| gregthor | -- 09-24-2010 @ 7:14 PM |
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Hello, I am new to old ford V8's and I am stuck. Can anyone point me to an instruction sheet or tell me how to replace the rotor on a 34 flathead. (21 bolt)The distributor is out & on the bench, the inner & outer caps are removed. Now how do I get it apart to replace the Rotor??? Thanks in advance for your help!!! Greg
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| Keystone 34 3w | -- 09-24-2010 @ 7:55 PM |
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If I remember correctly, you have to remove the advance adjuster, remove the vacuum plunger then there is a wire type snapring on the inside breaker plate that you pry out of its groove then the aluminum housing should slide or separate from the insides. Hope this helps.
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| gregthor | -- 09-25-2010 @ 6:59 AM |
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I did see that "snap ring wire" and could'nt figure out its purpose. I will look into that. By the looks of the rotor many mechanics before me have done a tune up with out changing the rotor, but you can only do that so many times?! Thanks Greg
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| 40 Coupe | -- 09-25-2010 @ 7:49 AM |
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yes remove the vacuum piston, then note the setting on the advance retard plate (hash marks) and then remove the center screw of the plate and the plate itself. the internals can now come out without removing the snap ring. Often they are stuck, if you take a propane torch to the outer part of the cast aluminum housing and WARM (NOT HOT)the casting at the rear toward the engine mount, shake it and the internals should fall out. slide the old rotor off the end of the shaft, sometimes there is a thin metal washer on one end of the rotor so when your shaking the internals out, it can fall out, so be careful there. The washer is used if the rotor has end play after installation and is not always needed. check for the end play and check that the rotor does not hit any of the inner distributor cap terminals before calling the installation complete and reassembly.
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| TomO | -- 09-25-2010 @ 8:58 AM |
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If you need to replace the rotor, usually the points and caps also need to be replaced. When the points are going to be replaced it is strongly recommended that you have them set up on a distributor machine. The current supply of contact points are not the best quality. Setting them up on a machine allows a competent operator to fix problems such as weak tension or shorts, before the distributor is replaced on the car. Some of the reproduction inner caps have studs that are too long and the rotor will contact them when the engine is running. This damages the rotor. Baxter Ford in Kansas and YesterYear Ford Parts in Michigan are 2 reliable sourced for rebuilt distributors. Tom
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| supereal | -- 09-25-2010 @ 10:15 AM |
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If the rotor is worn, it is likely that the bushings are loose, as well. We are seeing repro rotors and caps that are not correct, so carefully inspect the gap between the rotor tips and the cap terminals. Do this with the coil in place to apply pressure to the rotor.
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| gregthor | -- 09-25-2010 @ 7:54 PM |
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Thanks for all your help!!!! The car is a 34 3 window coupe that has been in the owners family since every one in the family can remember. It was restored 25 years ago & has been sitting ever since. The owner wants the car for his son's wedding on Oct 2 so we decided to skip the rotor for now. We did get the car running today with new points, plugs, condensor, inner & outer distributor caps & fresh gas. We had a pile of black dust and mouse nest stuff big enough to fill a large coffee can fly out of the exhaust! I have had a ball working on this car, I am going to jion Early ford V-8 club. My hobby is 60's muscle cars and we are working on this car for fun for a friend. You all have been very helpful. I am going to ask the owner if he will bring the car back after the wedding so we can finish the distributor but I am seeing a consistant theme here that I should send it to a shop. Supereal do you run a distributor shop?? Do any of you live near Holland, Mi?? My dad's fist car was a 34 ford so it has ben really fun to learn about this car. I will try to post pictures later, but I am in mt 50's and find posting pictures difficult. Thanks again for all the help. I hope to do the rotor after the wedding and I am sure I will need more help. Thanks again!! Greg
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| ford38v8 | -- 09-25-2010 @ 9:28 PM |
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Greg, you're in your 50's? WOW! Most of us flatheads would give anything to be in our 50's again! If I only knew then what I know now... Alan
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| supereal | -- 09-26-2010 @ 10:26 AM |
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Me, too, Alan! Our shop is in Iowa, and we do work on flatheads as time permits. Your best bet is to send your distributor to my friend, Skip Haney. He is an acknowledged expert, and keeps the necessary parts on hand, shortening the time it takes to rebuild a distributor. His e-mail is skip@fordsrus.com
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| Stroker | -- 09-26-2010 @ 10:35 AM |
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Alan & Bob: Maybe we should say: "If I only knew now, what I knew then".
