MEL Distributor Question

[chris401]

Would a 65 430 or a 462 distributor be self oiling? Any modifications I can do to the housing to get oil up top?
Thanks

Very similar to but does not interchange with FE.

[chris401]

Does anyone not understand what I am asking?

Using an FE distributor with the oiling trap door; what, if any, mods has the group done to get oil up to the top bushing?

[thatdarncat]

If you take off the rotor, on the top of the shaft should be a small felt pad. It sits over the clip you would have to take off if you wanted to remove the distributor cam. You are supposed to periodically put a few drops of oil on that to keep the bushing lubricated. Most people rarely ever do that though. It is called a lubricating wick. Info is generally in the Ford shop manuals. Similar thing is on some small electric motors.

[chris401]

If you take off the rotor, on the top of the shaft should be a small felt pad. It sits over the clip you would have to take off if you wanted to remove the distributor cam. You are supposed to periodically put a few drops of oil on that to keep the bushing lubricated. Most people rarely ever do that though. It is called a lubricating wick. Info is generally in the Ford shop manuals. Similar thing is on some small electric motors.

I was looking for a way around that, like some kind of modification to the housing.

[Rory428]

I am pretty sure that felt wick under the rotor is only to supply a bit of oil to the mechanical advance mechanism, where it rotates around the smaller center post of the distributor shaft. I can not see any way for any oil added to the felt wick to find its way to the distributor shaft bushings.  On many older Ford (including FEs) distributors, they had a little oil tube with a spring loaded cap where you would occasionaly pump a couple of drops of oil into, i am guessing to lube the dist shaft bushings. Ford also used to have similar oil caps on generators. I am guessing Ford did away with these oil caps as they deemed them unneeded, as I don`t think they were used after the early 60s. I can say that I have never seen a distributor shaft burned up or seized due to lack of lubrication, so maybe it does not need much oil there. Kinda like windshield wiper pivots, they always seem to work with no periodic lubrication.

[chris401]

I still have not discovered the secret of the 65-68 MEL distributor. If I have to run the 64 no problem, thanks.