FE Power Forums
FE Power Forums => Non-FE Discussion Forum => Topic started by: BattlestarGalactic on August 14, 2020, 10:56:15 AM
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Ok, anyone have an actual Mallory parts book from the 80's? 90's?
I have a 2655302 crab cap tach drive distributor that I would like to find the correct parts for. The biggest issue I found is getting the correct rotor. The crab cap is available and I'm sure the points and condenser are generic.
You can buy a 26 series rotor, but it is NOT for a crab cap(which is a much shorter rotor). Google lists nothing, I talked to Summit racing and they have no books or information on the REAL part number I could look for. I've searched plenty of places, but nothing comes up. Heck the crab cap number comes up as a std cap now if you search it. I know a few guys here have offered to sell me a crab cap distributor, but I only need a rotor(or two for that matter). I have the taller tach drive distributor and I thought I had a cap/rotor for it, but can't seem to find them right now.
I have a 2655301 in the wagon, basically the same distributor but it is a std cap. You can't mix/match parts because the cap register diameter is smaller on the crab cap model. Now, that's not to say I don't just make a ring to change that and make a std cap fit(and rotor). I'm going to do some measuring on the wagon and the blower motor. I know a std cap will fit(I have stock ford distributor in it now), but a crab cap would allow me to actually REMOVE the cap with the blower in place which is the whole reason for this project.
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I have two older Mallory catalogs, I checked the Jan 1979 Mallory catalog, and I couldn’t find anything with either that distributor number or the flat cap & rotor, but in the Oct 1988 catalog I found a diagram and part numbers on the marine distributors which shows the flat cap. I didn’t see any info in that catalog on your distributor part number though. The diagram shows a part number 319 rotor. It also shows that 319 rotor with a 427 Chris Craft marine distributor with flat cap. I did a little internet searching, and it looks like that 319 rotor has been discontinued, but maybe not long ago. It shows it discontinued on the Holley website, but still has the picture up. There are some NOS Mallory #319 rotors on eBay, with pictures, so maybe that will help to see if that’s the right one. And yes, Summit shows that #221B flat cap as still available new. Here are the catalog pages I’m referring to.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Hs9r6Zy3/6-B389-B0-A-D743-4-DB3-8-BA5-0-C30-F0-EA4-F27.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CzdM14Jf)
(https://i.postimg.cc/4d3CT3Lm/B438-F30-C-2969-463-D-A0-A3-4-ACC235-C39-AA.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/3yzfX3HT)
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I see one of the eBay Mallory #319 rotors shows an older box with a much different looking rotor. I have no idea if it changed along the way, or if the seller has a miss-boxed part, but again it’s a picture to check.
Also doing some web searching I see a couple people mention a Napa/Echlin #FA-64 as a replacement for the Mallory #319, so you might want to check that possibility.
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The Speedway Motors website is showing the #319 “older” style rotor, like listed in the EBay ad, in their “garage sale” section. Looks like it says call for availability. Listed under part number #500319.
(https://i.postimg.cc/j2Z4Ys1d/30-BC52-C0-C0-C3-4-B75-BC45-399-B2-D47-A454.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QKKTprsR)
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Thanks a TON Kevin. That is the kind of information I was looking for.
The rotor they show is the typical "taller" style that fits a std cap. It does physically fit my distributor shaft, but is too tall for a crab cap. I played around last night with a std cap and std rotor and it "works" but the cap is sloppy due to the difference in body diameter where it fits the distributor. That is why I will have to do some modifying if all else fails. I have the teknulogy!!! ;)
That rotor from Speedway looks like what I need, very short in height. It looks to be the same as the one for my "YC" tach drive distributor I have that I used to run in the wagon before buying the "YL" version I have now. I need to get the rotor out from it and see if it fits the 26 series(YL). If that works, I'm golden!
I'll get this all figured out one way or 'nuther.
Thanks again for the effort.
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Did a little looking:
309 rotor:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MALLORY-309-IGNITION-ROTOR-NOS/114327025438?epid=192162898&hash=item1a9e6bf71e:g:ZK8AAOSwv2ZfIGiT
319 rotor: looks the same as 309 above
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mallory-319-Ignition-Rotor-New/164247624954?epid=230303262&hash=item263debdcfa:g:GDYAAOSwLiBeOK9w
Here's another 319, but I think it is the version I need and it is just a short drive from my place.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-VINTAGE-MALLORY-319-DISTRIBUTOR-ROTOR-MADE-IN-USA-Y-SERIES-BUICK-CHEVY-FORD/171569438539?epid=230303262&hash=item27f255df4b:g:HNIAAMXQRPRTIwCe
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In the little bit of reading I did it looks there were a few similar looking Mallory rotors, but the shaft size may have been the difference. Just a FYI you might want to check and watch for.
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And pictures are very deceiving, thus I'm trying to get as much information as I can. Especially since they reused part numbers for parts that aren't the same thing.
I went out and found the short rotor from my that other YL tach drive. Only real issue is it is really, really sloppy and you can get way too much rotation out of it before the shaft turns. Ugh. I hope a new one fits better? I know the YC model had slop to it also and I used a touch of silicone on it to firm the fit up. I need to check my blue truck and the YL in it to see how it fits, along with the one in the wagon. They all can't be that sloppy.