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| supereal | -- 09-26-2010 @ 3:14 PM |
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Dan: Perhaps that should be "what I THOUGHT I knew then">
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| gregthor | -- 09-26-2010 @ 3:51 PM |
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Well Thanks a bunch guys!!!, I am heading to Germany on business an might be off line for a few days. The 34 idles but doesn't develop power, I think we will miss the wedding... We did our best but now the water pump is leaking.... I think the distributor needs to go to Skip before it will run correct. The compression test was 7 cylinders 90psi and one cylinder 60 psi. We did rebuild the carb & fuel pump also and replaced the gas tank & gas lines. If it is getting fuel and air then it boils down to spark...distributor..!! I am still having fun with this car though. I think the distributor is not set right. Thanks again, Greg
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| ford38v8 | -- 09-26-2010 @ 9:34 PM |
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Greg, Two ideas for you: Your exhaust pipe is clogged. On your carb and pump rebuilds, you may not have a correct float level, or your pump may have slop in the rocker arm as most kits these days don't supply a new arm. The fix is a new arm, not a slug cap on the pushrod. OK, that was 3 ideas. Alan
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| supereal | -- 09-27-2010 @ 10:47 AM |
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With that low cylinder, I'd suspect valve problems. Do a dry/wet compression test to confirm that. Most of these older engines contain gobs of sludge in the valve chamber. Have fun in Germany!
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| TomO | -- 09-27-2010 @ 10:52 AM |
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The point gap and timing may be incorrect. Try Yesteryear Ford Parts in Livonia, MI for a rebuilt distributor. Dave is very helpful and may be able to give you more information pver the phone. http://yesteryearfordparts.com/ Tom
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| gregthor | -- 10-02-2010 @ 4:01 AM |
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Hello from Aschaffenburg, Germany!! Good News, the latest news from Michigan Friday night is that the 34 Ford is running and will be in the wedding today (but with a follow pit crew car). We called Skip but the distributor would not make it there & back in time.(thanks for the suggestion Supereal) My son Carl suggested to call his friends Dad who is a mechanic that has a 32 ford & he had some knowlede & a distributor machine. A special Thanks to all of you for your help!! In the end I think it was a combination of ignition issues & a clogged muffler (so Thank you Ford38V8 for the idea to check the muffler). I was fooled into thinking that a coffee can full of carbon & mouse stuffing was all of the plugged muffler but apparently there was more. Now that the car is running, the water pump is leaking really bad & I think the radiator is shot also, it is ok when you drive but water overflows with you park it. It has a big fancy radiator cap without a gasket. The owner said leave it for now. He really wants it in the wedding. (This was grandpas car and they really would like to see it in the wedding) I am not sure if the owner wants the car back as is or if he wants us to keep going to make it a dependable driver. The engine is still tight from the rebuild 25 years ago & needs 12volts to start it. Thanks again guys!!!!! Greg ps I will ask my kids to help me send photos when I am back in the states
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| gregthor | -- 10-25-2010 @ 9:19 AM |
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Update! The car made it in the wedding and it a hit at the wedding. Many memories of Grandpa and his love of cars from people that were at the wedding. We returned the car last Friday night and I took these pictures just before we returned it. In the spring we will probably get the car back to fix the cooling problem, add a ground stap to the starter or maybe go to 12 volts. I am now getting my monhtly magazine from the club so I can learn more about these cars in the mean time. I know you all know what a 34 3 window looks like but I wanted to attach a picture anyways, I hope it came through. Anyways THANKS again for all your help getting this car on the road, I could not have done it without you guys!! Greg
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| gregthor | -- 10-25-2010 @ 9:27 AM |
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I guess only one picture went through. Here is the other one. Greg
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| ford38v8 | -- 10-25-2010 @ 7:55 PM |
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Greg, that's a honey of a little coupe! We'd all sell our sisters to get our hands on that beauty! Please don't go 12 volt. Too much to convert to do it right, and so little to do to make the 6 volts work for you. If it's a modern radio or disc player you want, you can get a converter for those thingys pretty cheap. My opinion on a radio in an old Ford is that it should hum like the original. I want to hear the flat motor anyway, not tunes! So glad it added some nostalgia to the wedding! Alan
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| gregthor | -- 10-26-2010 @ 9:07 AM |
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Alan, I don’t think I will switch to 12 V; it seems you guys have a lot of good ideas to try before I go to that extreme. A ground cable to the starter is one idea to try. We replaced the battery cables with really thick ones, but there was a braded cable that didn’t look to good that we didn’t replace yet. Also, I think the motor is really tight. It only has about 15 miles on it. I think if we can fix the cooling problems, we can put some miles on the car and it might loosen up a bit and be able to start with the 6 V (now to start it we need to jump it right at the starter with 12V). Besides totally having fun working on this car another reason that it was so fun is that my Dad’s first car was a 34 ford. See attached picture of my Dad & his 34 taken in 1945 on Ohio Street in Detroit Mi. The picture didn’t scan well but in the photo I can see the rubber weather strip on the door is falling down and a crack in the front fender (my Dad said that was common). Also by looking at the tires, they must not have had Armor All back then. Talking about this car always puts a smile on my Dad's face. He said the clutch slipped and his buddy could beat him with a Whizzer bike. I have added a 34 ford to my bucket list. It was really fun to drive. The shifter has a long throw compared to the Hurst shifters in my GTO but I like how you have to have a “feel” to get the shifts right. It makes you feel ”one with the machine” when it goes smoothly! Greg
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