Helmet mystery solved

[RalphM]

I don’t have a whole lot of experience with helmet distributors, But I’m thinking of putting a 1940 motor into my 35 and it just so happened I had a fresh rebuilt distributor from Bubba. I found a bunch of good used caps that I had and when I put them on I noticed something strange. I aligned the caps with a notch in the distributor housing The rotor on one side did not line up with the cap contacts. I went through several before I realize there is a left and right. I thought this was strange since each Is numbered to be used on either side, plugs one through eight.
Falls into the “I never knew that” category.

[Terry,OH]

You can not use the 32-36 inner cap on the 37-42 distributor. All the inner caps are non directional and can fit on either side of the distributor.

[RalphM]

I do have some inner caps with no tabs on them, just slots. I also have an early distributor with a round three bolt coil. I’m guessing it’s an early one.
I’d like to use original caps if possible, I don’t think repops are that good from what I’ve read. read

[Terry,OH]

All the Ford inner caps have tabs on one side to fit in the slots in the distributor and slots for the tabs on the outer cap, on the other side.
Hemispherical coil with three screw mount is 33-Early 36. Cylinder shaped with two diagonal screw mount is late 36 and the typical 37-42 coil has two opposing screw mount. All of the Ford coils are script Ford usually on the top of the coil. This is typical since there are some variations especially very early and post war.

[RalphM]

So why is it when I reversed the cap None of the contacts lineup ?
As in picture.

[G32]

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Originally Posted by RalphM

So why is it when I reversed the cap None of the contacts lineup ?
As in picture.

Ralph;

The side cap in the picture is off 90 degrees -the bevel on the contact

should be up and down--not front and back. Because:

The distributor shown is 37-41. cap is early 3 bolt coil style. Can't mix.

Your distributor notch is up pass side and down on driver side.

32-36 distributor notches are on the side toward engine.

Gene Tulsa