Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 34 ford Distributor

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion << previous || next >>

Posted By Discussion Topic: 34 ford Distributor -- page: 1 2     gregthor 09-24-2010 @ 7:14 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 8 Joined: Sep 2010 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 Keystone 34 3w 09-24-2010 @ 7:55 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 23 Joined: Aug 2010 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. gregthor 09-25-2010 @ 6:59 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 8 Joined: Sep 2010 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 40 Coupe 09-25-2010 @ 7:49 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1679 Joined: Oct 2009 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. TomO 09-25-2010 @ 8:58 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7256 Joined: Oct 2009 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 supereal 09-25-2010 @ 10:15 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 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. gregthor 09-25-2010 @ 7:54 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 8 Joined: Sep 2010 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 ford38v8 09-25-2010 @ 9:28 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2766 Joined: Oct 2009 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 supereal 09-26-2010 @ 10:26 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 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 Stroker 09-26-2010 @ 10:35 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 Alan & Bob: Maybe we should say: "If I only knew now, what I knew then".

<< previous || next >>

PAGE: 1 2

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

EFV-8 Club Forum Home | Back to Home Page | Contact the Webmaster

Copyright © 2009 - EFV-8.org
Powered by < CF FORUM > v.2.1