Howdy all Tim here..got another flathead question for you all dv8 and I are working on getting his 29 A pickup going. The engine is spinnin and we are getting some puffs of mist out of the carbs I am guessing that its slightly out of time with the spark Now we are using a late flathead and maybe its me being thick here but how in the hell do you spin the distributor? And is there anything that holds it tight once you are done spinning it? I figured we get the firing order right..and then spin the dist until we get it spot on but I can't seem to figure out how to loosen it Also..we are using the pertronix ignition instead of points it is a 12v system do we need to have a ballast resistor if the coil is not already internally resisted/ballasted? Thanks for any help! Tim MBL
I can't answer your question about the need for a ballast resister, but if it is a later 8BA block with 8BA style heads with the post distributor, there should be a bolt on the head that holds down a clamp that squeezes a tab on the distributor body. Loosen the bolt and the distributor will move. If you don't have that bolt and clamp, then you need to find those components. If you are running late heads, that is the only sensible way to hold the distributor in place. The tab does not go all the way around the distributor body and there is the matter of the vacuum lines to consider, so you may have to lift up the distributor and spin the rotor to the proper alignment or even rewire the cap to get the timing where you want it. If you are using early heads, there are various other means to clamp down the distributor, but they aren't as simple and easy. Also, don't forget that flathead cylinder numbers are counted 1, 2, 3, 4 from the front of the right bank (the side the distributor is on and the p***enger side) to the rear of that bank and then 5, 6, 7, 8 from the front of the left bank (U.S. driver's side) to the rear of that bank. Number one is not the front cylinder on the crankshaft. Number five is the farthest forward cylinder.
Jim, here's a thanks for the info on your site. It helped me when I was doing the same thing Tim is. overspray
Tim, are you running a late Flathead with early heads??? If so the dist clamp area won't be there. You'll have to fab one up. If you need any of the bits I've got a bunch just drop me a PM and they're yours.
Ok...dv8 is running a late flattie with late heads..I have to look and see if there is a clamp somewhere...by the time we were messing with it..we had been working on the car for like 15 hrs straight..so we were a little burnt out. Does anyone have a pic of the clamp an how it attaches to the block? Thanks for all the help! Tim MBL
Here's a pic from my 8BA. The clamp and bolt can be seen at about the 11 o'clock position on the distributor.
This pic shows the distributor ***embly and its hold-down clamp/bolt. This bolt threads into the right side front portion of the block if I remember correctly. If not there, then into a threaded hole in the right side cyl head. I'm not at my shop right now to check................. Mac VP
I've been told (can't confirm) that one from a Ford 302 type small block will fit--that at least would be easy to find. If desperate, a 5/16 bolt and a big washer cut off on one side and bent down on other would likely do as a temp kludge...
The ol' boy I got my Petronix from here in Texas and who told me had worked with some of the Great Race patrons was very adamant on some things. First is, do not use any ballast resistor. The next very obvious thing is to get the thing grounded well. He recommended the Petronix 40K coil, 1.5 ohm. He also told me to use plug wires from Y-block Fords, they're long enough to trim for the flattie application. The one's he sold me are marked "7MM High Temperature with conductive silicone core and silicone jacket." Mind you, I haven't even got my flatmotor built yet so I cannot testify to the effectiveness of these parts. Could be that the old guy realized he had a "live one on the hook" and sold me all this junk. I bought two Petronix set ups, one for my 59A and one for the 8BA. Finding a way to route the external coil wire on the 8BA was tough because most every where it looked like it might chafe against the advance plate. The 59A kit was infinitely easier to install. Hope this helps. Lou.
To further clarifiy, the parts you are looking for are are 24406 and 12270 in the above drawing. I'm not fully understanding what you're trying to do with spinning the dist. Because the way you're wording it sounds like you're taking a hail mary stab and hoping to spin until it fires... then lock down. If you haven't got anywhere at this point you should start over. Pull the number one sparkplug and stick your thumb over the hole. Turn the motor over by hand until you feel compression and the mark on the pulley is reaching the point on the timing cover. Line up the pointer and mark and you should be within a deg. or two of TDC. Bonus if you've already pulled a head and marked true TDC on the pulley with the interference method. Now install the distributor with the cap off, tab on the dist. body lined up over the correct spot on the head, and slide into place. I should back up here and say you should mark a spot on the dist body where the number one wire is with the cap on. Sharpie works well. Now drop it in place with the rotor pointing nearly at the spot you marked on the dist. body. Rotor should actually be a bit in front of the mark. You can rotate the dist. body to get it there. Replace cap, just snug the clamp down, (but leave enough slack to move the distributor a bit) double check your sparkplug wires - 15486372 - and fire it off. If it doesn't go right away... keep going, tweak dist in small incrememnts, add starting fluid, dump gas down the carb, kick it, insult it, then apologize and sweet talk it.
And oh yes, you definitely need a balast resistor if your coil doesn't have one built in. You may have already damaged the coil? (not 100% sure on that though) And check your condenser. I fried mine first time I touched a battery to the motor. Replaced it with a SBC condenser and it lit right off.
We did locate the compression stroke of the # 1 cyl...Then wwe checked where the rotor was..and put the wires on acording to the correct order. But the dist was tightened down..and I couldn't do the fine adjustment..since I didn't see the hold down...I figured I'd ask. Me might get it closer with a little spin..is what I thought...we will mess with it more. Thanks Tim MBL
I fooled with it a little tonight, and it tried to "catch", but by then, the starter was hot, and the battery was getting tired. I have Fenton heads, and there is no dist hold down...so I guess we'll have to make something. No more backfiring...but still a ways to go. I'm using a MSD blaster 2 coil, and I noticed that with the coil wire off, that the coil tower is arcing like crazy to the two terminals on the coil...The old coil did the same thing.
I drilled and tapped a hole in the the timing cover just below the top, where the distributer slides in. Then put a grub screw in and just nipped it a little, no problems at all. The distributor does not have a lot of torque applied to it.
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