'52 Ford F-2 215 OHV
 

Gentlemen,
I'm still trying to get this truck started. I guess I need a battery. This one will barely turn the engine over w/o spark plugs after sitting two days after a full charge. It's got spark,
I'd like to pull the "Load-o-matic" distributor out and clean it. The bowl is full of rust and debris and I'd like to give it a fresh start. Looks like it's held down with a yoke and a bolt; but it's all smoothed over with Oklahoma clay and rust under there. Aside from the bolt, yoke, vacumn line and primary wire: is there anything else I need to be aware of? Maybe a drive gear or pin that'll fall off into the block, or a trick to remove and re-install it I need to know. The shaft seems to have very little wear/wobble. I assume the vacumn advance is toast. Any tricks to taking the whole thing apart?
I'm just looking for any advice on this, and hoping to avoid a bonehead mistake.
The entire engine and undercarriage of this beauty is coated in a baked on layer of red clay and sand. Many areas where I thought I was looking at the grainy side of an engine casting, turn out to be coated evenly with this smooth, almost ceramic, layer of clay, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
I'd like to clean all this off; but do it somewhere other than my driveway; so I gotta get rolling first.
So, any input on this distributor?
Thanks in advance for your time, knowledge, and patience.

Les Delinski

Re: '52 Ford F-2 215 OHV
 

There are no tricks. The oil pump drive is a slot and tang. it will just diconnect when you pull the distributor. the drive gear is pinned to the shaft. It will stay on. There may be a ground wire from the underside of the distributor to the coil mount. Be certian crank is at TDC on the compression stroke. The rotor should be at position 1. When you are done cleaning. Put the distributor back in with the rotor in the same position. NAPA has replacements for anything you need.

Re: '52 Ford F-2 215 OHV
 

After some digging, I found a second bolt holding the distributor down; so two 1/2" hex bolts. There are two 1/4 " allen screws just to the left, or behind, the distributor mount. One horizontal; one vertical. What are those? After removing the two hex bolts, it's still stuck solid. I just want to be sure I've got everything; before I start tapping and twisting to free it.

Re: '52 Ford F-2 215 OHV
 

I have had the same problem of not being able to get an engine to spin fast enough to start due to it being tight from sitting. Try running the starter off 12v and the ignition off 6v. That got mine going and after running a bit was loose enough to go back to 6v on the starter.

Re: '52 Ford F-2 215 OHV
 

The Allen screws should have nothing to do with holding the distributor. If it has not been removed in a while dirt and sludge are the cause. Apply some penetrating oil and tap lightly while turning and pulling.

Re: '52 Ford F-2 215 OHV
 

Thanks as always for the advice, gentlemen; and for the allen screw info. Do you, or anyone know what they are for?

Thanks,
Les Delinski