Correct springs for a Load-O-Matic distribator

[Merc Cruzer]

What are the correct springs, for a Load-a-matic distributor? This is for my stock 1953 Mercury.

Where can I get them?

The parts books shows a number of: 15192, but no description.

[rotorwrench]

Load-O-Matic distributors vary a lot from the flathead to the Y-block and various 6-cylinder applications. They were around quite a while.

If Southside Obsolete can't help, I'd say start looking for another post 1950 Mercury distributor. Fords and Mercury cars used the same basic distributor body from 1950 when they changed to the open shaft with the lower tip support boss in the timing cover and all of the flatheads used the same primary weight spring in the applicable distributors and some used the same spring for both springs. The change for the diaphragm spring was started for the OCM-12127 distributor for 1950. The primary weight spring is P/N 7RA-12192 and the diaphragm spring is the P/N OCM-12226. These are the part numbers for flathead 255 CID Mercury cars from 1950 through 1953.

This little change is basically all that separated the 239 CID distributors from the 255 units otherwise all the other parts interchange. These things will corrode if not well stored so a person need to verify they are usable.

[Merc Cruzer]

My parts book for the 53' Merc, shows "both" springs, with the same part number : 15192.

I will give Southside Obsolete a call.

Thank you for the information.

[rotorwrench]

The number looks to be a typo with 15192 instead of 12192. The 7RA-12192 was used as a pair on Ford cars. I'm using a 1952 Mercury manual but I don't know why they would change anything for 1953 since the engine changed very little if at all. I'll have to dig out my 1953 manual & check.

[Merc Cruzer]

Closer look at the picture in the parts manual for:

DISTRIBUTOR (OCM) 49-53, shows 2 spring numbers : 12225 and 15192

8BA 12225 Spring (distributor diaphragm) - located nearest to points -7-1/2" coils-1/4" O.D. X 21/32" long.

No description for 15192

DISTRIBUTOR (7RA) 49-53, shows two spring numbers: 12225 and 12192

7RA 12192 Spring (distributor primary weight) - 7 coils - 15/64" O.D. X 39/64" long

[mfirth]

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Vanpelts or Charlie NY may be of help too ... ?

[Merc Cruzer]

Southside Obsolete

southsideobsolete.com
has expired and is parked free, courtesy of GoDaddy.com.

[Merc Cruzer]

Originally Posted by mfirth

Vanpelts or Charlie NY may be of help too ... ?

Vanpelts only carried the one for 49-50:

7RA-12192 Spring - Distributor advance weight PIC 1949-50 V8 5.00



I sent Charlie NY an e-mail.

[Merc Cruzer]

E-mail, back from CharlieNY

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: 6/1/2022 7:59:44 AM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Re: Correct weight springs for my distributor in my 53' Mercury flathead

Roy,

I will get back to you today. As you know it is more than the springs....the spring anchor posts on the breaker plate are eccentric and by rotating them incrementaly the rate of advance can be altered. Even the 'correct' springs won't get things on the money if the postion of the posts have been altered.

Charlie

[rotorwrench]

I dug out my 1949 thru 53 Mercury chassis parts book and found that there was some small change between the 1952 book and the 1953 book even though the springs didn't change. They listed an OCM-12127-A distributor and a new number OCM-12127-B and the only difference is a new part number for the ignition points set for the new distributor. The springs remain 7RA-12192 and 8BA-12225. The new points set was P/N FAA-12171-A. There is no telling what cars received the new distributor so that is a mystery.

In my 1953 Ford car chassis parts book, they have some interesting information about distributor advance curve changes they did in the 7RA-12127-C distributor as long as the cast iron timing cover is used. They used the same springs as the Mercury for that distributor. The Ford OBA-12127 distributor still just used two 7RA-12192 springs for the advance curve. There is no indication of a change to the breaker point set for the Ford car based distributors. This distributor may have been for police cars and station wagons but there is no information indicating that.

All this info goes to show how a small change can change the whole part number of an assembly that is basically the same overall.

barnfind08 here on the forum will get you to southside obsolete.

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

My opinion ( every body has one ) is the springs are just not available . I have rebuilt a few hundred loadamatics over the years , and replaced the springs with a hevy advance kit from spectre using the medium and light weight springs . It just simply isnt a big deal , use a new diaphrahm ( Napa or 3rd Gen Ford Parts) the only issue is maybe a little spark knock with too light a spring , then simply use a stiffer spring ........

