What the H??? My new bakelite upper distributor body/shell is misaligned??

R

Rob Doe

Well-known member
I lifted this from another of my more lengthy threads. Please comment guys.

 Car is new to me. Had a coupe back in the 60's as a 15 year old. I'm catching up fast.



When I hook up the spark plug brass connections, I notice cylinders 1 and 2 are harder to attach than cylinders 3 and 4.What the heck???



Looking down from above, it appears the distributor body/shell is rotated a few degrees CCW (Counter Clock Wise). The straight line of all 4 plug contacts is not parallel to the side of the block, it is at least 5 or more degrees and obviously off to the left. This is shortening the distance on cylinders 1 and 2 and lengthening 3 and 4. The previous person actually put a 90 degree bend in the brass connectors, as if he put them into a sheet metal brake to use up the extra length???


I don't believe the original Ford parts were like this. What say ya'll?
 
I say call the vendor you got it from and explain the sutuation to them.

Then get one fro either Bert's, Snyders or Brattons and hopefully you will be down the road in no time.

Pluck
 
They could have used B connectors which are longer and would require a bend to fit. Does the car start and run as it should? Because of the way the A is timed, sounds more like a visual thing more then affecting how the car runs. Personally, I would run as is or get a new body from one of the suppliers along with the shorter Model A not B connectors.
 
Do we know that the problem is in the body and not, e.g., the casting? If for example the index pin were malformed or missing, that could put the whole distributor off-axis.
 
alexiskai said:
Do we know that the problem is in the body and not, e.g., the casting? If for example the index pin were malformed or missing, that could put the whole distributor off-axis.
Click to expand...
That was in the back of my mind. Missing pin and the hold down bolt is keeping from turning. If that is the case the groove might be wallowed out from over tightening. I have known at least one case, where the owner got that bolt too tight and crushed the casting, pinching the shaft. Someone could have overcome the missing pin by drilling an indexing hole in the casting and got it off by a few degrees.
 
It sounds like a PO moved the distributor body to set the timing, rather than moving the distributor cam.
 
Thank you guys for the responses.

What I would really appreciate is for a handful of yun's who's Model A is sittin' in your garage a few feet away to go lift the hood, stick your noggin' in there and look straight down at the distributor. Are the plug contacts parallel with the edge of the block?

I was being kind to the vendor on my initial post. He already replaced one of these bodies/shell that would not go onto the lower/main part of the distributor at all, until I sanded on it for 20 minutes trying it over and over. Once I got it to go on, the contacts opposite the rotor were all pretty much different distances from the rotor.

Yeah, if you sand to get it on, you run the risk of making it out of round a few thousandths. But, I worked on it until it went on reasonably snug, had all the rotor gaps at a reasonable value (.025). Then discovered the brass plug connectors seemed to be fine on the 3 and 4, but were too long on 1 and 2. I have Champion look-a-like plugs that a pretty tall. I thought that was the problem, and then I spotted the angle of contacts is probably more than 5 degrees, more like 10 degrees left. As though aimed for the middle of the radiator, but not quite that bad.

Last but not least when making a final check with a light, the body was cracked from both corners of the advance/retard opening. I'm sure this happened in the early stages of trying to get the thing to go on.

Please take a look at your own car's distributor and post your observations.
 
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I think it might be time for some photos of what you are working with. Could this be an aftermarket distributor or can you confirm that this is a Ford distributor casting? I do not recall having to do that much work just to install the body except all need to have the jump gap set as part of the install. There were some that the door where the lever goes thru that were, as I recall, a little small.
 
alexiskai said:
What was on this distributor before you starting buying new bodies?
Click to expand...


An older one that looks the same. It was has steel contacts that were rust coated. The ADV/RTRD opening had been widened. The rotor to contact points gap was .130!



It also has an alignment that is cockeyed. The base of the distributor is aligned correctly.



I ordered brass contacts to slow the corrosion issues.
 
Wait, the old body is skewed and the new bodies are also skewed? Maybe the problem is the casting. Does your casting look like this? The pin that fits the indexing notch on the body should be at 90° from the clamps.

This page also has diagrams of what the casting should look like from overhead.
 
alexiskai said:
Wait, the old body is skewed and the new bodies are also skewed? Maybe the problem is the casting. Does your casting look like this? The pin that fits the indexing notch on the body should be at 90° from the clamps.

This page also has diagrams of what the casting should look like from overhead.
Click to expand...


Yes, those articles are great. As you say, and I believe at this time, the picture to the right of the caption:

"Setting Rotor/Distributor Contact Gap"

is how I would expect my old and new distributor cover/shell to look from above. But that ain't how either look. In your mind, rotate that picture 5-10 degrees CCW. The base of the distributor sits properly with the clamps perpendicular to the edge of the cylinder head. I think the replacement parts are defective, or for some other year of car as another forum contributor suggested previously. I'll try to get a picture and post. Yes, the small index notch in the shell is on the casting index 90 degrees to the right of the clamps.
 
alexiskai said:
Wait, the old body is skewed and the new bodies are also skewed? Maybe the problem is the casting. Does your casting look like this? The pin that fits the indexing notch on the body should be at 90° from the clamps.

This page also has diagrams of what the casting should look like from overhead.
Click to expand...


I just reread this. I'm headed to my shop to double check the location of that locating pin on the lower main casting. If it is off 5 or 10 degrees, or the locating pin is missing in the top would explain this as you say.


I'll bring pictures to the thread when I return! Thanks again.
 
I have ordered distributor bodies from several of our Model A vendors and have never had on fit at an angle.
 
Here is a picture of the distributor from above. I lifted the distributor part way out of the head and put it back in. The locating pin is in the hole I'll remove tomorrow after draining some coolant so I can free the ignition cable. The distributor housing may be off, but I don't see it. If it is it isn't enough to correct for this distributor plastic/bakelite body.


distributor.jpg
 

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Hard to be certain, but it looks from the photo like the body is aligned with the outer clamp, but both are skewed to the head. Can you take this same photo with the body removed?
 

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With the body off, I can't see the distributor base as turned. I laid a straight edge across the clamp hinges and it looked perpendicular to the head's edge. The locating pin on the base is in the middle and not off center. I'll repost tomorrow.


thx
 
I looked at 3 of my Model A engines in cars. My 31 pickup and my 29 sedan had pins parallel to the engine side. My 30 phaeton was canted like Rob's engine, but maybe not so seriously. All three cars run very well and I am not sure of why the one is canted. I will check a couple cars when I take them out of storage. I am wondering if some distributors are just made slightly off true.The distributor bodys are aftermarket or NORS that I picked up at swap meets. I cannot wait until this is resolved.
 
Well, gee, maybe it is the distributor body. While I have never had one like that, it sure isn't beyond the realm of possibility that you may have gotten a rotten apple from your vendor. Do you know anyone locally in a club, etc. that might have a spare you can borrow?
 
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