Technical 38 Dodge ignition points

Hello everyone. A few weeks I had asked some questions about my 38 Dodge flat 6. I hope to post a complete update soon. However my immediate need at the moment is ...How in the hell do you change points on one of the early flattys ??? I would love to hear from someone who has had "hands on" experience on this. Do you have to pull the points plate....pull the whole dist ? There must be a simple way, lol. Thanks

 

Not really sure what your issue is .... I have a 1949 but do not think there is much difference.

I would suggest to pull the distributor and work on it on the bench. A lot easier.
It is a spade connection on the oil pump. Look at the rotor button when removing distributor and put it back in same spot when installing. One of those where it is on or it is 180 out ... no in-between.

Good chance your distributor needs some extra love & attention & just easier while on the work bench.

Now if I have given my distributor all the love it needs, on the side of the road is about the only place I would look at it.

I would be bent over the fender trying to reach it ... Thanking God I do not have a Ford with a helmet distributor.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the tang is slightly offset, so it can't be installed 180 out ....
definately easier to service on the bench.

 

If you decide to pull it I would suggest, first using the Finger test locate top dead center number one. Make a mark or take a picture show where the rotor is pointing. Just in case something gets disturbed.

 

Check out the P15-D24 site. These guys live and breathe Mopar flat six.

 

So, have you ever changed the points in it? And yes the 49 is identical if it is original.

 

My specific issue is that the screw holding the points spring and condenser wire in place are down in the dist below the top edge of the dist housing, and it runs horizontally, so the screw head is about a quarter inch from the housing so it is impossible to get a screwdriver to it. I think there is another screw with the same issue, but it has been a few days now since I was in it.

Since I first posted, I picked up another complete distributor from a buddy and disassembled it on the bench. I did indeed have to remove the points plate in the beginning. Only 2 screws holding it, but it was stuck in place so I still wondered for a minute if I had missed something......I usually try to avoid pulling a distributor but this won't be bad unless it is stuck. Anyway these are the reasons I had asked if anyone had actually changed the points in one. Thanks to everyone for the replies.

 

I am no expert on these distributors. My first project was a 1949 truck but it had a 1937 engine installed in it.
The points plate & the bearing it rode on was stuck, needed to be disassembled & cleaned.
Also there is a wire that feeds the points inside. Original wire is cloth. When the cloth breaks down & falls off, it can short out against the distributor body while driving and cause erratic spark problems.
You also want to check the vacuum advance to see if it is working, check the shaft for bushing wear.
If you get too much side to side movement it can throw off the points gap setting.

To check all these things you need to pull it out and work on it on the bench.
I do not remember on the points, I have changed them but it was never a issue that I needed to make a mental note of how to do it.
Remove the wire from the coil and the vacuum line, the hold down bolt and lift it out.

A big concern is the firing order.
Typically the #1 will be at the 7:00 O'clock position on the distributor cap.

The distributor runs off of the oil pump. If for any reason in the past 80 years the oil pump has been removed. You are at the mercy of the previous installer where #1 plug wire is located on the cap.
You need to have the engine on TDC when dropping in the pump & is easy to get it a tooth off while installing.
For example my current 1949, the #1 is at 6:00 0'clock instead of 7. This is a gotcha that will jump out and getcha.
They run fine this way, just be sure and check your #1 before removing the cap & wires.

 

Let me share this video, this Kieth guy is part of the P-15-D24 community.
He has a really good way to explain things. Well worth your time to watch.

 

If you car is running crappy after just running ok or warning up. Its probably the condenser.

what the helll???
Next thing you know you will be swapping an LS into it because the pertronix kit didn’t work out.

If you have and old pre 55 6 cylinder mopar
Join the PT forum and read a bit
https://p15-d24.com/

 

Well Abe, first of all the car isnt't running , and secondly, I will never be putting a LS into anything. I am aware of the p15-d24 forum. I haven't joined it yet but I will. There I have to research my question. Here, if I am in a hurry about something I can usually throw a question and get a quick and informed answer. That was my only reason for posting here. I have it resolved now anyway, and will post an update soon as I have time to get the dist back in the engine. Thank you for the response.

 

Glad you got it going it! Def get a manual for it if it’s all stock. And keep it running!

 

Hello again guys. Here is the update on my " ...How in the hell do you change points on one of the early flattys ??? question. Yes, the points plate does have to come out of the dist if it is in original configuration. The the next hurdle is standing on your head and reaching down past those really fat fenders. So with that, it made sense to pull the dist out and take it to the workbench. I had previously borrowed a dist from a buddy, so I completely disassembled them both all the way down to shaft and housing. Using the best parts from each, I reassembled one and re installed in the engine. When I kicked it over I got some backfires, so I pulled the dist back up part way and rotated the shaft 180 degrees. Remember this is a spade shaped end on the shaft. (no gears to mesh), so as someone stated, it is timed correctly or 180 out.....no in between. It actually started up pretty quickly. My first time for hearing it run. I did not get any history with the car so I have no idea how many years it has set.

As an aside, the engine runs like the proverbial Singer sewing machine. Oil pressure read 45-50 pounds hot at idle and the temp stayed around 175 degrees. However..........it smoked about as bad as I have ever seen. I wasn't concerned at first because of all the oil and other mixtures I had poured into the cylinders. But today I had it run for near 2 hours non stop and the smoke did not clear, It is light colored, but it is oil smoke. I suppose there is my next chapter with this old Mopar. Thanks to everyone who commented or offered advice.

 

Get it out and drive it. If you poured a lot of oil and other mixtures in it before firing, all that oil and mixtures will be coating the exhaust. Sitting and idling won't burn it all out.

 

Was the engine stuck when you acquired it?

 

great video ...hamb rules again

 

About the distributor. Was a common practice back in the day to pull up to the Texaco gas station & get a tuneup.
The mechanic would have several different distributors on the shelf all ready to go.
Would pull yours out, drop in another distributor with new points etc ... replace the plugs, wires and you get a tuneup in 30 minuets. ... Just saying, not a bad idea to have a working spare distributor in the trunk if you ever need one.

The oil is a different issue. These engines sit a long time, the rings get corrosion and stick to the pistons.
A good working ring will rotate in the ring landing on the piston & seal off the oil as it spins.

First thing is to run a compression test. Find out where you are starting from.

Stuck rings can be common on a engine that sits for a long time. It is heat & expansion that may free them up.
Adding oil to the cylinders also help to free them up. The oil also gets pushed into the muffler & takes a long time to burn out.
If the oil is coming out of the down draft tube, it is rings. If the drown draft tube is clean & smoke coming out of exhaust, just oil in the muffler. Oil in the muffler will smoke for days.

I am fighting a issue with oil burning. My truck sat for maybe 20 years. A compression check showed 1 cylinder at 60 psi. After a few heat cycles it is 80 psi. Other cylinders have 110 psi. I think it has a stuck ring. I honestly feel that a good long 1 hour drive will correct the issue.
I may end up pulling the motor and rebuilding it ... Just not til needed.

 

It was not, so I suspect someone had tried to start it, in at least recent years.

 

Thanks Los. You offered up some good info that I hadn't thought of. One being the road draft tube. I do believe that no smoke at all was coming out of it. That is making me think that maybe it is just the exhaust and muffler having standing oil in it. I have not done the compression test, but will in coming days. I have held my finger over each hole while spinning it over. They all blew finger out of the hole, so I am at least confident that there is not a huge hole in a piston, lol. I am old and have always tinkered with old cars, bur never heard about stations keeping re furbed distributors on the shelf for quick tune ups. Very interesting. Thank you for the input.