New guy that needs distributor help

Tibor

Tibor

Junior Member
Hey, I came over here via many recomendations from the hamb. I am currently trying to get my 28 banger up and running. the distributor has no wiring and i am planning on running as 6v positive ground for now. My main problem right now is i dont know where to hook the wire up from the coil besides the obvious spot on the cap. I dont have the big conduit looking thing to hook up the wire. I started to tear into this thing today can anyone lead me in the right direction
Thanks
 

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Look up Bratton's or Mac's A parts and buy the wiring diagram in a restoration book and a few needed parts and you will have it running in no time.
 
You need the "big conduit looking thing" as this is where the wire from the ignition switch enters the distributor. This bottom plate has a wire that goes up to the upper plate and the movable point arm.
 
Tibor said:
Hey, I came over here via many recomendations from the hamb. I am currently trying to get my 28 banger up and running. the distributor has no wiring and i am planning on running as 6v positive ground for now. My main problem right now is i dont know where to hook the wire up from the coil besides the obvious spot on the cap. I dont have the big conduit looking thing to hook up the wire. I started to tear into this thing today can anyone lead me in the right direction
Thanks
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I can't tell from your pictures, but it looks like it might be time for a distributor overhaul. Take it all apart, replace the bushings and the shaft, if they have too much play. If you can feel side play, it's probably time to replace the bushings and shaft. Blast and paint the body. Make sure you have a good flexible wire (at least 100 strands) between the lower and upper plate, and make sure the terminal that is attached to the nut on the points is bent close to the nut so it doesn't touch the body or spring. I also can't tell from the angle in your picture, but the points rubbing block looks like it might be worn down so far that the points arm is touching the distributor cam. Be sure to keep the oiler oiled and cam lube on the rubbing block.

If you don't have the ignition cable that screws into the housing and touches the lower plate, you'll have to find one or buy one from one of the Model A parts houses. Screwed in about 2 or 3 turns is usually enough, as screwing the cable in too far can sometimes bend the contact ******** the lower plate and cause trouble. The short wire from the coil connects to the terminal by the key end of the popout switch. If you use a simple off-on repro switch then that wire connects to either of the switch teminals and the other wire connects to the cable which is screwed into the distributor.

ModelAdistributor37-28-28.jpg


As bad as this distributor looks, all it really needed was a good cleaning and paint job.

Distributor7-28-28.jpg


Distibutor1928.jpg


This is the same distributor cleaned up and painted. I even used the same original condenser. If you look closely you can see part of the FORD script on it.
 
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thanks guys any tips on removing the bottom plate its free but it is hard to lift up out pf the body.
 
Tibor said:
thanks guys any tips on removing the bottom plate its free but it is hard to lift up out pf the body.
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The condenser must be removed first, then the 2 plate screws, then the plate should lift out. If it's tight, try to pry up with a screwdriver through the condenser hole.
 
Ok well i set up my make shift ignition circuit today and i am not getthing spark maybe you guys can set me in the right dirrection.

Positive Cable is grounded to where the starter mounts to the bell housing.
Negative Cable is attatched to the lug on the top of the starter motor.
starter turns the engine over great.

I took the distributor apart and sanded the rust off of the top and bottom plates.
I wired the top and bottom plates together with a thick atlernator lead wire.
the cap, rotor, and body are new or minial use. The points are is not rubbing on the points rubbing block. I bought a brand new napa 6 volt coil. I have a wire running from the negative battery post to a on/off switch, Out of the switch to the negative side of the coil, for the positive coil terminal i put an eye conector on the wire and fastened it to the screw that connects the lower plate and condenser.

Any ideas on why no spark. thanks guys
 
didnt have a volt meter to check. could the distibutor not be grounding correctly? is there a place where i could add a ground wire? maybe on the passenger side where the condenser fastens to the outside of the distributor body.
 
Tibor said:
didnt have a volt meter to check. could the distibutor not be grounding correctly? is there a place where i could add a ground wire? maybe on the passenger side where the condenser fastens to the outside of the distributor body.
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Yes, if you have any doubts about the ground that would be a perfect place to add a ground wire. You can use a test light to check for power at the open point. In fact ground the test light on a head nut to check, then if the light lights, move the test light ground from the head nut to the STATIONARY points contact and see if it still lights. If it does, then you know you have a good ground for the distributor.
 
