Model "B" Distributor

Russ/40

Russ/40

Well-known member
Are many of you running a Model B distributor, and if so tell of your experience. I'd like to play with one, but can't seem to locate a source for the upper plate. I have a good casting, shaft, and advance assembly. I recall posts on aftermarket choices, but nothing about the B.
 
Russ/40 said:
Are many of you running a Model B distributor, and if so tell of your experience. I'd like to play with one, but can't seem to locate a source for the upper plate. I have a good casting, shaft, and advance assembly. I recall posts on aftermarket choices, but nothing about the B.
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I am running one and very happy with it. Try Dave Renner at Renner's Corner for parts and rebuilding: (734) 428-8424. Use one of the high quality Model A condenser from Bratton's by elongating the screw hole at the bottom and attaching a pig tail. Site Attached :

Charlie Stephens
 

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I've been on his site, but don't see much as to selling parts. Seems his focus is doing high price rebuilds. It appears the upper plates are not reproduced. If i cant do it, its not going to get done. I like to do all my own work when possible. Ill keep looking.
 
The model B distributor is way more complicated than the model A distributor . The B distributor advances slowly . I would prefer the more simple model A distributor and control advance and retard myself . While the model B distributor resembles the model A distributor , there are other modern style distributors that perform so much better than the model B distributor .
 
I have ran a "B" distributor and liked it however I could not stand to see the spark lever just setting there doing nothing and went back to the "A".
 
I'm kind of following the same trail - but mine for the Gordon-Smith compressor No. 2 I'm currently sourcing parts for.

Generally I have found that Model B distributors are not quite as scarce as hen's teeth - but they're certainly less than the Model A equivalent.

And - in picking out a good used one for rebuild, one wants to get one fairly complete as the shaft and parts of the centrifugal are seemingly not available. (One can buy springs from Renners as part of his "rebuild kit" which include a lot of part cross-overs from the Model A line.)

Not to say that Renners is not a source for the rest of it - but given his pricing structure, you'll pay dearly for the privilege. If he doesn't use those loose parts himself and make "high end" rebuilds for sale by him, he'll be getting that return value from YOU in the parts

There have been a couple of "core bodies" on Ebay for what I consider reasonable price, but are missing the shaft and centrifugal moving parts, as well as other parts. When they say "core" they mean CORE. But unless you can get the rest of it, a core is pretty worthless - and you'll spend more money outfitting the core piecemeal than to simply buy a more complete unit.

I think I'm pretty much done with Ebay on this item - but then again I'm pretty much done with Ebay on ANY item. Flea Markets and interested friends are a much more cost effective, and potentially rewarding in personal relationship source. Ebay has the advantage of supply, but the downside of "demand."

Funny. Recently Mallory centrifugal distributors for the Model B/A engine are MUCH more plentiful on Ebay. Must have been a fad back in the day.

Joe K
 
Russ/40 said:
I've been on his site, but don't see much as to selling parts. Seems his focus is doing high price rebuilds. It appears the upper plates are not reproduced. If i cant do it, its not going to get done. I like to do all my own work when possible. Ill keep looking.
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Call him and talk to him. I am sure that the used/NOS low volume parts would not make it onto the site. If he is rebuilding distributers he has to have some parts around. You may end up buying a distributer at a swap meet or on line and using it for parts. Have you tried CW Moss to see what they have laying around that is not in their catalog? The next big swap meet is probably the Big 3 in San Diego. How about a "wanted" ad?

Charlie Stephens
 
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I recently purchased the most horrible core I could find on ebay. Paid $10 for it, and it looked like sponge bob had it on a shelf for 50 years. It was frozen, but amazingly it all cleaned up to like new. The advance mechanism was perfect. Even the bushings were very usable. Just have to find the top end. Charlie, I'll take your advice and see what Renner can come up with.
 
I've got a dual point Mallory that I got from Harrys model A in the early nineties . Harry told me that the Mallory distributors were pretty much trouble free . Harry said that they went 30.000 miles or more without having to replace the points . I still haven't needed to replace the points in the ones that I have . The only thing that I have ever had to do was replace the condenser . The ones that I have use a red cap , I can't remember the serial number but it is 11 something . I'll go out and check the number and report back tomorrow . A reliable source has told me that Mallory has since been bought out and the distributors are not as good as they use to be .
 
2301105 for Model A

2301106 for Model B

They are same except for the advance curve.

Not sure if weights and springs are the same but the curve is adjustable.

If I find a used one I just assume that someone has changed the setup. I used to have access to a Sun distributor machine to check how they are setup.

Nothing like too much advance at the wrong time to destroy bearings! :) :(
 
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Russ/40 said:
Are many of you running a Model B distributor, and if so tell of your experience. I'd like to play with one, but can't seem to locate a source for the upper plate. I have a good casting, shaft, and advance assembly. I recall posts on aftermarket choices, but nothing about the B.
Click to expand...

I'm running a B-Dizzy with 6:1 head. It took me a while to fine tune the timing just right so it wouldn't ping on hills, but I got it dialed in now. With HC head I had to back off on the initial timing quite a bit.

I have a spare B dist for parts, I'll check tonight to see if I have the top plate.
 
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