Flathead distributor tower swap

[48caddymn]

I need to swap distributor heads on my 1948 Flatead since the current head is in rough shape from sitting for many years.  The replacement distributor and tower I have must be for a manual transmission car since the tower does not have the shaft for the throttle linkage to pivot on.  Is changing out the towers as easy as pulling the two bolts, lifting up the distributor head and swapping them out? 

Also....the new distributor has ball bearings to help the plate inside rotate where my original appears to not have the ball bearings.  Anything I need to do or watch for when swapping everything onto the automatic tower??

Dan

[Steve Passmore]

Yes, as easy as that Dan. Check your timing after though.

[harry s]

Also be sure to engage the oil pump.    Harry

[Bob Schuman]

I agree with Steve, but if your distributor is the only problem, you do not need to disturb the tower. Disconnect the vacuum advance tube and the small wire from the coil, then remove the bolt holding the timing adjustment plate  and lift out the distributor. This is after removing the distributor cap, of course.
When reinstalling, be aware that the tang on the bottom of the distributor shaft is slightly offset to allow installation only one way. If you have it right it will drop right into the mating shaft in the tower. If 180 degrees off you can force it into position, with a bad wobble of the disrtibutor if you get the engine started.
Bob Schuman

[Steve Passmore]

I read it that Dan does not intend to change the tower because it does not have the shaft for the Auto box lever. Pulling just the head is OK but if you pull the tower also Dan then there's a different way to re-engage it as Harry said, you have to engage the oil pump too.

[gary griffin]

Bob, Thank you so much for that information. I was wondering how to easily tell if I was at number 1 or number 6. I stopped it at the mark on number 1 prior to installing the heads but still want to double check. Very pertinent to me today as I am putting my Flathead together.  I had 2 different problems. Starter was weak (Rebuilt locally) and heads were not re-torqued after first run in I so got water and anti freeze  in my cylinders. Replaced starter thanks to Harry Scott and got it spinning and the heads back on late last night. I am hoping to take my buddy who is helping me to lunch in it today?

[48caddymn]

Thanks for the information guys!! 

I do have both of the distributors on my work bench since the flathead engine that my car came with was seized tight.  I found a running replacement 1947 flathead from a Caddy that was removed for a LS swap; hopefully in the next month I can get the replacement flathead installed with the correct automatic transmission distributor tower. 

When you are talking about the offset tang on the bottom of the distributor Bob, are you referring to the bottom of the distributor head or the portion that slips into the oil pump??  The distributor was removed from the engine when I picked it up, so I will have to learn how to get the entire tower and head installed properly along with trying to get the #1 cylinder to TDS before I slide it in.

Dan

Is there anything else I need to check or replace before I install the distributor?  Obviously I will install new points, condenser, rotor and cap, but what about replacing the 6V coil? 

[Steve Passmore]

When you are talking about the offset tang on the bottom of the distributor Bob, are you referring to the bottom of the distributor head or the portion that slips into the oil pump??  The distributor was removed from the engine when I picked it up, so I will have to learn how to get the entire tower and head installed properly along with trying to get the #1 cylinder to TDS before I slide it in.

Dan

Bob is referring to the off set on the bottom of the distributor head. As the tower is not in your car you have to get number one cylinder to TDC. Make sure its firing stroke..   Assemble the distributor head on to the tower locating the offset. Use the rotor to point in the position where you want number one to be. Lower the whole down into the block until you feel it engage with the bronze gear. When it does engage with the gear the gear will turn the rotor one position so allow for this, pull it back out and adjust the position.    Drop the tower down as far as you can which will be until it touches the slot in the oil pump and is about 1/4" off the block face. With a socket on the crank pulley slowly turn the engine over while keeping gently pressure on the distributor and when the shaft turns enough it will drop into the slot in the oil pump.  The only other way to do this is to remove the pan and oil pump to locate the slot.

[Brad Ipsen CLC #737]

Dan,

You asked what other things you should be worried about in installing a tower.  A very important thing to check is the wear in the tower bushings.  The oil feed to these bushing is most likely plugged.  This leads to excess wear in the bushing which leads to the gear at the bottom of the shaft cutting the infamous brass gear.  The spec on the bushings is 0.002 clearance.  I have never seen a used one with less than 0.005.

[Steve Passmore]

Dan,

You asked what other things you should be worried about in installing a tower.  A very important thing to check is the wear in the tower bushings.  The oil feed to these bushing is most likely plugged.  This leads to excess wear in the bushing which leads to the gear at the bottom of the shaft cutting the infamous brass gear.  The spec on the bushings is 0.002 clearance.  I have never seen a used one with less than 0.005.

I second that.