The Ford Barn

Fibber Mcgee · 05-31-2013, 07:46 AM

Just looking for some opinions. Which Flathead distributor is the best and which is the worst and why?

ken ct · 05-31-2013, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fibber Mcgee

Just looking for some opinions. Which Flathead distributor is the best and which is the worst and why?

Any of the Helmets are just fine if setup correctly. The crab is the easiest to work on and is a good choice with some parts changing to adapt to a helmet engine. OMO. ken ct.

Ralph Moore · 05-31-2013, 08:16 AM

Bubba's!

BUBBAS IGNITION · 05-31-2013, 08:23 AM

I can tell you my answer or "opinion" would be very different today as it would have been ten years ago!

After doing over 200 of the early Ford Helmets and another 200 or so of the two bolt Crab , i can say these distributors were the best distributor ever made!!!

Every time we bench build a few of these units i learn something new.

The advance units work very well with a lube and polish service.

There are some procedures from the Ford service bulletins than need to be followed as far as adjustments and quality parts must be used.

Add in some machine break in and plenty of lube and these have proven to be the very best distributor out there !!

36tbird · 05-31-2013, 10:32 AM

Jim, what is your opinion of a crab with a Petronix?

BUBBAS IGNITION · 05-31-2013, 12:27 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by 36tbird

Jim, what is your opinion of a crab with a Petronix?

We have built quite a few of the electronic crabs using the pertronixs that have worked very well.
The newest pertronixs 1285LS is a very nice addition etc, quality upper plate replacement and seems to work well.

With that said and done, my personal opinion is that the flathead just dont need electronic ignition and often times it causes more trouble than its worth.
Part of this thinking is that the crab ( properly set up with good parts) is as good of distributor as ever made. Good advance curve with very good spark output all thru-out the rpm band of the engine.
Its the old addage " a duck is a duck, is a duck" a flathead is a flathead no matter what mods you do it , its still a flathead....

The only gain using a electronic crab would be in overall maintance and adjustment. You dont really gain in spark output etc. A engine that needs 5000 volts with points would need 5000 volts with electronics......

You had to ask didnt you???

Bruce Lancaster · 05-31-2013, 01:00 PM

Good points might need a checkout in 10,000 miles...but shop carefully, as there are plenty of junk points imported now.
The crab and the 59A version is by far the best IMHO, because everything you need is readily available through normal as well as resto channels AND it is easy to work on; you can swing it out of the car in less than a minute and fully do everything including timing in comfort, if you are a worrywort a spare can be fully set up and timed in your parts box and installed VERY quickly...you can R&R a crab in the dark if you need to, once you have done it.
The earlier distributors (2 basic generations, several minor variants) are harder to R&R because of their bulk and suffer from poor availability of quality plastic bits and decent low priced coils. They are entirely serviceable, though.
Last generation helmet (11A) and '42-48 also give a bit more pep as their curve is well suited to decent gas. Earlier ones have more conservative curves as they were designed to survive lugging on depression era gas...
I actually prefer the 59A '46-48 version of the crab due to its thorough waterproofing...only downside of that is the hassle when you install a new set of wires.
I've posted the earliest (and several later) patents on the '32-48 distributors. They were Mallory design and patent.
Worst flathead distributor: '49-53. Even if perfect.

Fibber Mcgee · 05-31-2013, 03:52 PM

I'm enjoying the input and it has raised a few additional questions. Bruce,why is the 49-53 the worst ? Where do you find good points, condensers and rotors for the helmets and the crabs?

Bruce Lancaster · 05-31-2013, 04:53 PM

'49 up advance mechanism is right around inadequate for full throttle or heavy load conditions at its best, and is often entirely inop in the real world. If engine is tired, souped up, or just driven hard you are not getting anywhere near what you need.
NAPA still has good quality points and tuneup stuff; I think Drake may be tooling up with good parts, but wait and see...

05-31-2013, 07:46 AM	#1
Fibber Mcgee Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Callahan Fla Posts: 1,149	Distributor opinions Just looking for some opinions. Which Flathead distributor is the best and which is the worst and why? __________________ Wanted, a car with a " Dynaflex Superflowing Unijet Turbovasculator which is Syncromeshed to the Multicoil Hydrotensioned Dual vacuum Dynomometer. "

05-31-2013, 08:16 AM	#3
Ralph Moore Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: North Pole, Alaska Posts: 1,470	Re: Distributor opinions Bubba's!

05-31-2013, 10:32 AM	#5
36tbird Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: nw SanAntonio, TX Posts: 939	Re: Distributor opinions Jim, what is your opinion of a crab with a Petronix?

05-31-2013, 01:00 PM	#7
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: Distributor opinions Good points might need a checkout in 10,000 miles...but shop carefully, as there are plenty of junk points imported now. The crab and the 59A version is by far the best IMHO, because everything you need is readily available through normal as well as resto channels AND it is easy to work on; you can swing it out of the car in less than a minute and fully do everything including timing in comfort, if you are a worrywort a spare can be fully set up and timed in your parts box and installed VERY quickly...you can R&R a crab in the dark if you need to, once you have done it. The earlier distributors (2 basic generations, several minor variants) are harder to R&R because of their bulk and suffer from poor availability of quality plastic bits and decent low priced coils. They are entirely serviceable, though. Last generation helmet (11A) and '42-48 also give a bit more pep as their curve is well suited to decent gas. Earlier ones have more conservative curves as they were designed to survive lugging on depression era gas... I actually prefer the 59A '46-48 version of the crab due to its thorough waterproofing...only downside of that is the hassle when you install a new set of wires. I've posted the earliest (and several later) patents on the '32-48 distributors. They were Mallory design and patent. Worst flathead distributor: '49-53. Even if perfect.

05-31-2013, 03:52 PM	#8
Fibber Mcgee Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Callahan Fla Posts: 1,149	Re: Distributor opinions I'm enjoying the input and it has raised a few additional questions. Bruce,why is the 49-53 the worst ? Where do you find good points, condensers and rotors for the helmets and the crabs? __________________ Wanted, a car with a " Dynaflex Superflowing Unijet Turbovasculator which is Syncromeshed to the Multicoil Hydrotensioned Dual vacuum Dynomometer. "

05-31-2013, 04:53 PM	#9
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: Distributor opinions '49 up advance mechanism is right around inadequate for full throttle or heavy load conditions at its best, and is often entirely inop in the real world. If engine is tired, souped up, or just driven hard you are not getting anywhere near what you need. NAPA still has good quality points and tuneup stuff; I think Drake may be tooling up with good parts, but wait and see...