Old truck adventures

[Boondox]

Derek -- If you find anything under the dust in your shop, drop me a line! Documentation for these old timers is hard to come by!

Pete

 

[bgott]

You don't want to mess with used Chrysler distributors. The way the mechanical advance mechanism is set up they have a cam (points) or reluctor ( electronic) assembly at the top of the distributor shaft. This part has a bushing in it that wears out, letting your dwell bounce all over the place. I had one in an old Dodge van once that was so wore out you couldn't set the points with a feeler gauge. You had to leave the doghouse off and piddle with the adjustment until you got it where you could live with it. If you look down the top of the shaft with the rotor off you can see the felt that was supposed to get oiled ever so often. They never did. Chrysler used to sell an electronic ignition conversion kit that came with a new distributor. This would be the best way to go. You could also see if they stock the reluctor assembly. The cam assembly was unobtainable from Chrysler when I worked at a dealership in '84. If you go with a used distributor get an older one. In the late seventies they went to a distributor that had a start and a run pickup in them. These are mostly on lean burn computerized vehicles. You don't want one of these unless you're a real sucker for punishment. I haven't had any luck with rebuilt distributors on Chryslers, I could tell you some horror stories on these so don't even try it. If you go with a used one see if the top part of the shaft will wiggle side to side ( it will) and hook a short piece of vacuum line to the vacuum advance and suck on it. It ought to hold vacuum and the breaker or pickup plate ought to move. You should be able to get a machine shop to cut out the old bushing and machine a new one. You want the part on top to rotate freely from the main shaft but you don't want any side play.

 

[upgw]

What's under the hood? How about posting some pics..

In the 50's, Dodge made some old pickups with various versions of the "hemi"... I'd love to pick up one of them.... be a great conversation piece!

Best of luck with it.

- P

 

[heehaw]

ole trucks can be a lot of fun..i bought a 51 chevy in 1975, from the original owner..have sold it twice and bought it back, so i plan on keeping it this time. i used to get the bright idea of going to a newer, 60-65 model, so i would sell the 51, mess with a newer model a while and then start lookin for another older truck..and end up with the same one back..the last time i traded a 65 to the guy i sold the 51 to, it had quit running, and the points were worn out, so i had to put a set of points in it to get it home. what does one of those electronic ignition systems set a feller back?? have fun with your truck..
heehaw

 

[Boondox]

Thanks! This sounds promising, especially since the link provided in a previous response led to a company that doesn't have electronic ignitions for any Dodge older than '61. I'm seeing a lot of that!

The Israeli Army recently released a bunch of rebuilt 251 flathead sixes they no longer need. Looked promising, but for $2k plus shipping... That's as much as a tiller!

Pete

 

[Jeff396]

I got the Pertronix Ignitor conversion for my '64 T-bird. Works like a charm and easy to install. Just attach the pickup to where you removed the old points, slip a magnetic ring over the old cam and hook up the two wires to each side of the coil and you're done. Here's a link.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.vintageperformance.com/retrorockets/PerTronixConversions.htm>http://www.vintageperformance.com/retrorockets/PerTronixConversions.htm</A>

Jeff

 

[Boondox]

Jeff -- Thanks, but they don't list one for my truck. I've sent them an email asking just in case. Will keep you advised. Sure would like to replace the distributor. All those delaminated and broken wires I replaced in there were probably the tip of the iceberg.

Pete

 

[brewerbob]

Pete: I also have a Motor's Truck Manual that covers early 60's trucks. After I bought our '66, I decided that the miss might be repaired by a tune-up. I replaced the plugs and points, went to fire it up and it backfired through the carb, snapped the drive tang off the distributor. I bought a rebuilt distributor at Carquest, and drove it that way for a long time. After a while, I got tired of messing with points, and found an ad in JC Whitney for a Hall Effect electronic ignition. Uses the original coil, etc. All I had to do was take the points out and put in a reluctor which screwed down where the points were. Haven't had the distributor cap off since, and it starts on the first revolution. I think I saw in the latest JC Whitney catalog the kit is now about $65. I've been told that the old style 318 in these trucks is just about indestructable. Old style was used '67 and before.
Bob

 

[Boondox]

Thanks, Bob! I'll check it out. Got a JCW catalog yesterday.

While driving around yesterday (in the Subaru) we saw for sale a 57 Ford with 4 on the floor and a small V-8 tricked out. The wife just had to try it. The throttle was a little stiff, so as the old man watched her drive away in his pride and joy she goosed it and laid about 40' of rubber from his driveway clear out into the road! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif She came back shaking and he was nearly crying.

So now that she's convinced her little Dodge is more her speed I really have to get it fixed up for her.

Pete

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I knew a spoiled rich kid who's dad bought him a '64 T-bird when he turned 16. I looked just like the little picture in your signature, until he got drunk and smashed it into a tree. It was ok though, dad got him a brand new Camaro the next month. Didn't all those old T-birds have big block engines? I saw a '68 once with a cobra jet 428. I'm thinking most of them got 390's though.