When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
the unhardened aftermarket weights is what causes the "football" to wear out. if you use aftermarket weights case hardened them before using.
I respectfully disagree with this. Soft metal (or soft anything) can not wear out harder metal or material. It works exactly opposite of that theory. Can't cut glass with a popsicle stick.
I just rebuilt this distributor for someone with a 71 Vette.
The shaft I installed looks similar to yours and after the rebuild I was able to set the curve and it ran up to 5000 RPM on my machine with no problems.
He installed it in his car and said the car never ran better.
The weld does not interfere with anything.
Joe
Mine worked fine as well - no issues! Save some time and aggravation and use it.
I respectfully disagree with this. Soft metal (or soft anything) can not wear out harder metal or material. It works exactly opposite of that theory. Can't cut glass with a popsicle stick.
I respectfully disagree with this. Soft metal (or soft anything) can not wear out harder metal or material. It works exactly opposite of that theory. Can't cut glass with a popsicle stick.
that is not how it works as have rebuild dozens and dozens of dist. in my life time and I know what I the seen. as the soft unhardened steel wears away the debris generated cut into the hardened part like an abrasive.
that is not how it works as have rebuild dozens and dozens of dist. in my life time and I know what I the seen. as the soft unhardened steel wears away the debris generated cut into the hardened part like an abrasive.
It is common for the harder material to wear the case of rubbing contact. Material is initially worn away from the softer surface, but the wear particles embed to the softer surface and grind away at the harder surface over time. The wear particles contain oxides that are often harder than either of the metals. It is the same phenomenon by which a soft rubber oil seal can grind a wear groove into a shaft of insufficient hardness. We see variants of this type of failure on industrial machines all the time.
It is common for the harder material to wear the case of rubbing contact. Material is initially worn away from the softer surface, but the wear particles embed to the softer surface and grind away at the harder surface over time. The wear particles contain oxides that are often harder than either of the metals. It is the same phenomenon by which a soft rubber oil seal can grind a wear groove into a shaft of insufficient hardness. We see variants of this type of failure on industrial machines all the time.
Excellent point, and true, but I'm still not sold on this happening in a distributor. Of course I could well be WRONG. I have been before, more than once. I've seen the pins wear simply from a ton of duty cycles/miles, with the original plates. But yeah, I too have seen many grooved crankshafts with seal wear and journal wear from relatively soft bearings that had abrasives imbedded into the soft babbit.
Yes it might work fine, but I rather have one that looks like this, (first picture) it shows that some one cared about making a precision part.
Just look at the edges of the football.(second picture ) I rather have a smooth surface for my weights to move against.
The second picture is of a brand new shaft......
Jack
I've rebuilt several and all the new shafts looked like the first picture, clean and no welds at all. The second photo (your new one) almost looks like someone tried to braze another football to a new shaft. Pilot Dan
I've rebuilt several and all the new shafts looked like the first picture, clean and no welds at all. The second photo (your new one) almost looks like someone tried to braze another football to a new shaft. Pilot Dan
I am saving a fortune on fuel by not driving. Got to look on the bright side of things
Jack
I've rebuilt several and all the new shafts looked like the first picture, clean and no welds at all. The second photo (your new one) almost looks like someone tried to braze another football to a new shaft. Pilot Dan
Nobody makes the "correct" footballs any more......originally there were probably a hundred different shapes. If you buy a new shaft from almost all of the vendors, including LIC, there are only 2 footballs currently being reproduced..................a generic low HP and a generic high HP. The high HP football being used is actually from an early seventies 454 distributor!
About ten years ago, I bought the generic "high perf" shaft from a well known vendor, and found that the football was installed upside down with the pins also upside down to match. If I didn't look closely I wouldn't have noticed. I called all the vendors, and they confirmed that theirs were upside down as well. They all (hopefully) called the manufacturer and alerted them as to the problem, as I suggested they do.
The more experienced and well respected distributor rebuilders use a new generic shaft, remove the generic football and braze on an original and correct football from their inventory of good, used parts. The football shown by Jackfit is no longer being repopped. I suspect that it is a real, old part that was brazed on to a new shaft. The original brazed joints were sloppy, but they don't interfere with the movements of the flyweights. More important is that the football is square with the shaft, and "clocked" properly. Yes, clocking is important because it determines the phasing of the points cam and rotor tip direction.
I agree with Clem/Motorman about the limiter bushing. I have lost my share of them. If you buy an ACCEL weight kit, it comes with a bronze bushing which is a press fit. I use a small dab of JB Weld to insure that it doesn't come loose.
The first photo shows the original football for 327 365/375 HP engines. The second photo shows the assembly problem with the football being installed upside down. This is the generic high perf shaft, and the properly installed football is shown above the distributor, not installed:
Last edited by 65tripleblack; 06-17-2017 at 11:07 AM.
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10, '14-'15
Originally Posted by Gary's '66
But, will add to that. Do not to use anything but a BRASS advance limiter. Pin or no pin that plastic is going to degrade over time due to heat exposure.
Gary
GM built Boo Coo Distributors and motors using the Nylon collar which holds the distributor drive shaft on the oil pump tang and prevents it from slipping lose.
In My case if failed after it dried out when the Vette was sitting for a while while other items were under repair. When started ...if failed after 5 min of running causing loss of oil pressure. I was lucky and caught it n the first 15 seconds when my Lifters sounded like solids.
Went to the "ARP" Steel collar to prevent this from happening again. You can see the damage to the oil pump. It tore up the tang n the distributor drive shaft also.
Rather then rebuilding and old distributor unless you into keeping originality...I would recomend a Nice Brandy New Ball Bearing MSD Distributer.
But Then again...It's your Corvette ..do what you think is right for you.
Last edited by Viet Nam Vett; 06-17-2017 at 01:07 PM.
GM built Boo Coo Distributors and motors using the Nylon collar which holds the distributor drive shaft on the oil pump tang and prevents it from slipping lose.
In My case if failed after it dried out when the Vette was sitting for a while while other items were under repair. When started ...if failed after 5 min of running causing loss of oil pressure. I was lucky and caught it n the first 15 seconds when my Lifters sounded like solids.
Went to the "ARP" Steel collar to prevent this from happening again. You can see the damage to the oil pump. It tore up the tang n the distributor drive shaft also.
Rather then rebuilding and old distributor unless you into keeping originality...I would recomend a Nice Brandy New Ball Bearing MSD Distributer.
But Then again...It's your Corvette ..do what you think is right for you.
when GM used the nylon coupler oil was real oil not a combo of chemicals which most likely attacked the nylon from the old days.
Last edited by PAmotorman; 06-17-2017 at 01:37 PM.
06-16-2017, 08:04 AM
Look at the football
Mine worked fine as well - no issues! Save some time and aggravation and use it. 
Pilot Dan
