The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1954 261 235 distributor are they the same?

I am puting my 54 261 back together after the rebuild and have the distributor the from the 261 and also have a better looking one from the same year 235 they look the same to me does any one know if they are the same. The one from the 235 has the red wire
thanks
josh
pictures

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=769998#Post769998

http://1954advance-design.com/Web%20images/216-235-261-cams/

The 1954 2235 and 261 cam gears on the distributor might be different.

I would check the Delco part number stamped in the points plate. You never know after all these years what has been changed around, the two you have may even be the same.

In later GM parts books Chev sold only one distributor #112403 to fit all 216,235 and 261 from 1940-63.

Thanks you guys, i did look at them agian and cleaned them up a bit and found they have the same #s 1112403 and use the same gears
josh

That's interesting. Do you know what the cam gear was made from? Was it forged steel, cast, or something else?

I only know the gear for a cast cam can easily be scratched with a file. A gear for a steel cam is very hard.

Distributor drive gear identification.

A. Steel gear has plain shank.
B. Cast iron gear has groove on shank.

1954 ALL (exc. P.G., 261) - steel, plain shank

Oilrag, I have seen you post this before, but I think that refers to replacement gears. The gears on both type distributors I have do not have a groove.

In my previous post I asked about the "cam gear" but I really was asking about the gear material on the distributor itself. I know you can't mix and match the cast iron and forged gears so I'm curious as to what material the #112403 uses(?)

here is a good picture of the cam gear from the 261 with #1112403 it is the same as the 235 they only have the one grove under the gear
Josh

This shows the difference in the distributor gears, courtesy of Old GMC Trucks.com.

That’s a dead link Charlie from my end.

This gear thing has been bantered back an forth more times than a Hong Kong
ping pong ball . So I wish some one in the know would really nail it down using
some common sense logic.

Now here is what I take away from this discussion, the previous discussion that
Tim link us to and the parts listing that Dave has listed, “In later GM parts books
Chevy sold only one distributor #112403 to fit all 216,235 and 261 from 1940-63.”
The later cast gear on the distributor is ok to use with any of the cams, cast or forged
steel. The forged steel gear is only to be used with the earlier forged steel cams and
not to be used with any of the later cast cams.
Now does that sound correct???

An original 1950, 216 distributor with plain shank gear (forged steel gear):
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/112011922/large
A spare 1950, 216 distributor with plain shank gear (forged steel gear):
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/138199624/large
One more spare 1950-53 216 distributor with plain shank gear (forged steel gear):
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/138199776/large
An original production 1954, 235 distributor with grooved gear (cast gear):
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/138199787/large
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

That is how I see it Denny!

Well, Sherlock, that makes sense to me. Maybe we can finally put this mix/match gear thing to rest.

I guess the link I posted can only be viewed by signed in members of Old GMC Trucks. I put a copy on photobucket and revised the link.

Now the next ?, I have a little play in the gear on the distributor shaft.(is my pin bad) The one from the 261 and the 235 have the same amount of play. or should it stay and not move at all
thanks
josh

The gears on my distributors do not move. It would seem to me that movement would affect timing/dwell?

I got the old pin out and yes it was no good, put the new one in and got rid of the play
thanks
Josh

Dave, you have a good memory.
I posted that back in Feb. 2010.
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=618468

Gear info, cast or steel, was from "Soup that Chevy" article,
and also the Master Parts Catalogs.

Distributor 1112403 looks like it was first listed in the 1955 MPC,
1955 - ALL 6 cyl. 12 volt (exc. 261).

I am so glad to have this info! I have always used a file to check gears.
Although not all gears that should have a groove do. I see that most do, some of the grooves are very faint.
I have some 1112403 distributors that do not have a groove and some that do.