I am laboring in a pasture trying to get a 1967 Ford F600 with a 330 to start. The distributor seems to be an issue. I am getting no spark. The points are opening and closing but the continuity to ground does not change. When the cap is snapped on, there is noticeable movement in the cap. I decided to order another distributor on line from "block Performance Parts". It states that it is for a 1/4" oil pump drive shaft:It is my understanding that my truck is 5/16 and a bushing will facilitate the swap. Can anyone say if a bushing will solve the problem and what the part number is?This new distributor fits the 1958-1976 FORD FE ENGINES 332-352-360-390-406-410-427-428

PLEASE NOTE THESE DISTRIBUTORS ARE FOR THE "FE" BLOCK ENGINES THAT USE THE 1/4" OIL PUMP DRIVE SHAFT, THESE WILL NOT WORK FOR INDUSTRIAL "FE" ENGINES THAT USE THE 5/16" OIL PUMP SHAFT.


It is my understanding that my truck is 5/16 and a bushing will facilitate the swap. Can anyone say if a bushing will solve the problem and what the part number is?

 

So you have an FE distributor with a 1/4" drive on both ends in an FT block machined for a 5/16" distributor pilot hole?

If so, the distributor may be wobbling around a bit before it destroys the drive or driven gear.

This out fit has the bushing and a 1/4"/5/16" combo shaft so you can run an FE 1/4" drive distributor on top of an FT 5/16" oil pump:

Ford FE - Page 2 - Precision Oil Pumps

Sounds like you also have some electrical fault there. Is it connected exactly the same way as the old one? Do you still have your old condensor? You might try it.

But don't run it with a wobbly distributor.

 

I just ordered the new dizzy. I was describing the wobble in the old distributor that is not giving me any spark. The truck sat for years and someone took the cap and wires. I was going to start the truck and drive it home then fix years of neglect. It will not fire and the distributor is original. The vacuum advance diaphragm is cracked. I ordered a new distributor without points and I believe I will need a bushing for the distributor that I ordered. I was going to get the correct bushing but I don't know the exact part number. Thank you for your quick reply.

 

I just ordered the new dizzy. I was describing the wobble in the old distributor that is not giving me any spark. The truck sat for years and someone took the cap and wires. I was going to start the truck and drive it home then fix years of neglect. It will not fire and the distributor is original. The vacuum advance diaphragm is cracked. I ordered a new distributor without points and I believe I will need a bushing for the distributor that I ordered. I was going to get the correct bushing but I don't know the exact part number. Thank you for your quick reply.

I took your advice and I went to the website and ordered the bronze bushing. I am really putting you through the paces and I want you to know how much I appreciate the help!!!

 

You'll also need the oil pump drive shaft that goes from 5/16" to 1/4". For it to work. Or change oil pump to the FE style.

 

Welcome to FTE

Points and condenser ignition went bye-bye for some very good reasons. They did work, they were used for decades on millions and millions of cars and trucks, but they are not a "set it and forget it" deal.

It could be the points have a layer of crud on them. This is common, and can happen overnight. Over a decade or two, almost guaranteed. Take a fine file and carefully dress the point surfaces.

 

