The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Re-Cap Distributor Question

OK,Boys & Girls........
Has anyone got a definitive answer on the shaft greaser plug? Is it either the felt or plastic disc...or both...

Could it be...starting from the shaft:
felt plug,plastic disc,spring,grease screw?

Also, what kind of grease goes in the cap and area around spring?
Getting ready to put back together...AND thanks to the guys who supplied my goodies..you know who you are.
Thanks

For those who didn't gt into the debate last time...here is a pic of what I'm talking about.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i381/snipewarrior/Internal%20Parts/P1010013.jpg
Thanks

call chevs of the 40's they rebuild them professionally, and that should be an easy question for them.

Thanks,I'll call tomorrow.

After the last discussion on this, I dug out my original dizzy (I have a Mallory in it now) just to see what it had in there. The only thing left in there was some nasty old grease and the spring. Guess that explains why the shaft was as worn as it was!

So...what happened to the felt or disc...? or was it rebuilt and they were never put back? Can't believe I'm the only one who has ever come across this...Just doesn't make sense to have a spring up against a moving part..even if it does have grease around it. Thanks why I posted my original question....
Still confused....

I looked through the old car manual project (if you don't know about this, you need to, they have a section on old chevys) there were many service bulletins on delco remy distributors, but nothing about the grease cup, as a matter of fact it looked like they didn't even consider this a rebuildable part and you just bought a new grease cup (maybe) but any way chevs of the 40's is probably your best bet. Oh, and when you do find out, please let us know, don't forget about us after you get what you want...it will make me very sad.

I called Chev. of the 40's. No help...but did give me a # to Old Car parts...called and got info and parts #'s...( Posted on another question ). Still not any closer to getting a stock part or finding the correct placement/order of the disc and or felt...I did receive a felt piece and small disc from acouple of our kind members who took pity on me.....Names withheld for their supply's safety...But they know who they are and I thank them.Anyway..without any concrete answers I'm going to assume that the felt is going up against the shaft, then the disc which the spring pushes against to apply pressure on the greased felt to the shaft,then the cap filled with some kind of grease???? Will bearing grease work? or I have the white grease??
Thanks

I think I figured it out, if you are using the grease cup you don't need any of that, if you are using an OIL cup, thats when all that stuff is used. Look in OLD ONLINE CHEVY MANUALS there is a section on delco-remy distributor service bulletins. There is nothing about any felt disc or spring at all. I can't think of where I saw it but some distributors were lubricated with oil cups, and that would be consistent with the felt and stuff. actually I just went further into the service bulletins, and it is there in IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR MAINTENANCE.

Here is an earlier thread with links to diagrams that some of you might not have seen.

From the online Manual that Tim pointed to:

13. Install the bakelite shaft contact plug, spring and grease cup properly filled with chassis lubricant and install rotor on top of cam.

So...Just for the slow folks.....Just use the disc,spring and chassis grease....No felt plug....
That disc is going to rub against the shaft ..yes?
do I put some grease in first then the disc so their is some between the shaft and disc..the put in screen,fill the chamber with grease and then fill cap with grease and screw onto chamber.

Thanks

most likely the reason this is done is the same reason the engineers put the two bottom bolts of the timing gear cover INSIDE the engine, no bolt to hold the harmonic balancer, a steering box you have to take half the truck apart to remove, a master cylinder you need to use a funnel or a laser bomb sight to fill, the battery that tries to tear the skin off your knuckles when you go to lower it into the little hole, Little things like that. It doesn't make sense and doesn't need to be that way as can be evidenced by the fact they changed all that. The simple fact is the distributor will probably work fine with nothing but a grease cup, with a felt plug, a bakelite plug, or both. personally I would go with nothing spring loaded rubbing on the shaft if I were rebuilding it, it may not be concours correct but there were MANY things about these old beasts that could stand improvement. however I do have a freshly rebuilt distributor from chev's of the 40's still in the box (actually a ziploc bag) that I really don't know what is inside that part, and I am quite sure I will never know, because it was only $90 and will most likely last as long as I live, or long enough...