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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 1941 ford distributor change over

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Posted By Discussion Topic: 1941 ford distributor change over -- page: 1 2     ken ct. 09-27-2011 @ 9:14 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1513 Joined: Jan 2010 If you install rubber nipples at the plug in holes your problems will be solved. ken ct. supereal 09-24-2011 @ 9:04 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 With the use of an adapter, you can update your '41 to the later "pancake" style distributor used from '46 to '48. It is easier to service than the original "helmet" type, in use until '42. That year, the "crab" distributor, a forerunner of the "pancake" was devised, but the cap caused problems when moisture came thru the radiator and entered the plug sockets. One of the advantages of the Ford system is that the dual points provide extended "dwell" that fully charges the coil. The disadvantage is the primitive vacuum actuated "snubber" that is supposed to retard the timing when under load. Usually, that isn't a big drawback, as most distributors haven't been set up on a machine to calibrate that feature, anyway. TomO 09-24-2011 @ 7:05 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7258 Joined: Oct 2009 Skip Haney may have a rebuilt distributor and coil for your 41. It should have 11A stamped on the drive tang. Here is a link to the website where you can get his contact information. http://www.fordcollector.com/ Tom 4ford 09-22-2011 @ 11:26 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 88 Joined: Oct 2010 thanks for your help. I have bult a lot of cars but not this vintage. and had good luck with changing over to elect ignitions. But if you guys think its not the thing to do well i like your expert opions. I will need to get the distributor becuse there is none on the car. thanks again!!!!! supereal 09-22-2011 @ 10:57 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The original style Ford distributor is, as said above, one of the most reliable units, designed above all, to be reliable, and able to be removed, replaced, and serviced by non-experts. The mechanical advance is well suited to the relatively slow turning engines, As long as the weights are free, and the springs in good condition, there is usually no need for fiddling. When the all vacuum distributors came along in '49, the adjusting of advance curves began, requiring a machine. Most of the aftermarket ignitions require extensive adjusting to give adequate performance. If that is your "thing", go for it. For those looking for "set it and forget it", it is hard to best the original. 4ford 09-22-2011 @ 9:59 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 88 Joined: Oct 2010 So what all you guys are advising me is to leave well enough alone.. and the conversion to the two bolt is not a good idia. again thanks for all input!!!!! Mike Stroker 09-21-2011 @ 3:16 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 4ford: I agree with Alan and Super in this regard: If you are building a "driver", stick with a stock ignition. If you are building a "racer" then go with an MSD system, keeping in mind that it will set you back about $800 including the module. If I owned an 8BA, or 8RT, didn't care about originality, and wanted to make it trouble-free, I'd consider jerking the "post style" side-mount distributor, and installing one of the earlier "helmut" or "crab" units, simply because they are so reliable. Since you already have a 59A, why make life more complicated than it needs to be? Henry's engineers were tasked with the concept of simplicity. The Model T low-voltage timer ran directly off of the front of the cam, because that is the location that will provide the most precise timing. The lack of monkey-motion skew gearing ensured that the spark would be initiated at the proper time. Today's engines go one step farther, by eliminating the timing gears; and trigger directly off of the crank. Model A's and B's violated this principle by driving the distributor off of the center of the cam with skew gearing, but we'll forgive them, since they also ran the oil pump off of the bottom end of the shaft. Above all, AVOID "conversions"! ford38v8 09-21-2011 @ 1:29 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2770 Joined: Oct 2009 Didn't want to give you this advice before you asked for it: Your original football distributor, when set up correctly with a fresh rebuilt coil (not a new chinese coil) is the best engineered,and most reliable of any mechanical ignition system ever made. To consider changing it out because it's time to service it is not good advice. You'll spend less and have better reliability by working with the Ford system. You asked for ideas, you now have mine. Alan 4ford 09-21-2011 @ 12:55 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 88 Joined: Oct 2010 Talked to a guy in tex today that will convert an two bolt distributor with elct ign and rertronix stuff in it. and give me a mounting plate with it?? sounds like the best of both worlds/ any thoughts supereal 09-21-2011 @ 10:11 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 We have installed the later, 8BA type, engine in several cars, the latest being a '38 tudor. The posthole distributor will clear the belt with the 8RT pumps. If the engine still has the narrow belt crank pulley of course that, too, must be swapped. The 8BA waterpump pulleys are offset, and won't work. Depending upon the type of distributor used, the carb may also have to be changed if the distributor is the later vacuum advance kind. As Dan pointed out, there is no boss on the pasenger side head for he distributor clamp unless you are using later heads. We make up a bracket to be placed under a head bolt, if finned heads or stock early heads are used. I have an aversion to aftermarket ignition systems, as I've chased problems in too many over the years. For street use, a properly setup stock distributor usually is the best choice unless you plan to constantly fiddle with the system.

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