[Merc Cruzer]

Originally Posted by BUBBAS IGNITION

My opinion ( every body has one ) is the springs are just not available . I have rebuilt a few hundred loadamatics over the years , and replaced the springs with a hevy advance kit from spectre using the medium and light weight springs . It just simply isnt a big deal , use a new diaphrahm ( Napa or 3rd Gen Ford Parts) the only issue is maybe a little spark knock with too light a spring , then simply use a stiffer spring ........

The car runs fine, but I have always want to have the curve set properly, to maybe pull a bit more performance out of it. A few years back, I ordered new spring for my distributor. Since it has two heavy springs, I was wondering if that was correct, or should I go back with one light and one heavy.

The pictures of the distributor posted previously is my back up. This picture is the actual distributor in the car, before I cleaned it up and put new points, condenser and rotor in it.

[rotorwrench]

The Load-A-Matic works just fine for stock applications but for more performance, a modified GM unit with a Rochester 2G will pep an old flathead up pretty well. The curve is easier to adjust and the vacuum load control will save gas to boot.

[Merc Cruzer]

As it turns out, three members of the local club, have the Sun distributor machines. One of them lives close buy, and he will calibrate both of my distributors (the one in the car and my backup) this Sunday.


Thank you all for your information and suggestions. It is always a good day, when I can learn something.

[Merc Cruzer]

Update:

Well it is now Tuesday, and the distributor, for my 53' Merc convertible with a Merc-a-matic, was set to the correct specifications on the Sun distributor machine on Sunday, by a local club member, that just happens to restore them.

The issues were, hesitation at a stop sign to accelerate along the feeling of a "flat spot", when accelerating at speed, and high temperatures (200+) when climbing.

The distributor was set to the specks found in the Vanpelts chart (per Motor Auto Repair Manual) attached, for Late 1950 to 1953 OBA-12127.

http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/f...53_239-255.htm

Before, when accelerating away from a stop sign, the engine would hesitate, forcing me to "feather" the accelerator to get it going again. And when at speed it seemed to have a "flat spot", when accelerating.

Now when pulling up to a stop sign the engine is much quieter, slower and smoother. When pulling away, the acceleration is smooth and steady. Now at speed and accelerating, the car just seems to "lengthen it's stride".

The temperatures at speed are now 8-10 degrees lower and the temperatures climbing are 10-20 degrees lower. (I have two separate temperature gauges, that replaced the original temperature gauge and sensors).

One final thought, just maybe the issues you have been blaming on the carburetor, and haven't been able to correct, no mater what you do, just might be able to be corrected by setting the distributor to the correct specifications. Find someone with a Sun distributor machine. You will be glad you did.

[Merc Cruzer]

Does anyone have a source for the Distributor Primary Terminal? The reason I am looking for one, is mine doesn't have it, just a black wire coming out of the hole, where the terminal goes.

[38 coupe]

Around here load-a-matic distributors have almost no value and can be found at swap meets cheap. I simply buy a parts distributor every now and then to rob parts from.

[tubman]

Send the gears to "Charlie ny".

[Merc Cruzer]

Originally Posted by tubman

Send the gears to "Charlie ny".

What gears?

I am currently rebuilding the one without the Distributor Primary Terminal. I have already installed new bushings, and thought, since it was all apart, why locate the Distributor Primary Terminal, and put it in, to make it correct.

Then it goes to my local club guy, with the Sun distributor machine, to have it set to the correct specks.

I know there are allot of choices for distributors out there, but I am trying to keep the car as original as possible.

Originally Posted by 38 coupe

Around here load-a-matic distributors have almost no value and can be found at swap meets cheap. I simply buy a parts distributor every now and then to rob parts from.

Good suggestion, but not too many swap meets locally. Even when I go, flathead stuff is few and far between.

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

Originally Posted by Merc Cruzer

What gears?

I am currently rebuilding the one without the Distributor Primary Terminal. I have already installed new bushings, and thought, since it was all apart, why locate the Distributor Primary Terminal, and put it in, to make it correct.

Then it goes to my local club guy, with the Sun distributor machine, to have it set to the correct specks.

I know there are allot of choices for distributors out there, but I am trying to keep the car as original as possible.



Good suggestion, but not too many swap meets locally. Even when I go, flathead stuff is few and far between.

Send me a sell addressed envelope and i will send you a new primary terminal and lead .....
Jim Linder
5237 Ford Street
Indianapolis Indiana 46224