47 ran rough then not at all. Need ideas.

[Old Henry]

The small bushing on the front end pushed out pretty easy but I'm tearing up the bigger back one trying to get it out and it's not budging. I may just leave that one in as it's not as critical to things as the front one.

[33cabriolet]

contact Bubba those distributers need to be set on a machine.For the work he does he is reasonable. John

[BillM]

You may find replacement bushings, but they may or may not need reaming for the proper clearance. If they are cheap enough it might be worth your time to install them but be advised that they might need reaming any way, especially the large one in the rear; which is problematic in that it is awfully big for a normal reamer. I did one in a lathe but it was tricky to zero in and bore accurately. Probably a good idea to check with Bubba.

[ken ct]

Generally the bushings close up slightly when you install them.There fore need reaming to fit.Not an easy job. I can exchange yours for a rebuilt with cond,rotor and all gaskets and cap. No need to change outside cap yours can be cleaned up as they do nothing in the equation of it all. All usa made parts. PM me or call 1-203-260-5945 cell.If it were me i would change to the crab type for the same price. ken ct.

[ken ct]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

The small bushing on the front end pushed out pretty easy but I'm tearing up the bigger back one trying to get it out and it's not budging. I may just leave that one in as it's not as critical to things as the front one.

They come out real easy if you do it the correct way.Leaving it in is doing a half a*s job on it. Do it right,use a bushing driver of the right size.Then you can clean out the oil groove under it,usually plugged solid with dried oil an grease. ken ct.

[JM 35 Sedan]

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If the front bushing has worn enough to allow the shaft to wobble, allowing the tip of the rotor to hit the cap contacts, then in my opinion, the rear bearing is also damaged (ID eggy) an should be replaced as well. A job worth doing is a job worth doing right, IMHO.

[ken ct]

Originally Posted by JM 35 Sedan

If the front bushing has worn enough to allow the shaft to wobble, allowing the tip of the rotor to hit the cap contacts, then in my opinion, the rear bearing is also damaged (ID eggy) an should be replaced as well. A job worth doing is a job worth doing right, IMHO.

Your rite on John,from the wear pattern on the contacts the rear one is most certinly is badly worn and needs replacing.That one is usually the one thats bad.Almost every one thats replaced has to be reamed to size. Not so much the small one. He better hope he didn't wear down the shaft surfaces down much. ken ct.

[Old Henry]

I've abandoned replacing the bushings myself. Don't have the right equipment. Having Bubba do it.

Hope to get back on the road this week. Got a 1,000 mile road trip planned for next week.

[68HILLBILLY]

I am glad you are getting it fixed fast. Your traveling posts in your 47 are some of the most enjoyable reading on this or any other old car website. love the pictures and just the whole story. gives a working man hope and motivation for a long road trip in my stock 40 sedan one of these days.

[peewee2you]

Old Henry, like 68Hillbilly said, about getting it fixed fast...your road trips are the best, I've said before I even share them with the Mrs... I just had Bubba do my dirstributor, came back beautifully done, with one of his Bubba stickers on it, I have not put it back on yet, but have no doubt it's going to be smooth.

[Old Henry]

HE LIVES AGAIN!
I got a rebuilt distributor from Bubba in TWO DAYS!
And the inner distributor cap for C & G in two days as well. (They're always two days to me for anything.)
Spent at least two hours getting all of the spark plug wires plugged back into the new inner cap, putting it together, testing all cap posts for continuity to the end of each wire, taking it apart to get some to connect that weren't, over and over and over again until all worked. Then put the new distributor and cap and wires back in and started it up. Ran great including accelerating.

I'm good for my 1,000 mile road trip through Nevada and Idaho next week.

Thanks to all for all yer help. And especially to Bubba for his speedy delivery. That was the make or break part of the deal for the trip next week.

[1937pickup]

Happy endings are great!!!