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This is part of a current Ebay auction, so it'll vanish at some point, but it filled in a couple of gaps for me.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ASUAAOSwe7peqFbO/s-l1600.jpg
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See if you can find an old Standard ignition catalog, they used to make that stuff...
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Try 18-5411 Sierra Marine. I don’t know about the shaft size, some of those boat engines used a skinny distributor shaft and I can’t find a pic of the bottom of the rotor .West Marine carries the brand, but fir 7 or 8 bucks on eBay it won’t break the bank to try one.
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Thanks Greg. That rotor was about identical to the YC version I have, but the YC uses a hollow shaft with a notch in for location. The 26 series YL uses a flat cut on shaft which is what that one looks to be. For $7, I bought it.
This is part of a current Ebay auction, so it'll vanish at some point, but it filled in a couple of gaps for me.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ASUAAOSwe7peqFbO/s-l1600.jpg
Thanks, I saved that picture to my computer for future reference.
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Larry: checked my Mallory distributors today and most are YC. The 3 YL's I have are all tach drive with crab caps. (none have a rotor)
Yes you are correct YL's have a solid shaft with thinner body. YC's have the hollow shaft and body seems to be 1/4" wider
I've got a new in the box YC353 HP with new cap rotor and all the other parts. They will not fit the YL version.
Richard >>> FERoadster
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I just checked the pickup and wagon, both have newer style YL rotor with larger shaft and much better fitment. These early YL have just 1/4" of engagement on the .375 shaft and become sloppy very easily. The distributor I just got had a spring clip installed to give more "tightness", though it was still sloppy on rotation. I found another upper piece and thought it was tighter (with no spring clip) but it had rotation also. No good for setting timing when rotor moves 5-10*.
I removed the upper rod and realize it is an easy fix. Just need a piece of .375 rod and mill a new flat that is more inline with what the rotor is. The old shaft is like .300 across the flat. The rotors are .330 which gives it slop. Pretty ease upgrade for when that new rotor shows up. I'll hit Summit for a new cap and points. It should all come together now. I have a few pictures and will post them later.
Thanks again everyone for the input.
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This is the top pin that the rotor registers on. The flat is cut too deep, thus making the rotors sloppy enough that they can rotate around.
(https://i.postimg.cc/d1sKvgcB/distributor-1.jpg)
This is the two mounting shafts. The one shows the spring plate that does near nothing to keep the rotor snug.
The one in the distributor is more snug on the shaft because it is 1-2 thousand larger, but the flat is still too deep.
(https://i.postimg.cc/bw1Xnqzg/distributor_2.jpg)
Being they are only .375 mild steel it should be an easy fix to remake it.
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I ran one on my Fairlane with the crab cap before cutting it down to a crank trigger with a big Ford cap. I have another to run in my next engine and those parts were readily available 15 years ago and i suspect still are. Standard/Blue Streak had tan crab caps and rotors. It also looks suspiciously like the stock old Flathead Ford parts. I would imagine that is what Mallory used to make their crab cap Marine YL's.
I can get you the part numbers off the caps and rotors i have but that box is way buried behind my 427 and a bunch of other stuff.
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Thanks Tom.
I have a rotor coming, along with a cap. The points should be generic stuff. So, I think I have it covered besides remaking the post to better measurements.
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My rotor showed up, so I spent Friday afternoon putting the distributor in the car. Having to unbolt the blower and swing it around isn't a real big deal, just a PITA. Checked for #1 TDC, swapped them and put it all back together, reached in and turned the key and it lit right off. Wow!!! Only issue is I couldn't advance it enough because the tach drive hits the intake. I had the same issue with the wagon decades ago. So I pulled the distributor and ground on the plug a bit and retried it. Nope, not enough. Ugh. One more time and this time I ground on the intake.....being very cautious as to not hit water!!! Worked much better but still not quite enough as I can only get about 10* initial and I want a touch more. I'm trying to get about 34* total like I had before so I may need to adjust the arms to reduce mechanical advance. I don't like a bunch of total with the blower since I don't have any boost retard AND just 1968 cast pistons! Safety first.
I need to order another tach cable that is more to the length I want. The one I do have has wrong drive end, the other I have is like 3 ft too long and don't want it wrapped all over the engine compartment. I found a place online in Denver that can do it. When I did the wagon 25:yrs ago, the local Mack dealer had all the tools to make cables. Today, not so much.
Only other detail is remaking the plug wires to fit better with the crab cap. They are a bit long now. That along with my buddy to punch me out a new tach mount from some aluminum so I can get it mounted.
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Took the car out for a Saturday night cruise session. Ran perfect, idles nice, starts easy. It was a big hit, like usual.
Talked with friend about making the tach mount, so we'll get on that soon. Glad to have it back on the road, but the only drawback is having every ricer in town chase me down wanting to race. Ugh.
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Some of those ricers are surprisingly quick. But the usual fart-can-equipped excuse will be nicely embarrassed by putting 150 jets in the spray system on my Lincoln. You should at least give them enough of a first gear to teach them a bit of humility. ;)
KS