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Posted (edited)

I got a 251 parts motor, and got it running but I notice that the distributor is wobbling when running.  The hold down bolt is tight.  I have a spare one dist from a 230 that I know is good.  Will these interchange or are they different?  I apologize if this has been covered before.  I did a search, but couldn't find an answer.  Thanks.  Mike

Edited by MBFowler
Posted

Thanks Don.

Posted

Post the distributor number and I will check Hollanders to see if any of the cores I have in the P15-D24 store will work. 

Posted

GTK, is all the stuff in the store your stuff?

Yes plus a bunch more I have to inventory. 

Posted

mike,

you can try to swap shafts, but my guess is the shaft is the reason the dizzy is wobbling, so that won't help you. you can take the dizzy out and attempt to gently straighten the shaft using a bench vise and some "arm torque". really, if it's already wobbling, you can't hurt it too much more. i bet you can get it pretty close, to where the wobbling stops.

wally

Posted

Big question is how did the shaft get bent? I dont know if all long block engines are the same but in my 251CI Desoto engine it is not possible to remove the distributor unless the engine is at TDC for #! and #6. If not at TDC the distributor shaft hits the skirt of the #3 piston and cannot be removed unless force is applied. I have never applied such force on my engine but I wonder if force was applied to the wobbley distributor at some point in time and that is how it got bent?

 

Or another possibility is if the wobbley distributor is from a military application? On some military engines (so I have been told) the tang on the distributor is not shaped the same as the civilian model. Both the oil pump and the distributor tang are designed to only go in one way so the soldier in the field can make no mistakes during assembly. I have never seen such a distributor but I have been told they do exist.

Posted

I spoke to an older mechanic tonight.  He said this was a common problem if the distributor couldn't be removed from the hole, prying on it would cause the bend. This is an ex firetruck, and I think the guy that I bought it from did some screwy stuff with it.  The wiring was a mess, and I pretty much had to rewire the whole thing.  Even though it's a low mileage vehicle, I think he was kind crude with the work that he did to it.   I thought I had another distributor that I could use, but even though its from a 251 its different (from a '39).  I'm going to try and straighten it somewhat.  If that doesn't work, I need a p/n 1193319 Chrysler dist.   Mike

Posted

I spoke to an older mechanic tonight.  He said this was a common problem if the distributor couldn't be removed from the hole, prying on it would cause the bend. This is an ex firetruck, and I think the guy that I bought it from did some screwy stuff with it.  The wiring was a mess, and I pretty much had to rewire the whole thing.  Even though it's a low mileage vehicle, I think he was kind crude with the work that he did to it.   I thought I had another distributor that I could use, but even though its from a 251 its different (from a '39).  I'm going to try and straighten it somewhat.  If that doesn't work, I need a p/n 1193319 Chrysler dist.   Mike

Mike you need to post the model number on the distributor. It is probably an Autolite model. 

Posted

GTK:  The tag on the dist listed it as a Chrysler dist p/n 1793319.  There were other numbers under that (1A04101A-1  BD086410).  Is that what you're looking for?  This has no facilities for vac advance, only mechanical.  Thanks.  Mike

Posted (edited)

don (and mike),

the shaft does indeed get bent when the dizzy is removed while the 3 & 4 cylinders are at the bottom of their stroke. that's what i suspect happened to mike's. it is possible to get virtually all of the wobble out. mine has been running for over a year without issue since rebuilding, after straightening the shaft (and no, i'm not the one who bent it by forcing it, but i saw it happen). i checked the points at each lobe of the cam, and the opening was the same at all six lobes. good enough for me. the engine idles exceptionally smoothly, and runs nicely right up to 2800 rpm (i don't generally take it any higher). the dizzy is the same as mike's, no vacuum advance, just mechanical.

edit: don, are you sure it's with #1 & #6 at TDC? on the 237, with 3 & 4 at TDC, the dizzy comes out fine, but if the 3 & 4 are lower in their stroke, there is interference (or potential interference) with the end of the dizzy shaft.

wally

Edited by wallytoo
Posted

3-4 at TDC will work, but how can you tell with the head on when that happens? I can tell with the head on when 1-6 are TDC and I know that is a safe zone to remove the distributor.

Posted

GTK:  The tag on the dist listed it as a Chrysler dist p/n 1793319.  There were other numbers under that (1A04101A-1  BD086410).  Is that what you're looking for?  This has no facilities for vac advance, only mechanical.  Thanks.  Mike

1AO 4101 is the ID number I needed. None of the inventory I have fits. According to Hollanders that was just used on a few models of trucks and not much cross overs as a substitute. 

Posted

3-4 at TDC will work, but how can you tell with the head on when that happens? I can tell with the head on when 1-6 are TDC and I know that is a safe zone to remove the distributor.

if you verify where the rotor is pointing when #1 & #6 are at TDC, you can use it to determine when #3 & #4 are at TDC. obviously, it's easier to set #1 & #6 using the plug on the head.

Posted

if you verify where the rotor is pointing when #1 & #6 are at TDC, you can use it to determine when #3 & #4 are at TDC. obviously, it's easier to set #1 & #6 using the plug on the head.

Good point. I had not thought about that.

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