Dear Ford Flathead addict, it has been a while now that I'm working on flathead Ford engines and it always took me some time to adjust the lifters when changing camshaft and unfortunately it is not easy to find when the lifters are on the heel of the cam I was looking at the NECO valve clearance indexer, and decided to build one in order to save me some time and accuracy. My tool can be use for flathead from 32 to 48 and the one from 49 to 53 using the other side of the tool Here is a little video that shows the tool ad how to use it
On a quicky home made one...'42-48 distributors and the stock '49-53 share a characteristic that makes them perfect bases for use as an indexing tool. On both, the connection from cam to rotor is solid, a shaft that maintains its relationship direct to cam on the early and direct to its drive gear on the late. All relative movement (meaning advance) happens by rotating the cam on early and by moving the plate on late, leaving the rotor solidly in place. A tool that simply replaces the rotor will thus do the job of marking cam position. A disc or drum (like a catfood can) glued and/or screwed to an old rotor (note that '46-53 use the same rotor, even) can be marked with heel position for each valve and thenceforth you've got it. '32-41's are better served by one of the special tools or an equivalent because of the enclosed distributor design.
Thanks Bruce, I agree, the thing is, finding a 32-41 distributor or other specific part is maybe easy in USA, but not IN europe, that is why I came up with that tool....thanks for your comment and ideas, always much appreciate
Cool tool I would be interested in one for myself and I could sell them through my parts business Highway 101 Rod and Custom.
Maybe the easiest way for full coverage is to make the degree wheel/index part on a 59A rotor, and keep it with a spare distributor with adapter plate and cam button so it can go onto any '32-48 motor. Then just the rotor wheel part is a drop-on to a '49-53...actual indexing to be handled by where you mark your pointer on the distributor body. On the 42-48 distributor the little steel tab that locates cap is the natural marking place, already there and at easiest to see place in a car. Where the equivalent would be on a late distributor installed to factory specs diagram in the shop manual I dunno...all of my late type parts are currently buried in unsanctified ground.
A quick coupke of questions. Is there equal space between the 16 indexes?. Should it be placed at tdc or 2 degree before ? What iscthe difference between the sides, is it only mounting difference? Sent from my SM-G850F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sent from my SM-G850F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app[/QUOTE] thanks for the video do you really think that I can bend my knees like that ? like the tool
Is there 22.5 degree between each index or is it off between inlet and exhaust. Sent from my SM-G850F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A lot of the late flatheads use MSD or converted Chevy distributors. Is a similar tool for them available?
You can easily adapt the tool on any distributor , I did a few for chevy distributor , you must drill the tool where the 2 screws of the rotor are located and attached the tool there
I finally used this tool the other day, very nice. Sure, I could have gotten by without it, but using it was a pleasure.
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