I tired to use my test light today but i couldnt get it to light up. even across the battery so ill take another one down to the shop tommorw and ill wire up a ground wire from the distributor case/condenser screw. Do you see any problem where i have the coil wire attatched to the screw that fastens the bottom plate and the condenser?
 
Tibor said:
Ok well i set up my make shift ignition circuit today and i am not getthing spark maybe you guys can set me in the right dirrection.

Positive Cable is grounded to where the starter mounts to the bell housing.
Negative Cable is attatched to the lug on the top of the starter motor.
starter turns the engine over great.

I took the distributor apart and sanded the rust off of the top and bottom plates.
I wired the top and bottom plates together with a thick atlernator lead wire.
the cap, rotor, and body are new or minial use. The points are is not rubbing on the points rubbing block. I bought a brand new napa 6 volt coil. I have a wire running from the negative battery post to a on/off switch, Out of the switch to the negative side of the coil, for the positive coil terminal i put an eye conector on the wire and fastened it to the screw that connects the lower plate and condenser.

Any ideas on why no spark. thanks guys
Click to expand...

Do you have any pictures of the distributor plates and wire? You want a very flexible wire between the two plates and about 3 1/2" long. Regular wire isn't good to use.

I'm not sure how you got the wire screwed to the condenser without it touching ground,:confused: but I would order the connection part sold by the Model A parts houses that screws into the housing and touches the buss bar on the lower plate.

You mentioned that your test light didn't light even off the battery posts. That why I made a test buzzer to use. I bought a heavy duty buzzer from the surplus store and soldered two 3' wires and clips to it. This way I don't have to wonder if the bulb is burned out, and I don't have to look for a light while I'm checking for shorts or opens; I can just listen for the buzz. This is when I clip the buzzer in place of a fuse while looking for a short. Or, if you don't have a fuse (as I don't) then you can disconnect the wire at the starter switch and clip the buzzer in series with the wire and start looking for the short.

My guess is you now have two good coils, so you can keep one under the seat for a spare.

With the key on and points open, you can short the points contacts with a screwdriver and see if the coil has a spark.
 
Another thing...post location. You might find a nearby barner who owns the proper bushing reamer and has a bit of experience with these things. If your upper and lower plates are originals and emerge in usable condition from cleanup, a total overhaul starting with the bushings is cheap and easy to do. Good bushings are really the foundation.
I put together an excellent and very detailed overhaul and resto manual from Marco and Vince posts on the old Barn...don't know if those postings remain findable.
Marco had posted basic overhaul, and then his other posts and Vince's full clarified things like correct length and material for lower wire, locations of all those washers, etc. It took me about half an hour to search, sort, and print a stack of material far better than any of the books you can find!
 
Here is a make shift drawing on how i wired the condenser. Is not touching the body. I plan on getting the original wire i just want to see if i can get this thing to run first. The ignition wire orinialy touches the lower plate which then is screw to the condenser. My way they are all just hooked at the same place.
 

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Well I went down today and went through the dist. agian to make sure nothing was grounding out inside, reset all the gaps, and added a ground wire to the body of the dist. and condenser. We now have spark and she will run on starting fluid. I went through the carb but cant get it to pick up gas. Any suggestions for a better up draft carb?
 
by not picking up gas, are you saying the bowl is full but the fuel is not getting to the jet??

do you have good flow from the tank valve, to the sediment bowl, to the carburetor? Are your fuel line ferrules more than 1/8th inch from the line tip, creating a "shut off valve" by contacting the filter housings? Is the filter in the sediment bowl clean? is the filter in the carburetor clean?

If you have good flow to the carburetor, and by that I mean a stream like a young man, not some guy older than 50, try a different carburetor. You can fiddle with your carburetor a little to try to get it to work, blow out the jets and passages with carb cleaner and clean air, but if its still filling with fuel and not getting to the jets, the internal passages are probably clogged, which means a total disassemble including the passage plugs, reaming the channels and rebuild.
 
I completely dis assembled the carb and blew out all the jets and passages. the float is good and the bowl fills correctly i just cant get it to pick up fuel. I am going to keep working on it. If i were to just buy a new carb would the Zenith replacement (13922 i think) be a good choice or would you recomend getting a new manifold and a down draft.
 
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