The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Help with my distributor please

Decided to freshen up the distributor of the newly acquired 235. After looking at the points I noticed that one of the springs was not attached and the points wire was barely hanging on. Simple fix, right? I thought after loosening the nut on the post that there would be a gap to put everything in but I can’t make a gap. Tried *gently* tapping on the post but nothing. Didn’t try harder because I didn’t want to damage anything. Suggestions?

Thanks

There is normally a nut that goes inside the insulator block that you unscrew using a pair of small needle-nosed pliers or you can use a small screwdriver. But you have a rubber grommet on the outside, so I'm not certain what you have there. Please let me know if you need me to provide digital images.

I had a distributor handy so I went ahead with the image of it. There's a nut which holds the connector on and under that is the slotted round nut which keeps the whole she-bang in place.

GM had a special tool to loosen the slotted nut that's down in the recess in the outboard insulator. A work around is grinding a gap into the center of a stubby straight bladed screwdriver to clear the threaded stud, or filing a piece of 1/4" steel fuel line to leave a couple of projections to engage the slotted nut. The vintage OEM tools are usually available on Ebay.
Jerry

Thanks Jon & Jerry. The odd nut was exposed from the grommet and I tried using small needle nose pliers but the whole post turned. Couldn’t get anything on the other end to stop it. I was able to align and stuff the 2nd spring and the condenser wire into the gap, and then gently tapped them down. It was a very tight fit and I hope they stay put.

I found that there was a lot of compacted, hard, dry grease in the cup and in the channel behind it leading to the shaft. I used solvent and a small screwdriver to finally get it cleaned out. The whole thing was rusty, crusty, and ugly, so I used the wire wheel to clean the distributor and small parts then painted them. Reassembled it and it turned out nicely.

Thanks for helping me.

Some of the antique tractor parts places have those insulators and stud assemblies available brand new, as Delco Remy supplied some of the farm equipment manufacturers with ignition systems. I believe Oliver tractors in particular used Delco electric systems, and possibly some International and John Deere models as well.
Jerry

Good to know Jerry. I browse through a Tractor Supply store or two every two weeks when I’m out in the country with my job. Love that place! I’ll bet I can find some orange Kubota or Allis-Chalmers spray paint that’s close enough to FRAM orange. I’m restoring my original FRAM oil filter that goes on the new 235.

I think I've seen that insulator block on the shelf at my local Tractor Supply store, along with other ignition parts that are common to stovebolt bits and pieces.
Jerry

Deve pointed me at it.

Steiner Tractor Parts
810-621-3000

Delco Distributor Terminal Insulator part # ABC500


Steiner Tractor Parts

I bought one (and a spare) two years ago. Fits and works great.

One question, did you dig in the distributor behind the grease cup for the spring and the Bakelite spacer/rub block. You want to check that the spacer rub block is there. Otherwise the spring is riding on the shaft of the distributor wearing a groove in it.

Mike, I looked into the cavity after I removed the spring and got all the gunk out and didn’t notice anything there. The two small parts at the bottom of your first pic were not there. I’ll double check tomorrow, but I’m 99% sure nothing else was in that shaft. Thanks for letting me know. To be sure, the spring goes in before the grease fitting/cup correct? It doesn’t go *in* the cup?

That’s a nice assortment of drivers you’ve got. I’ve never had a need for any until this distributor project.

I’m crossing my fingers that the original distributor terminal works, but will get a new one if it doesn’t.

The plastic disc under the spring is a round part about 5/16" in diameter and 3/16" thick which rides against the distributor shaft, backed up by the spring which keeps the shaft pushed against one side of the hole in the distributor body. Its purpose is to keep the shaft from wobbling and changing the point gap as the housing wears. If the disc is lost, or wears out, the spring rides directly on the shaft and wears a groove in it. The proper positioning of the parts is disc/spring/grease cup/cap. A piece of 5/16" diameter round phenolic plastic long enough to make a couple of dozen wear discs can be bought on Ebay for less than $5.00. That's a lifetime supply for several distributors.
Jerry

I started using these nylon discs from my local box store.

So there are two styles of stud attachment for the points. The one in your photo and the kind in my photo. Which type do you have?

The drivers, yea I am a 235/261 tool junkie. If its a tool made specifically for the 235/261, I am ususlly looking for one, and frequently more then one lol.

Pre '68 Dave,

Do you shape the face of these nylon discs that rides against the shaft or just use out of the bag?

Thanks!

Out of the bag.

Mike, I don’t have the round, metal piece at the bottom of your 1st photo. What is it? Where does it go? Also, it’s hard to say what style of insulated connector I have because the outside is covered by the rubber grommet. I didn’t want to damage it so I left it alone. Looks like it still does a good job of keeping water and dirt out of the distributor.

Pre ‘68 Dave, do you have to cut down the nylon washer you reference? I doubt it just fits like a glove as is.

Thanks!

The plastic washer isn't a particularly precision fit- - - -it's only there to keep the spring from rubbing on the shaft. There's plenty of squeeze in the spring, so the thickness isn't a critical measurement. As long as it slides into the hole in the housing and touches the shaft, you're good to go. It will wear into a good fit to the shaft eventually.
Jerry

So the order of installation is install the Bakelite or nylon spacer, then the spring, stem and cup. The photo I posted of the parts, the smaller spacer is an original Bakelite part. The one to the right is a Delrin piece. A friend cut a few down for me from a piece of higher temp Deleon rod I picked up on eBay. Also, you want the spacer to be a bit smaller so the grease can get around the spacer and lube the shaft.

Thanks for the reply Pre '68 Dave, as well as input from everyone else. That is a nifty fix.

If you have access to a machine shop, there's a way to install a Torrington needle bearing at the top of the distributor housing that will eliminate ALL the shaft wobble and make using the grease cup, spring, and thrust disc a non-issue. Instead of the grease cup, I install a grease fitting with a 1/8" pipe thread into the housing, and give the bearing a tiny shot of high temp grease occasionally.
Jerry