My '23 touring engine is out for some internal repairs during this upcoming winter and I'm looking to install a distributor this time around along with my standard milling of the head (plus some other minor reversable changes).
What are good common Vintage(and generally afFORDable)styles and brands of dist.to look out for,plus availabilty of parts or ease of updating if needed.
Please: I do not need to be told the merritts of the mag and coils,I've rebuilt that system successfully many times in the past and had no trouble and like the original system. On this engine I'm stripping off the magnets to reduce some flywheel weight.If you have to ask why,you really need not make a reply as your not answering my question..LOL! Thank you!
David,
Many of the old aftermarket distributors are hard to find parts for and usually have some degree of pot metal damage. My dad used to buy the ones with good, solid lower housings. He would throw the crumby old distributor heads and adapt the lower housing to hold a more modern Delco or Auto-Lite head. They are far better quality than the new offerings and the worn-out old ones.
Just be careful that the head is intended for the correct rotation direction, CW or CCW.
The Bosch front plate conversion is the best of all of them that I have known. The gears run true and the head is easy to work on if it ever does need parts.
I just bought a very nice one and put the one I had in my little museum on ebay, it didn't sell but the high bidder contacted me and was going to send me a check for it. His old lady must have laid down the law or something as there has been no "Check in the mail."
Anyway, I think the Bosch are the best and you can still get parts for them.
Thanks Jerry ... You do see a lot of broken aftermarket pot metal dist...Some have Iron bases though with pot metal dist housings that could be repalced like you say.
Agree with Stan. The Bosch dist have centrif. advances in them. I have a clip on that has no manual advance at all and strictly runs on the centrif. in it. The front plate I have has both centrif. and a manual advance. Would like to find some points for them and have considered modif. an old Bosch plate to accept some modern common points and cond.
I'am running a old bosch on my speedster, does good job. Al
Ok, how do you tell what brand of distributor you have?
Here is a photo of the Bosch front plate setup. There is a little tag on the dist head.
Here's the tag
Thanks Stan. Mine doesn't look anything like that. I'll go get a pic of it...back in a bit.
Ok, here's what mine looks like. And I couldn't find any sort of data plate on the outside.
The Bosch type with front timing cover certainly is one serious, no bull set up isn't!
Bosch had a clip on type too I think?...I wonder was the clip-on types the same head as the one with front plate above ?
Bosch probably offered a several variations along the way.
Awhile ago I saw a neat Delco set-up with automatic advance an ran in combo with the generator like some cars did.
The really nice thing about the Bosch front plate is the adjustment to remove camshaft end play. The open hole just to the right of the "F1-513" numbers, (see Stan's photos), is where the end play adjustment bolt screws in.
End play, in ANY distributor using spiral drive gears, as the Bosch does, will greatly affect timing. Not only does it add error to the spark timing, it also affects valve timing in Ts with helical timing gears.
Be careful to keep a good ground between the Bosch head and the engine. The head stem can be a bit sloppy in the plate and engine vibrations can cause periodic breaks in ground and subsequent miss-fires. Either do a repair to reduce the clearance or run a ground lead.
I didn't mention the Bosch front plate earlier because it appeared that the goal of the original poster was to get a distributor at an economy price. Neither a new nor an original Bosch front plate set-up will be cheap. It is however the Cadillac of T distributor conversions.
So what does a new Texas T one cost??? $300 plus, I think. You can buy a nice vintage Bosch front plate for a hundred or two more. I'd sure spend the extra money for an original piece that is solidly mounted,well lubed and the gears are in good alignment than for a clip on, no matter who made it. IMHO
Anybody had experience with the Stoltz disturbutor that mounts in place of the timer? Were there any made in the era like that?
I have one, but never had reason to try it. My Atwater-Kent front plate with 914 disturbutor and Pertronix works good, and never fails or needs tweaking. The A-K front plate can be distinguished by the dist. shaft being cantilevered.
rdr
Here is a American Bosch from the pasts I've had for years, never tried it.
Forgot the pictures Da.
Bob
Ricks
I have one on my 16,( Crab type ??) haven't driven it much but it seams to works fine.
Bob
Bob, that is a Bosch 600 clip on. There were several variations. Some had mechanical and manual advance, while others had only mechanical advance. The easiest way to renovate these old original distributors is to install a Pertronix module.
http://mtfctulsa.com/Tech/distributors.htm
if your handy at fab work this is how my dad did the ones on his cars. the first few had 57 plymouth 318 distributors and used every other hole. they ran off the cam with evenrude outboard gears and notched belt. dont recall what this one is and i hopefully will get it back out next summer, its been sitting to long.