Hey Y Block officianados. So as far as the stock distributor goes, it's been mentioned to me that this thing is a strange piece. Is it recommend to switch out entire distributor, alter the stock one or there ain't nothin wrong with the stock one? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
STOCK UNIT IS FINE AS LONG AS THE ENGINE IS STOCK. IF NOT THE VACUUM SIGNAL IS LOW MAKING THE STOCK LOADAMATIC VACUUM DISTRIBUTOR NOT WORK. THE FIX WOULD BE TO USE A MECHANICAL UNIT FROM A LATER VEHICLE OR A MALLORY ETC......
So are ya sayin if I have 57 on, then I'm good? Previous to 57 are strange beast? Alchemy Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Is it just the 54 yblock that you have to change the oil pump also when upgrading the distributor? or was that all the way out to 56? Distributor also runs the oil pump. At one point the yblock switched from a slotted shaft to a hex shaft. Not sure exactly when the switch was. But by 57 it was a hex shaft.
I just put a 57 distributor in a 56 t-bird. The drive was correct, but the adapter, for lack of a better word, was not pressed on all the way. I had to press it on the rest of the way to let the distributor sit down all the way.
I did a search on the hamb and someone said it was 54 - early 55 when the yblock had a slotted dizzy and oil pump setup.
1954 is a weird year for y block distributors. Depending on where the engine was built, most 239 engines have a 13 tooth dizzy with a slotted drive. The 256 Mercury has a 14-tooth dizzy with a slotted drive. All distributors '55 and up are 14 tooth with a hex drive. The early distributors are load o matic with ONLY vacuum advance and will only work efficiently with the proper carburetor, the Holley 94. Hope this helps. -AC
You don't have to replace the oil pump, just the drive. ARP makes a nice part and is very affordable.
Another point of view regarding these distributors. I often get the call "after" money has been spent doing up a super engine and then discovering that the old loadamatic vac only distributor may not be the most correct unit for the new engine. So the engine is together , painted and in some cases in the vehicle. Heres our fix of the week. Cut the old distributor drive gear and lower shaft off the loadamatic distributor. ( correct unit for engine). Then disassemble and rebuild a later distributor for the yblock (with hex drive ). Cut shaft in correct location as per other unit. Machine a sleve to fit over shaft . Place the two together and use 1/8 roll pin to hold both shafts together and walla ( you now have the correct distributor for engine oil pump etc.... In this case both were 14 tooth gear. As the drive is driven off the cam to the oil pump the upper end drives only the ignition points and they dont require any torque etc ... This unit is a 1963 unit with adjustable vacuum advance as well as mechanical advance . Use quality (echin heavy duty) contacts and run on tester to verify correct advance (advance rate is adjusted by bending spring tab in or out as needed... Just another way to skin a cat i guess....
If its a 55, 56 car with the stock teapot, the later distributor will not work correctly with the teapot. If you change the distributor, you also have to change the carb and vice versa. As noted, if it's a 54 and you want to use the 57 and later dizzy, the gear has to be changed to the 1954 13 tooth gear and the oil pimp has to be changed to the hex drive. as well as the carb change. The teapot can be modified to give the correct vacuum signal. I have done this with my 56 TBird. Running the stock teapot with a 57 distributor. Runs great and gives me the best mileage I ever had.
The Jalopy Journal
