mount advance mechanisms are:
1932
1933 aluminum head 40A - I have one marked 40A and one not marked at all
1934 though 1936 - all the ones I have seen are marked 40B (or the end of the shaft damaged)
1936 through 1940 - smaller point cam, etc
1941 - same size as 36-40 but marked 11A.
1942 through 48 - short shaft for two bolt distributors.
Click to expand...



No secrets here we share everything.......
We use the Ford Bullitins for all specs etc, here is the actual page we use for advance specs....( 11A isnt shown but its 11degrees or 22 crank)
Helments are timed to have 4 degrees intial BTDC timing.

helmetadvance_zpsc70fa5b7.jpg


picture below


My experience has shown after running a few hundred that they are right on the money after cleaning and lubing all parts etc. Very seldon do we not see the exact spec assuming no one has ground or re machined the advance etc...
 
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I checked the numbers again:

1932-36 3 bolt coil = 40B

1937-41 2 bolt coil (blk) = 11A

1940-41 2 bolt coil (brn) = 68

Does that sound correct or did someone switch parts in the past?
 
I have one of the steel backed ford service books, it list all the dist info, advance ,vacuum, total adv start adv, at what revs etc etc.
VERY helpful insetting the distributor up.
Lawrie
 
Lawrie said:
I have one of the steel backed ford service books, it list all the dist info, advance ,vacuum, total adv start adv, at what revs etc etc.
VERY helpful insetting the distributor up.
Lawrie
Click to expand...

Great book , thats where the chart i posted came from.......:)
 
Thanks to all for the info. Now, which postal method to ship small heavy items have you found to be most reasonable? FedEx, US postal, UPS etc??
 
1932-36 3 bolt coil = 40B

1937-41 2 bolt coil (blk) = 11A

1940-41 2 bolt coil (brn) = 68

More on this...40B needs to be verified on base, as the early distributor had several variant curves in 1932 (slightly different distributor) and in 1933. Most but not all will be 40B, but there are others!
On '37-41, the basic distributors are the same but 1937-40 used the 68 curve as marked on the shaft while 1941 had the 11A mechanism that was carried into '42-8, also marked on shaft. The 11A parts eventually replaced the 68 for service so many rebuilt earlier distributors have it. 68 is obviously a 1936 number...the reason is that these parts were first used on the rather rare 1936 variant distributor with the cylindrical pill box coil, the first to use the later points and advance.

 
68 would be a coil shaped like a short, fat cylinder that fits only the oddball 1936 distributor that uses late style points. I think the only one I ever had was black... I know there are two different coil and condenser sets for the '37-41, I think the later one has an 81 or 91 number...need to look up what's what. I don't think the two coils directly relate to the distributor or the 1941 change down there...
 
The 78 coil was apparently the general production one for all '37-41. The 81A coils seem to be a production option that was not used frequently. The good book says that the 78 came in black, brown, and sometimes mixed (cover and base) versions...and that this might have something to do with Fords's ongoing interest in plastics.
 
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