[peewee2you]

Old Henry, that's great news, can't wait for you too come back and you haven't even left yet, I just enjoy your voyages and critique of them and the exquisite photo's, don't forget the camera, lol...... be safe... Some of us live thru you in these long trips you take with your 47, who's all going this time, is it just you? is the mrs. or the neighbor? what about Pepe? how is he doing, is he sittin this one out, I know he ran off on one of the trips and you had to wrangle him back in.

[Old Henry]

This trip will include staying at my daughter's that just moved to Boise. She and her 5 girls and husband don't want Pepe there so he's staying with neighbors that have two Chihuahua's. Just the wife and I going. We've got a blizzard here today and snow/rain is supposed to continue into Monday. My wife doesn't enjoy traveling in bad weather as much as I do. (She tolerates it peacfully but uncomfortably.) To me it just adds a little more challenge to the adventure. We'll see.

Our main scenic visit will be to Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. (Here: http://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm) It's pretty much the same summer or winter.

Thanks for your interest.

[Mart]

Well done on the repair, and good luck for the trip.

Mart.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by 48Flyer

I know this probably wont help, but a wise old flathead mechanic once told me "90 percent of flathead ignition problems, are fuel related"

I've given some thought to what the "wise old mechanic" said and have got to disagree. It's fairly easy to determine initially whether a problem is electrical or fuel caused. If you look down the carburetor while working the throttle you should see gas squirting. If so, it wouldn't seem to be a fuel problem. That leaves ignition problem as I see it. Ignition problem can be identified by putting timing light on the coil high tension wire and see how steady the spark is. If unsteady, it's ignition problem. No fuel problem will interfere with spark. In my opinion, engine problems are more likely ignition problems than fuel problems simply because the fuel system has way less components to fail than ignition. Consider these two lists:

Fuel problems could be caused by:

1. Not enough fuel in the gas tank. (That one's caught me before)
2. Bad fuel
3. A fuel line plugged up. (Rare but I've heard of it.)
4. Fuel pump not pumping fuel.
5. Fuel filter plugged.
6. Carburetor malfuncioning (needle valve bad, float needs adjustment, accelerator pump bad, etc.)

That's it. Not much of a list of possible failures.

On the other hand, any one of the following ignition components can fail and stop spark:

1. Battery too low to create spark.
2. Battery post connection loose or corroded.
3. Wiring from battery to ignition switch bad.
4. Connections to ignition switch bad.
5. Ignition switch bad.
6. Wire from ignition switch to resistor bad.
7. Connections to resistor bad.
8. Resistor bad.
9. Wire from resistor to coil bad.
10. Connections to coil bad.
11. Coil bad.
12. Wire from coil to distributor bad.
13. Connections to distributor bad.
14. Connection to condenser bad.
15. Condenser bad.
16. Internal connections to points bad.
17. Distributor bad. (Timing off, worn shaft, bushings, advance mechanism, vacuum brake, etc.)
18. Points bad.
19. Connection of high tension wire from coil bad. (That one got me today.)
20. High tension coil wire bad.
21. Connections of coil wire or spark plug wires in distributor cap bad.
22. Rotor bad.
23. Distributor cap bad. (That was mine.)
24. Spark plug wire bad.
25. Connection of spark plug wire to spark plug bad.
26. Spark plug bad.

Any one of those 26 things can cause poor engine performance or no performance at all. Once ignition has been isolated as the problem there is nothing to do but start testing each item until you find the one that has failed. Tedious and time consuming but that's the nature of the beast.

Of course, there are engine problems that are neither fuel nor spark related such as low or no compression from burned valves, rings, valve timing, etc.

[Lawrie]

WE are lucky to have vendors and small businesses that work on the stuff that keep our OLD cars going.
Lawrie

[flatjack9]

I agree with Old Henry. I think 48Flyer has got it backwards.

[48Flyer]

OK OK OK
It does sound better when you say that "90 percent of fuel problems are electrical"
I may have gotten that quote wrong, but I did start out by saying "I know this probably won't help" and I was right on that account!!
Glad you got it running and can't wait to see the pics when you get back

[Mike in AZ]

glad you got it fixed...and posted the cure....hopefully you'll share fotos of your trip....Mike