I put dual points in my 69 Cougar back in the 70's. I understand dwell and I understand vacuum advance and mechanical advance. I appreciate all the discussion and I think discussions about "old school" distributors is a healthy thing. I am a Vietnam era vet. I have two farms that I work hard to the point of sweating everyday all the way down to the point of saturating my underclothes and socks. Many of my friends have passed and the truck I am trying to rescue was owned by a very dear disabled Air Force veteran friend of mine, Rick. Rick and I have history together and much of it is associated around that truck. We where two men trying to beat Father Time and Mother Nature. We were tough and strong. We lived everyday like it was our last. Rick died in a VA hospital. His truck is now sitting in a field on his abandoned farm that will soon be a subdivision. I am determined to get his truck back up and running. I had to take a chainsaw in order to get to the truck. I opened the hood and a snakeskin was hanging down the front of the engine, across the exhaust manifold and down the back of the engine. The distributor cap was gone and the plug wires missing. The oil bath breather was in the front seat. Mice and ground squirrels were having family reunions in the truck. I soaked the carburetor parts in a gallon of carb' cleaner. I could not rebuild the fuel pump so a new one took its place. I ordered a new distributor and went ahead and got one with electronic ignition. The worn plate in the old dizzy was worn out. The vacuum advance diaphragm was cracked. I am relying on you all to help me with active conversation and good advice. My truck is a 1967 F600 with a 330 engine. The engine is "C" code. It was a common farm truck that helped build America when a lot of young men were coming back from nights spent in rice patties in a foreign country then coming back to a neglected farm that needs a lot of work. Their trucks were what helped them to pickup the pieces and put their lives back together again. This truck did exactly that.

 

 

Good news: I took the old dizzy out and mic'ed it. The new distributor will work without an adapter or a bushing. My old dizzy is for a 1/4 inch hex drive oil pump shaft. The hole in the intake matches the new dizzy, as well. I hope the bushing that I ordered is returnable. LOL. Thanks for the help. (So the VIN shows the engine as a "C" code and the engine is machined for the 1/4 inch distributor and not the 5/16).

 

Your engine is the medium duty model, not the heavy duty.
The medium duty 330 is a FE engine with FT heads and intake, the block, crank, timing cover, water pump, oil pump and dist are all standard FE items.
About the only common FE part on a heavy duty FT engine is the valve covers.

 

Destroked, Thanks for the reply. I was in the military in the early 70's and I worked at night in a junkyard. I saw a lot of muscle cars and and some classics come through the yard back then. I have to admit that there were not a lot of farm trucks coming through so I never got a firsthand education on FE vs FT. This old truck is teaching this old dog some new tricks. I do not intend on modifying or changing the truck a whole lot. I did order a new distributor and originally was going to just add PerTronix but I took a chance on a HEI distributor from Block Performance Parts. Dan, at BPP, has been very helpful and he deserves the highest customer service ratings that I can give anybody. I have hardware in my back and pins and screws all over my tired ole body. I just do not see me climbing up and changing a set of points and condenser every other year or so. I will do good just to keep the oil changed. LOL I have a farm and a lot of old equipment to maintain so this truck needs to be reliable to haul heavy loads that my F250 4X4 cannot handle. Thank you so much for the technical information. When I first bought the the truck, (for $200.00) I had NO idea what year model or what engine I was dealing with. I am slowly coming out of the fog and starting to get a grip on it now. This forum is a great place that has helped me before and I am sure it will again. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

 

My next big challenge will be the brakes...

 

First thing is: Thank You for Your Service.
I graduated in 73, didn't like the was our government was treating you gays and decided not to join, had a 1H draft card but never got called.
Those old trucks are for young mechanics not us old weak backs, I've stood on my head removing and installing those 75 lb intakes to many times. Today if it doesn't have tilt front were I can walk up beside the engine I don't want to mess with it.
Spent over 30 years as a big rig operator and mechanic, today we farm a little over 300 acres, mainly cattle and hay along with a 3 house poultry operation.
I have a F-450 converted to Cummins power to pull goose neck trailers for most of my hauling but do have a F-800 diesel with a dump for rock, dirt, ect.

Hopefully the brake drums are ok on that rig, those are near impossible to find these days, the rest can be found.

 

Not everybody had to serve in the military or be a public servant in order to be a Great American.

 

I believe I am allowed to give a big shout out to SwapMeetParts, DCB Auto Parts, LLC, Dan Block with Block Performance Parts. That is where I bought my distributor. It is a family owned business around for more than 15 years. Dan was very very helpful and explained to me that there is a hot wire going to my old coil that has a resister in the circuit buried in the wiring under the dash. This resistor has to be bypassed in order for the HEI coil to use the same coil wiring as the old coil. Do you have any idea how much heartache and headache that saved me?