points firing

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This is what I have and the top looks like nothing I have found pictures of. Can anyone help identify this set up. The engine is a 59ab in a 1936 Ford. It appears the distributor bottom from the old 1936 engine was used and the dome top was replaced with this flat plate that the coil wire goes into. Can you help identify what configuration I have so I can order parts and tune if I need to in the future?
 
benji said:
This is what I have and the top looks like nothing I have found pictures of. Can anyone help identify this set up. The engine is a 59ab in a 1936 Ford. It appears the distributor bottom from the old 1936 engine was used and the dome top was replaced with this flat plate that the coil wire goes into. Can you help identify what configuration I have so I can order parts and tune if I need to in the future?
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What you have IS a conversion plate mounted to the top of the distributor for use with a more modern coil as you have mounted on the top of the head. The process for removing your distributor, having it rebuilt and set up on a distributor machine (if that is what you choose to do) is still the same, AS well as checking your distributor and coil as Drolston (post #4) has suggested in an earlier post....the only difference being the coil is NOW on the top of your left head!!!! Everything else is the same as stock it appears!!!


Where it me, I'd find a stock coil an send it down here to Skip Haney in Florida and have him bullet proof it for you (about $120) and ditch that conversion plate and go back original, mounted on top of the distributor again!!!


In the mean time you can still chase your issue and decide which manner is best to proceed.


Let us know how you are making out!!1
 
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As a tempory fix tutorial for benji ,The black cover conversion plate at the top can be removed with the three screws ,then knocjk out the side ternials with a blunt screw driver or the dowl on the top edge ,uindo the pipe coduet of the manifold then they should come of ,remove the three bolts on the distriubtor and the small vac tube and remove it ,with out changing any adjustments on the points sand them with some 60 or 35 grit paper . cut a piece and fold it1,1/2 x 1' back to back ,and sand ,clean the condensor mountings , coil wires etc , ,mount up the coil and a ground to the D body X to coil rotate the distrubtor by hand ,should fire a 8 mm spark of the HT lead to the D body ground ,remount on the car ,
 
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He mentioned he wants to clean the points, so we are telling him how to tackle the distributor. But to someone new to flatheads it's a distributor unlike anything ever seen before. And as yet there is no indication that the problem is in the distributor.

Here is what was said about the problem: "i am not getting spark out of distributor on 59a engine." That could be many, many things.

I would start by verifying there is voltage coming to the coil & distributor.
 
I have tested and I have power to coil, condenser and coil wire to dist. Now that I know more about what I will be doing, I will remove dist and follow recommendations. The last time I had this problem, I paid way too much to have someone else remove the corrosion and said then that would try it myself the next time, and like it was said , you will never learn if you do'nt try. Thanks for all the help.
 
The ford duel point system is a very good design. It works best when its set up properly on a distributor machine, but there are " home remedy's" also if you search. Originally, you wanted to clean the points to try and get some spark. I agree with this if you have owned the car for while, and know when the last time the dizzy ( sorry Lawson ) was serviced, and then would know for a fact that the points may only have some scuzz on them from winter storage etc. You will know once you look at them, are they burnt badly, or just not making contact. points are hard, trying to reshape burnt points with a file makes no sense to me, and if you do not know the history of the car, sending the whole unit off to one of our re builders makes the most sense to me. My cars with a Bubba dizzy and skips coil start on one revolution winter or summer
 
Don't be surprised if it is just a bad condenser. Many of these are bad right out of the box. I noticed from the photos that it looks to be a relatively small one like the 8BA used. When troubleshooting, I always do the easiest things first.
 
rotorwrench said:
Don't be surprised if it is just a bad condenser. Many of these are bad right out of the box. I noticed from the photos that it looks to be a relatively small one like the 8BA used. When troubleshooting, I always do the easiest things first.
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bingo bingo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALL of the condensors on the conversion plates are bad ( never seen a good one ) they must buy them all at a walmart sale !!!!!!! Replace with a RR175 napa unit before you get too far along ...........:eek::eek::eek::eek:
 
I have removed the vacuum line , top plate, and side caps but now have difficulty removing the 3 bolts that attach dist. to engine. The top bolt came off easily, but the 2 remaining are very difficult to get to. Is it necessary to remove the sheet metal panel below the radiator and access bolts from below or is it possible to get these bolts out from above with a wrench? The 1/2 in open end and socket wrenches I have do not seem to work. Is there an offset type wrench or some other type that will work?
 
No offset wrench or special tool needed. Open end and box end wrench will be very awkward. A 3/8 drive socket with a suitable extension should do the job.
 
I have cleaned the distributor and ready to reinstall. I have read somewhere to spray inside with a moisture displacment like wd40 or something. Is this a good idea or will it be harmful?
 
cas3 said:
The ford duel point system is a very good design. It works best when its set up properly on a distributor machine, but there are " home remedy's" also if you search. Originally, you wanted to clean the points to try and get some spark. I agree with this if you have owned the car for while, and know when the last time the dizzy ( sorry Lawson ) was serviced, and then would know for a fact that the points may only have some scuzz on them from winter storage etc. You will know once you look at them, are they burnt badly, or just not making contact. points are hard, trying to reshape burnt points with a file makes no sense to me, and if you do not know the history of the car, sending the whole unit off to one of our re builders makes the most sense to me. My cars with a Bubba dizzy and skips coil start on one revolution winter or summer
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I agree with Cas3. If an engine has been lying around unused for a while the "scuzz" is the first thing to check. When I had my 48 wired up we couldn't get it to spark. The first thing the auto sparky did was pull the cap and look at the points which had developed a film on them from sitting so long. A bit of emery cloth solved it. a Skips coil was probably the best investment for my ignition system, well worth the hastle of getting this thing down to New Zealand.

GB
 
I have done everything suggested but still no spark to plugs. I do have spark going into top of distributor . The only thing I haven't done is disassemble the side caps to clean contacts inside. I found them tight and will not budge. I am afraid I will damage if using a screwdriver or do they twist off? How do these come apart ?
 
you can get them off by removing the coil or adapter and tapping them from the inside with a wood dowel. when off you can check continunty of all plug wires from the inside of cap.
 
Bubba, I have tried everything and still no spark out of distributor. If I send it to you for repair, 1. do I send side caps? 2. send condenser and coil? it has a tube type coil. 3. someone recommended going back to original coil set up, is this necessary or can the adapter plate , external coil give me satisfactory performance? 4.Turnaround time? 5.Will the points and timing be set by you so I can reinstall without adjustment? 6. price? 7. your shipping address?
 
Thanks for posting this benji, I'm in the same predicament. Thanks also to all those who have been sending instructions. When the heat breaks up here in NH, maybe Wednesday. I'm going to try the same procedures with my 34.
 
Be sure, you have contact between conversion plates spring pin to the contact place on breaker points.
Spring pin may be bent, has happened to me!

/Jorgen
 
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