Distributor sits 1/4 inch high...Won't go down all the way...Expert needed.

[83lee]

1966 Series IIa (new to me)
2.25

I've had all the parts out and back together numerous times. I can see that the PO had trouble with this because the Drive Shaft Coupling (doughnut shaped, later style, drive dog) has been ground thinner to allow the distributor shaft to sit down lower. It was a sloppy botch job and I want to fix it right.

So...I bought a new Drive Shaft (old type) and it fits just fine into the big gear, but still causes the distributor to sit 1/4 inch high.



Here's what I've figured:

1. The oil shaft seems to be fine.

2. The big gear is fine. The brass bushing is in good shape, the grub screw fits right into the hole. Have assembled this multiple times. Pretty confident it's right. If the grub screw fits right in, then the height must be right up to this point...correct?

3. The old-style Distributor Drive Shaft drops right into the big gear. I understand how the key works, and it fits fine. (I tried taking out the snap ring inside the big gear, and the Drive Shaft drops a little bit lower, but not enough).

4. The Lucas 25D Distributor seems to fit real nice into the Distributor Adapter (triangle casting) when it's out of the engine, but when I mount it on the engine, the Distributor pops up 1/4 inch!!!


I suspect I have a wrong parts issue:

1. The Distributor and Adapter may not be matching up to the parts below them. I have seen photos and drawings that clearly show a different Adapter that is thicker. Are there different parts out there that have to be matched up? Do I have the wrong parts?

2. Is it possible that the later Drive Shaft Coupling (doughnut style) is thinner by 1/4 inch? and should I be using it instead? (I had thought both drive shafts were interchangeable...that's why the big gear has both slots and internal splines).


Hoping someone has run across this before.

Thanks.

[Bertha]

Pics would be helpful. There are different clamp plates. If you post a pic of what you have I may be able to better advise you.

[83lee]

Working on the photos. Hope to have them posted later.

[cscutt]

Dizzi .25'' high

In the event that the photographs do not help, Pertronics has a complete dizzi that will remedie this problem. I had the same problem and after the replacement, things were back to normal.

[83lee]

See how high it's sitting.






Here are the players. Notice the modified Doughnut Drive by someone previous. Snap ring is from the inside of the big gear.










With the snap ring.




Without the snap ring.

[kevkon]

I'd say from the photos you have some combination of parts that is wrong. It seems obvious that the overall length is greater with the new drive. Perhaps the PO installed an incorrect replacement dist. and "made it" work.

[Bostonian1976]

mine does the same - even with correct distributor.

Gaskets seal up my gap

[kevkon]

So how does your locking plate fit properly?

[4flattires]

I'll offer this...

...from my 69 IIa with far more dirt, crud and years of patina:

Mine does not have the gap.

At first I was blinded by the new fuel pump and pretty wire colors and then realized you were talking about something else.

I won't speculate beyond that, allowing others with far sharper wit to add their powerful knowledge of part numbers and interchangeability.

Jeff

[SafeAirOne]

Well...I don't want to speak for Bostonian1976, but with the gap, oil squirts all over the engine bay and the locking/adjusting clamp doesn't quite fit on right. You need to put the clamp on JUST right when you tighten down the fixing bolt or the clamp will fall off the clamping surface on the distributor housing.

I hope you find the cure to this problem, because Jason (Bostonian) is suffering from the same issue.

FWIW, he changed out the distributor and had the same problem with the replacement, so I suspect that thie issue lies below the distributor assembly/drive shaft.

[kevkon]

In addition, that shaft assembly is supposed to have some free play ( notice the use of slip joints). I don't see how that can happen if the distributor housing is not properly seated. It seems to me that clamping the distributor down in that position is putting the whole shaft assembly in compression.

[83lee]

Thanks for all the responses thus far.


I do hope some old timers will jump in here with the real story...


Here's a photo I got from the internet. This is not my engine. This triangle plate looks much thicker than mine, and I wonder if it's what I need to reach up to the distributor flange? Could it be that the old style Drive Shaft goes with this old style plate...and the new style Doughnut Coupler goes with the thin plate?

I think I'll order a new Doughnut just to try it.

Anybody have a spare old style (thick) plate and clamp available? ...and a good used Doughnut for that matter.

[Bertha]

Good pics-here is the deal. You have an early truck with a later distrib plate set up. Without seeing the engine numbers, you may have a later engine in your truck as well(not that it matters)
The early distrib plate is thicker(part #549672) When using this plate, you need the 1 piece vertical drive part # 503266.

The plate you have looks like part# 549610 which corresponds with the 2 shaft components part #247806 and part #549611(which you show in your pics) and came on much later series trucks. What I find strange about your situation is that from the pics, you seem to have the correct drive and plate combo. Even though it is incorrect for your year truck, those components should work together. However if it were me , I would go with the original set up. This will require you getting the thicker plate(triangle piece part #549672) and using the new longer drive you state you just bought(should be part #503266).
When you got your truck, were these parts out of it?

[83lee]

Bertha,

That's great information.

Here's the story on this truck. It had been parked (mostly) for 15 years. Very little detail available except that it had a valve job some years ago. Not well cared for, it had 1/4 inch of sludge covering the entire motor, gearbox, etc., and various species had taken up residence within.

So, perfect project for my High School aged son and I to tackle.

Anyway, the engine number is 252xxxxx painted gray, so I believe it's original. The distributor is 40944A with a date code of 766, so that should be original as well. The distributor plate is 549610. And, it came with that beat up (and I assumed, modified) Doughnut drive.

The above parts do work together, but because of the grinding/modifying of the Doughnut, it runs poorly...rotationally, it's a sloppy fit. And I didn't know how much the guy had ground off vertically.

I purchased the longer drive (503266) because I thought it looked like a better design, and I thought it was a direct replacement. Now I know it's not.


So, I'm with you. I'm going to look for that thicker, earlier plate and clamp 549672, and use my new (old style) drive 503266.

[83lee]

Does anyone have a spare "earlier-type" plate and clamp?