Harmon Collins help

[Ol' Ron]

When running the stock car in the 60's we tried several ignition systems. WE finally settled on a stock distributor wit fixed advance (17*) and a 12 v OEM coil w/rest. This worked well for several years.

 

[34fivewindow]

If not cracked, the plastic parts are worth more than the metal...good ones are nearly unfindable.

"Now that were on the subject of Hot ignition systems for the flathead, has anyone mess with an distributor made by Burk Engineering, in Temple City Calif? It built off of the 59A dist, using a modified 59A cap. I have the unit, but the rotor is missing, and have never seen one of these before, and i don't know what the rotor was, thanks....Ed "

You have the conversion with the brass ring installed inside a standard 59A cap, right? The rotor for this is also modified stock '46-56 Ford...the mod is simply a small strip of brass bent to 90 degrees and installed on the counter-weight side with tiny screws. One end is cut to reach the cap terminals, the other to ride at the brass ring.
This cap conversion might be a way to put an HC with bad plastic back in use, too.

Bruce, you have it right, it uses a brass ring inside the 59A cap. There has been a hole drill in the cap for the second coil wire to pass through, and this coil wire is soldered to the backside of the ring. Thanks for the info, i may try and make a rotor for this, just to see how it works....Ed

 

[82ndscotty]

aircraft points were required by law to be made with platinum contacts. (expensive) buy very dependable. tungsten (cheeper) also made. scotty

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

"soldered to the backside of the ring..."
On the one I have, the cap has two small holes with small machine screws holding the ring in place...scuffing on the plastic showed that the extra secondary was simply attached to a ring terminal on the screw head.
On the points...I have several conversion distributors using those, and none of them show any wear or burning...you probably don't need to replace them!
They have industrial and lawnmower applications, too, so you might be able to find cheaper sources. I looked them up in an old small-engine catalog I have, and posted a number of part number crossovers beyond the 10-52344w and Echlin CS 1000, along with a list of manufacturers of small engines and equipment using the things on the old Barn...it'll be searchable again, I'm sure.
If you make your own conversion from the instructions in Car Craft or freelance, it would be insane to use those points...there's no reason not to use some small and common automotive set. The Burk method would make adapting a stocker easy and cheap, biggest issue would be accurately drilling the point plate.