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they are different!


Don Jordan

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I know there are those that don't always agree with me (not unusual) but here is a fact:

I have a '47 and a '48 P15.  I've been told they are the same.  I took the distributor out of one to put it in the other and the cap, rotor were different,  and the number on the plate is different.  I don't know if this means anything to anyone because it still fit but I had to change the whole thing.  I'll see if it works tomorrow.  There are other differences as well.

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As discussed previously, there are 3 or 4 different distributor styles and series that were used across the years and engines.  These distributors have several differences including body height, cap height, rotor design, points style and location on the breaker type.  These are distinctive by their series number beginning with IAT, IGS ,IAP followed by several numbers.  These series numbers should be used when ordering tune up parts. The good news is that these distributors will interchange through the post 1935 218 and 230 twenty three inch long blocks.  They would probably work in the 25 inch and visa versa with the change of the drive rod, as the larger blocks under a longer drive rod.  The service manual has a chart detailing differences in advance curves as the differentiating mechanical difference. I would guess the advance curves changed as compression ratio got higher.  The changes are so small they probably can't be felt by the seat of the pants butt meter I have collected about six or seven distributors over the years. When I rebuilt my 56 Plymouth 230, it ended up with a 54 Dodge distributor as it was the best of the bunch in matching factory specifications on an old Sun machine. I carry a fully prepped distributor I think it is out of a 51 Plymouth in my travel kit so in case of a distributor related failure, I can just swap units and be back on the road quickly.  

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If I remember correctly, the '47 came from the factory with 16" wheels where the '48 had 15". I once had a '46 Plymouth and I remember that the radio itself was attached to the firewall under the dash and the control on the dash had two cables running to the radio, one for the on/off and volume and the other for changing the stations. I'm not sure if it was factory or aftermarket?? My '48 Plymouth had a one piece radio that mounted to the dash.

John R

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On 12/23/2018 at 10:33 PM, Don Jordan said:

thank you for the very informative response to my post.   As long as I've been doing this I keep learning new stuff.  Another difference between the 2 engines is the length of the dip sticks. 

thanks again -

Yep, throw in the truck dipsticks, that go into the pan the short ones without the tube or the long on with the tube etc.  Hey ust run these till you're out then us what's in this next bin..  I think that was the Chrysler assembly line mantra across the years.  My 46 has a different rear universal than the cross and trunnion commonly found on both ends or most driveshafts.  But they are all the same other than that...

 

Edited by greg g
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I believe they switched from  16 to 15 inch wheels about midway through the 1947 model year.   Yes. there are two styles of headlight rims (with and without a

flange).  and both red and white reflectors......but I don't know the dates either were used.  Regarding radios......I believe the long-ish single piece unit was the

correct factory radio (as opposed to the one with the body of the radio on the firewall and a separate tuning head.  Radios back then were installed by the dealers

and perhaps some dealer had a source of the non factory units and liked to use them. 

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