How to bench test a distributor

Forgive me if I sound smart assed, but if it's rebuilt/repaired properly, why not just test it on the car? They're very SIMPLE systems.
Bill W.
 
Bill, not everyone understands electricity. Bob

They will right after they touch one of those 4 adjustable brass bolts there on the bottom right corner of the picture!
 ROFL.gif
 
Given AMPle time to play at OHM, most people will RESIST playing any more after they have a SPARK of sanity bite them and decide to RESIST playing any more. Then, after they wonder "WIRE we here?", they will CONDUCT a SHOCKING, POTENTIAL-ly GROUNDbreaking survey FARADicle reasons but......... they will be CHARGED with being SHORT sighted on the lecture CIRCUIT.
 
Your post was well received by me. I have played with electrical and eletronics since I was 9 yrs old. The first item I built was a crystal radio back in 1957. I am in the planning stages of building a test stand similar to yours. I'm not doing this just to test the various ignition parts. I get enjoyment from building them and cultivating my creative side. If I only use it once it will be worth the experience. This setup could be used for a club seminar to educate those who aren't familiar with ignition systems. Known defective parts could be substituted in place of good parts to demonstrate troubleshooting techniques to be followed in order to find the problem or bad part.

Just remember that not all Model A owners are familiar with the mechanics of their car. We need to encourage and help them gain this knowledge to ensure the future of the hobby we all enjoy. If building devices like this in anyway helps our hobby it will be time and "very little money" spent.

Thanks for your post.
 
Here is a simple distributor bench tester that you can build.
Cut the end off a long distributor shaft and turn it down to fit in your drill so you can spin the distributor. The hand crank is for slow speed testing.
You can also test coils with it.

Ok, I'm one of the electricaly clueless (but I can straighten a paint a car and win Hershey), were do the bottom four wires go in photo #4? Same color wire doesn't do anything to help. Bob
 
Thanks, others have made the same offer, but a week of your time vs months of mine just doesn't sound right. Whenever I think I'm gaining some knowledge on electricty they change the vocabulary and add more features. No two people will ever post the same answer to an electrical question, the answer that doesn't cause a fire is the correct one in most cases. I still don't understand why your four wires go were you put them or why. Unless you know the test stand is worthless. Bob
 
No real surprise considering how he was treated here at that time.

Yup, thanks for telling IT like it was !
Only saw and stopped by this thread today, as can always use some other members ideas/input to strengthen and/or challenge what I think that I already know. Bummer:( !!
 
He had 41 posts (new on Fordbarn), there are over 3,000 hits on this topic. The topic is valid. I hope he comes back and learns all of the individual internet personalities here on the fordbarn. I enjoy you all, but for an outsider.... Even I am hard to take. Just ask the wife.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top