I thought you guys might like to see my latest distraction...So I've been wanting to try this for awhile now- a homemade 392 Hemi distributor! Yeah I know - I could have modified a Mopar Small Block distributor far easier and argueably cheaper- but where's the FUN in that?? So here goes -make your own distributor in 5 EASY Steps! Step 1 Get some round stock Ebay 30bucks (cartoon optional) Step 2 Find a Lathe you can use & make some chips! Step 3 Jam some internals in there. Step 4 Lay out all the parts - pretending you acually know what you are doing! Step 5 Assemble all parts. There - easy peezy! OK I may have skipped a step or two :-O But seriously it wasn't all that difficult and with all good projects I learned a thing or two doing it. So far I have tested it on a distribtor machine and it does work. I still need to disassemble it again - blast all the parts clean - put in some fresh springs and set it up for a curve I think I need for my hemi. To Be Continued...
I bought a Dodge 360 distributor, an intermediate shaft from Hot Heads and dropped it in without ever getting in the same room as a lathe. It can be wired like Chrysler did or an MSD box. Doesn't get much easier.
For sure. There are definitely much easier ways to do this. I was looking for a bit of a challenge though.
Awesome! Here is my (much less ambitions) distributor hacking. I like to put Chrysler transistor internals in GM distributors. Keeps the stock look w/ modern electronic ignition. have to pull out all the innards; Wit the advance plate cleaned of the points stuff it is ready to accept the Chrysler parts; Go to the Pick-A-Part and get a Chrysler distributor. Obviously for a 6cyl like this 235 that I modified, get the 6cyl distributor. These are the parts you need to scavenge; Need to notch the recipient distributor body to accept the wiring feed-thru grommet; Cut an old distributor cap open so you can see the parts and clock the parts so a star wheel tip is @ the coil when the rotor is opposite a sparkplug wire terminal. Mark it, take the parts out and drill and tap a couple mounting holes and you have an electronic ignition. Get a new Chrysler ignition module, a wiring harness from the junk yard and you are set. Also need to turn the old points cam off the distributor shaft and press on the star wheel. No biggie. Don't need to do it for old hemi distributors. All you have to do is weld a 3/8" extension on the bottom for 354s and 331s and a 5/8" extension on a 392 and an electronic small block 318/340/360 distributor will drop right in. Here is the converted distributor shown next to an old 331 points distributor. There are conversion kits you can buy for stock distributor (Ignitor, Pertronix, etc.)and at least one guy who sells adaptor sleeves that require sawing off the end of the donor shaft and pinning the one on. I am a (CHEAP!) DIY type who always goes with the junkyard option first. Why buy bellybutton billet part when you can make a greasy old cast iron one work like new?
I agree whole heartedly. I did a very similar upgrade for my Rambler 196 engine - wanted the stock housing - got the internals from a slant 6 IIRC and melded them together. As I recall nothing lined up very well so I couldn't just screw them together so I just tack welded the plates together. Machined down the points cam as you said - boy those are made from some tough steel!! I musta got it close because that was several years ago and I have't touched it since (I drive that car regularily). I used a GM HEI module to trigger it cause they're so small and easy to mount. Less spares parts to stock too!
Can't remember how I did the cam on that 235, been 10 years or so since I did it. I am thinking I pried off the GM cam and the Chrysler one pressed on? Sound too easy. Just can't remember what I did. Yes , they are very hard!
I remember mine pissing off a carbide cutter a little bit! It got better when I got past the interrupted cut - it was all down hill from there.
We tried to shoot a video - didn't come out too well - it looked way better in person - the frequency of the camera makes it look crappy. This was before I had it hooked up to a distributor machine - we just spun it over with a 1/2 drill motor. Yes, it's a SUPER CRAPPY video. What can I say I fell asleep in video taking class - stayed up too late playing with lathes and such!
Yeah - that's due to my remedial camera skills. Either the camera angle -or- the frequency of the camera didn't pick up some of the plugs firing. The camera also made some look weaker than others. In person they all fire consistently and they all have bright spark. So yeah I pretty much suck at video! :-( I was just stoked that it fired and didn't worry about making the video pretty. I have since set it up on my 15 dollar distributor machine and put the plugs in order - kinda cool watching the spark fire progressively.
Here's a kinda cool pic of the spark. It wasn't easy to get the camera timing right to pick up the actual spark -if you look close you can just see it. I cut the cap so I could phase the rotor.
I like lathes! I used one to cram a 302 Ford Duraspark distributor into a 421 Pontiac, it isn't as pretty as your project but it is still running. Great job.
73RR, Others have told me that too. I've been wanting to do this for many years - just never could seem to squeeze it in - then my barrel got back ordered - viola - a time slot opened up and time was happily squandered But...WAIT! It's NOT done yet...I still need to make a "Manufacturer's" TAG - something vintage looking of course...to be continued.
Thanks!! I'm a BIG Hemi Fan...you might like to know I set this up to use a 392 cap and rotor...why? Cause I have a bunch in stock - waste not want not (plus it just seemed cooler to me).
So one of the things I learned on this project was how to install the sleeve bearings. These bearings are a steel shell with a bronze (?) interior. I knew the alignment was critical so I had made an arbor to use the tail stock of my lathe to install a bearing. Nope didn't work perfectly - shaft was stiff (yes I could have just reamed it, but wanted better alignment - saving the reaming as a last ditch effort only). What I ended up doign was to machine a piloting arbor. The arbor was long enough to go thru the entire housing - extending enough to pilot off the OPPOSITE bearing/bore to install the other. Worked perfect on the first try an I didn't have to ream anything. Granted - sometimes there's no avoiding it, this time I could.
Nice job Jacin. Why not come up to the Nostalgia Drags at Milan September 22, 23, 24 and lets see it work. (They have a Nostalgia Comp class for FEDs and altereds.)
With the help of a buddy I came up with some "Mfg's Tags" for my home made distributor. Still trying to decide which combination I like better. I definitely like the more stark black label - still deciding which pattern is better (we can etch a darker one for either)
I am leaning to the one without the border. It looks so much better ON the distributor - then again I am a bit jaded. I am truely grateful for Smokin' Joe's help on the tag. It's amazing to me how much work goes into making such a small part. I handed Joe a dxf file for the artwork and thought he'd have 5 minutes in burning it out for me - no way - he still had TONS of time making the file compatible with his laser. Thanks Joe - couldn't have done it without your help!! Really adds the final touch to my project dizzy.
UPDATE: I installed this distributor in my '47 Ford truck w/392 hemi earlier this year and it has worked flawlessly so far. The adjustability has allowed me to address the "ping" issue I previously had only when towing. Couldn't be happier so far.
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