Picked this up this past weekend at a swap meet and would like to know some more info on it. Any knowledge of make year anything...... or pictures would be great and a value. What i do know is it is an early angle drive distributor conversion for early flatheads and currently has a shortend y block distributor in it.
Looks awfully long to be running between your engine/fan/radiator. Maybe for a stationary/industrial engine?
Your lucky day Vertex magneto drive for a flathead ford v8 F.T GRISWOLD MFG.CO i have a 1951 catalog they were the exclusive distributor for north america location was Wayne Pennsylvania. mags and parts from Soleure , Switzerland. And did you know Lindbergh's '' Spriit of Saint Louis in 1927 was sparked by a Scintilla Vertex Magneto.
When looking at the drive from the front if it was on a motor it appears that it would lean tword the drivers side?
Mine bolts up like 32 barn cars it clears the stock 32 fan and radiator . If you can get a photo of the engine in MOE MORRISON 32 it leans more to the drivers like yours. now all you need is the MAG.
Vertex itself made at least two...The '32 one is vertical because there is enough space behind the fan, '33-up one leaned over to clear the tighter space... They even made a conversion back for the stock ignition switch so that normal on-off operation would ground out the mag to stop.
Now, the Griswold part. Is that actually speed equipment or did Griswold manufacture the original drive for early flathead mags sold by Vertex?? Vertex did offer such a setup, at least two in fact...I have a brochure with what I posted above, two different angles for 1932 and roughly '33-6...I would ***ume most went onto industrial or farm engines, but the special ignition switch part means vehicles too.
F.T. GRISWOLD MFG. CO. They had over 75 applications for the Vertex mag. the Vertex relay switch has there name on it. The extra ground switch for starting and stoping may be eliminated by installing the relay switch. It permits the vertex to be controlled by automotive ign switch. The relay switch and wireing when conn between Ign switch and mag it opp as ground circuit for the mag allowing the eng to be stoped . with the iGN sw ON the relay opens and magneto current is allowed to function. When i GOT my mag the tag had there name on it i found a add in an old SPEED AGE MAG and started looking mine is off a flathead FORD ALLARD so I am told . They also sold Weber carbs lodge plugs bxs coils alfa romeo.
You have the longer of the two most common right angle mounts, to put a mag in that drive you will need the gear and shorter shaft to mount to a magneto, you can use just about any clockwise turning mag and have it setup to work in a flatty, (flathead or SBC) chevys svae you the most money. Once in a while the gear will show up on ebay, the longer uit that you have will fit in a stock 32 location and just clear the radiator, the shorter of the two like the picture included pulls it much tighter to the motor, either way a fan setup will take some custom bracket work to offset the fan toward the p***enger side. also is a picture of the mag and what the gear looks like that you need to go down in that mount, maybe you could adapt the pieces you have or just run as is if you don't want a mag.
The proper gear that is need like seen on your mag is already on the distributor that came with this set up!
Impressive hardware. I wonder if anyone is repoping these? The shorter offset version would seem compatible with 33-34. Will she clear 59A stock pump belts and generator/fan?
Funny - the orientation of your casting is completely different than the other one shown (and the one that I have). Have you mounted it to a timing cover to see where the mag points?
Hate to drag up a old thread but anybody have a idea what one of these angle drives would be worth with a working ronco mag as a complete unit. I have one and have never seen another and this is the only thread I have found with one in it. A guy is hot after me to buy it but I don't have a clue what to ask and don't want to rip either one of us off. Thx
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