Nice article on Sun distributor machine

Jack 34pu

Jack 34pu

Senior Member
If you are interested in the old Sun Distributor testors, look at the nice article in the new January 2011 issue of Hot Rod Deluxe.
 
Is this issue on the newstands now, or do you get via subscription? I stopped by a Barnes and Noble today and all they had was the November 2010 issue.
 
Anybody have any idea what they go for? I have one and I'm just curious. To me the coolest part is the scrolls with all the specs on them.
 
I loved that article. I was also stoked to see that Hot Rod Deluxe is now taking subscription orders. There is a guy up here in Colfax that has distributor machines and also fixes them when busted. He also can check flathead distributors on his machine. All the locals use him for dist. needs. He's set up several for me and others. I always carry a spare crab all setup and tested when I go on long trips.
 
Well, my buddy down the street, Greg, showed up with his copy of HR Deluxe, and I got a look at the article.

Very well done with lots of pictures. It also contains good basic information on what to look for when buying one.

Some repair parts are inexpensive ... even cheap. Others can be pretty pricey especially if you have to ask your wife's permission to buy this stuff. ("Asking the wife's permission" was one part of the article I did not care for ... if you've married the right woman, she'll let you help HER load old parts including Sun machines into the back of HER pickup truck.)

A replacement transformer ... $200. Idler wheel ... $95. From Mark Saunders whose shop the author visited. (Mark is a great guy and offers a lot of advice. So does Bob Masters, another Sun source.) On the other hand, the resistor (it's not a "capacitor", of course) in figure 18 of the article is only a few cents.

So, "Anybody have any idea what they go for?" ... if you find one under $500 and it looks nice AND is the right model, you can buy it and afford to put money in it. If it's priced over $500, make sure it works properly.

Properly. Back in the day where repair shops ran Sun machines, a service tech made his rounds repairing and CALIBRATING the spinners. Few machines running today are properly calibrated. As the article suggests, electronic parts age ... resistance and capacitance change. It depends on how accurate you want to be.

Finally, there are some high voltages running around inside Sun Distributor Testers. They can bite.
 
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Yes! Beware - those large electrolytic capacitors will hold a charge even if machine is unpluged. I was trying to repair a door switch on my parents microwave last week and was being very carefull yet I got a very shocking reminder that it can happen at any time. I saw colors I didn't know existed!
A tip on the old rubber roller - I found a castor wheel close in diameter at a Lowes Hardware. I removed the rubber wheel from the castor but it was too wide so I chucked it on a bolt to my drill press. Used a fine hacksaw blade and cut it to proper width. Beats the old thump - thump of a flat wheel. Remember to back off the roller when distributor setup is finished.
My machine is really old - latest car model year on scroll is 1951. Has data back in the 30's. It originally had a 6v battery for points but I use a variable power supply instead.
 
Excellent suggestion on the idler/roller. They are almost impossible to find.

I did the exact same thing on the lathe with casters from Harbor Freight. We'll see how they hold up.

The variable power supply ... yup, from a kit from Electronic Goldmine, Mouser or somewhere. Sounds like you're doing great work.


SunIdlerWheels.jpg
 
Let me add this as far as prices. Here is the most desirable model in supposed "perfect" working condition. It sold for $900.

You can tell it has relatively low use since the paint is not worn off in the lower corners where mechanics usually rested their hands. (Trade secret ... )

Funny part is that the forum moderator posted, "That thing looks like a dinosaur. True distributors are a thing of the past. Good luck getting anywhere close to $900 as it is not something needed much anymore."

... it is from a Chevy forum after all.

http://chevroletforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36743&page=1
 
I bought my restored one from Mark Saunders. They are not cheap, but they are very heavy.

Email; mark@paramountd.com

www.paramountd.com

He replaces the old capacitors and the rubber pulley and more. This guy knows his stuff.

When I was young every garage in town had one of these, now days you never see them anymore

Ron Wetzel.
 
I bought one at a swap meet years ago for $75 without the base cabinet. I sent the vacuum pump out to our usual place to be fixed, and it was a great machine. Later, we acquired a newer model for $125, and sold the older one for $250. The newer machine had the necessary flathead adapter included, which is pricey, if you can find one. Interestingly, new machines are now being produced by another company for big bucks.
 
If anyone is interested, I have developed a circuit to replace the flashtube in any distributor tester with an LED. You can contact me at "versatile1@shaw.ca"

Stu
 
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