First off, Can it be done? If yes, what else needs to be changed other than the front cover, cam, and dist?? Hope to see some of you in March at the Autorama (downstairs)!
Yes, it can be done. I'm probably not the best one to tell you how, but you will need to do at least these things: Change the cam to one that will mate with the distributor. Change the cam cover to the earlier model. Change the cam gear and crankshaft gear to gears with the early pitch so the cam thrust is against the block instead of the cam cover. There is probably something I am forgetting.
To get rid of the POS 49-53 distributor! Cam, front cover and dist. should do it, but be sure the cam/crank gears match properly. IIRC, the early and late gears are not mutually compatible. And you need to check for dist. clearance around the fan/water pump belts and pulleys.
Thanks man. Didn't think/know about the cam gear difference. Is it obvious (teeth won't mesh)? As to why - I just have parts to 4 different engines, and I just really like the look of the earlier one. I've always thought the 49-53 looks like an adapted SBC piece... Plus the 49-53 doesn't have 50 year old studs to pull and is the only good block I have with the larger bore.
Gear difference is teeth cut at reversed angles--not much possibility of mixing! Early cover area has thrust surfaces in front, actually, but it is possible in some cases for the distributor to take the forward thrust--briefly. So, change the gears and be safe. The early distributor has an excellent curve and will do a much better job than the Loadamatic. The '32-48 distributors are Mallory designed, unlike the current wretched Mallories.
Oh wow, I completely forgot about having to swap the crankshaft gear. How hard is this to accomplish? And are decent crab style caps still available?
I'll send you a happy crab. They're running knee deep in the basement, and I think it's mating season. Upper gear is bolt-on (with lopsided bolt pattern so only a REALLY skillful mechanic can put it on wrong), lower needs a puller, but just about any sort of puller you can find will do the job. I use a real KRW made for this and nothing else... Most lower gears and many uppers are good to reuse. Just check for lash. Go to aluminum...I had a fiber one strip in Snead, Alabama once...windshield wiper came on suddenly, as did sudden silence except for rapidly diminishing 75 mph wind noise... Local ancient geezer: "Wipers came on? You busted your cam gear." I think his name was Gus Wilson... Small town Alabama--mechanic went home, leaving me in his shop overnight so I could drop the pan and get things ready for the hunt for a gear on the morrow!
Oh, yes, parts: Go to the NAPA site, and put in '42 Ford V8 as your car. They have all tuneup parts, better quality than what some of the resto places have. I have '42, '48, '37, and '49 Fords listed on there, and can find lots of FH stuff that way, though many early parts they do have aren't in the computer. They have Stromberg and Ford kits and most tuneup parts on the computer.
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