I picked this up at the Hershey swap meet a couple days ago. I bought it from a guy who has one on his car and this was his spare. I have heard about them and seen them but never really dug into one. He said it was NOS but he did run it a few times and it ran good. Is there anything I should check/do before trying it? I know the condenser is gone but I think I can use a regular flathead Ford condernser. I also did not notice that the cap has a crack on the inside. I am hoping it will run OK, but does anyone know where I can get a cap and a spare rotor, or any other parts? Guys rave on these due to the m***ive advance you can get and the fact that they have bearings, not bushings. Anything else anyone knows about them or recomends?
Don't guys (I haven't but have heard it done) use Glyptol paint on the insides of cracked caps to prevent arcing? Not sure bearings would really be a benefit on a distributor. If they were, wouldn't everybody have started using them? But, any distributor for a flathead that is not the same-old is always cool to see. Even better if it works good. Good luck!
Bearings generaly need a lot more lube than a bushing, not the best in a distributor. By the way that unit you have is ultra cool! Gary
True, this has a little flap on top to oil, kind of like a generator. I like the look of it and the pros I have read say they work better then the stock Ford distributor. Cons are they are hard to find parts for
Hmmm, I have seen the insides of caps painted...didn't really know what for.I have some Glyptol, I may give it a shot!
the question is, do you know why the british like warm beer? , no why, // OH , because Lucas designed the refrigeration system over there!. BUT, really that distributer is a fine unit, i used one for many years with no problems. just a drop of oil and dress your points now and then!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ford-Pil...=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a8650cfc4 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ford-Pil...=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a85cb0693 Chris, you may or may not find some info in the above ads. Al.
Hey Chris, I am just getting ready to throw this in the '37. I had to have another cap shipped in from England before I decided I wanted to run it. The old cap is still good but its nice having a backup. I had the curve reset to resemble more of the stock flathead curve. My ignition guy said it was set to come all in (about 26 degrees total) at 5000rpm! He has it coming in all in at 2500 rpm(18 degrees total). He said it looked like it was setup for racing application. I should have it in tonight hopefully with good results.
Ford offered an English made V8 car from the mid thirties up to 1951. It used a 1938 style 21 stud flathead engine. Could your distributor have been made for this engine, either as standard equipment or as a go faster accessory? I know they used English made Solex carburetors but I don't know about the ignition. You should be able to get replacement parts from Lucas or possibly a vintage parts supplier in England.
I bought one of these a couple weeks ago. It looks to be a nice used unit with no cracks I've found. Maybe I'll put it on my sedan this winter to try it out. Anyone else have one?
I have an NOS 1 & a used one off an old race car run many years back by the late Jimmy Smith @ Danbury Connecticut. Cheers Tony
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