Replacing Dist. Primary and Ground Wire???
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: McLouth
Replacing Dist. Primary and Ground Wire???
Does anyone know how remove the dist. cam lobe and points backing plate on a 48 Ford Flathead Dist??? I'm trying to replace the Dist. Primary and Ground Wire and I'm not sure how to access these two wires under the points backing plate...thanks in advance...no pun intended 
Jeff K.
Jeff K.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,294
Likes: 1,055
From: NM
Pretty sure you drive the pin out of the drive gear, and slide the whole works up enough to access the underneath. A good time to clean all the crud out of the distributor housing, remove any varnish from the shaft, and lubricate well.
BE SURE to mark the gear and shaft so you put it together in phase!! Also, don't drive the pin all the way out, just enough to clear the shaft. Very hard to get started...
BE SURE to mark the gear and shaft so you put it together in phase!! Also, don't drive the pin all the way out, just enough to clear the shaft. Very hard to get started...
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,294
Likes: 1,055
From: NM
You bet. I'm talking about the gear on the bottom of the distributor.
I just looked at my spare dizzies. Both have a brass feed thru for the primary wire (not a rubber grommet). It looks like you can feed the wire under the plate without any disassembly at all, but you're going to want the dizzy on the bench to do it. Same for the ground wire, the screw to the case of the dizzy is accessible.
As I recall others have replaced the brass feed thru with the grommet, and just RTV'd it a little to seal it.
I just looked at my spare dizzies. Both have a brass feed thru for the primary wire (not a rubber grommet). It looks like you can feed the wire under the plate without any disassembly at all, but you're going to want the dizzy on the bench to do it. Same for the ground wire, the screw to the case of the dizzy is accessible.
As I recall others have replaced the brass feed thru with the grommet, and just RTV'd it a little to seal it.
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: McLouth
Roger...I was afraid you were going to say that ;-) Oh well gotta get my feet wet sometime...I pulled the Dist. on my 65 before but I didn't mark it and had a bear of a time getting it re-timed...guess I can mark where I pulled it and hopefully it will go back the same way...any tips for this??
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
Likes: 3,126
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
I had to replace the wire under the plate in my F-2 and I don't remember having to pull the distributor although that would make it easier. I also don't remember having to disassemble the plate to get the wire under it. I think I just snake it in there. It's been some time since I had to do it, maybe 5+ years ago.
I also used some high temp wire I had laying around.
I also used some high temp wire I had laying around.
Believe Nothing
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,514
Likes: 398
From: W. Central FL.
When you route those very fine braid flexible wires , put a long curves in them as they flex. You want the wires flexing over a large length of the wire. If you install the wires with sharp bends they will break much earlier.
Mark the base of the distributor relative to some stationary point. Reference the rotor to a place on the rim of the distributor housing. Be mindful that the mark will be either as the distributor is viewed before you start to remove it or as the distributor driven gear disengages the cam driving gear. It does not hurt to mark both positions, just so you understand that the rotor will rotate as the distributor is pulled.
Mark the base of the distributor relative to some stationary point. Reference the rotor to a place on the rim of the distributor housing. Be mindful that the mark will be either as the distributor is viewed before you start to remove it or as the distributor driven gear disengages the cam driving gear. It does not hurt to mark both positions, just so you understand that the rotor will rotate as the distributor is pulled.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: McLouth
Well I got the Dist pulled and marked both the rotor position and the housing position...hopefully it will go back without any issues. Now my problem is I bought the wrong primary wire...the one I bought is a one piece unit with a hard rubber plug for where the wire normally would pass through the Dist. housing. I have a two piece primary wire that is attached to a screw with a plug head inside the Dist. I'm wondering if I could fabricate a new one if I can't find a replacement part??
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,294
Likes: 1,055
From: NM
That's what I was saying about removing the brass feed thru in the bottom of the distributor body (it's like a screw with nut underneath), and using the rubber grommet in the hole that's left there. RTV to make it sealed tight.
Believe Nothing
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,514
Likes: 398
From: W. Central FL.
Remove the screw and plug from the distributor. Grind that hard rubber plug to where it fits in the hole. Tight is good. A bit of sealer is good. Making the primary wire one piece was probably a cost saving move.
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: McLouth
Just a quick update...and thanks to all the excellent advice the past week in this thread...one of the great things about FTE...I get information that is relevant and useful.
I finally got ole Buck (my 48 F3) running Sunday night. It took me two days but I finally got the Dist. primary and ground wires changed...had to pull the Dist. to access them. I also replaced plugs, points, condenser, rotor, and plug wires just to make sure I'm starting fresh.
The tip about modifying the new Dist. primary wire was particularly helpful...I ground down the hard rubber plug and sealed it in to the old Dist. plug hole with a liberal does of RTV.
So far ole Buck is running pretty well...I re-timed it using the battery from my Jeep...great tip by the way...and it is purring like it did when it was new...well maybe a slight exaggeration
Anyway I took it out for a test drive last evening and it ran good the whole 10 plus mile trip on the back roads near my house. It won't win any land speed records but it got me from point A to point B which is all I really want anyway. Thanks again for everyone who weighed in on this question...just get ready for the next one. Jeff K.
I finally got ole Buck (my 48 F3) running Sunday night. It took me two days but I finally got the Dist. primary and ground wires changed...had to pull the Dist. to access them. I also replaced plugs, points, condenser, rotor, and plug wires just to make sure I'm starting fresh.
The tip about modifying the new Dist. primary wire was particularly helpful...I ground down the hard rubber plug and sealed it in to the old Dist. plug hole with a liberal does of RTV.
So far ole Buck is running pretty well...I re-timed it using the battery from my Jeep...great tip by the way...and it is purring like it did when it was new...well maybe a slight exaggeration
Anyway I took it out for a test drive last evening and it ran good the whole 10 plus mile trip on the back roads near my house. It won't win any land speed records but it got me from point A to point B which is all I really want anyway. Thanks again for everyone who weighed in on this question...just get ready for the next one. Jeff K.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jhweigel
1948 - 1956 F1, F100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
34
Sep 19, 2023 06:22 PM
jerryst
1948 - 1956 F1, F100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
14
Mar 28, 2017 02:25 PM
1972-34ton
1967 - 1972 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
2
Apr 24, 2009 08:35 PM
'86_150
1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
2
Jan 26, 2008 09:12 AM