Help with Ignition System

[Lynn Eades]

Alastair, Did i read in one of your posts tht military crab distributor bodies, were made of steel, and not aluminium?
Why the difference?

[ajmac]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Crab distributor bodies, were made of steel, and not aluminium?
Why the difference?

I'm not 100% sure Lynn but I have always presumed that Aluminium was required for aircraft manufacture during wartime. The last Ford cars built before Ford terminated normal production to concentrate on 'war work' in 1942 I believe had Aluminium bodied Crab distributors, the 59A which was introduced as soon as the war was over switched back to Aluminium bodies.
Talking to the Flathead Hot Rod guys in the US they had never seen a cast iron Crab body; this fits in well as virtually all Flathead manufacture in wartime went overseas.

The other option of course.....Ford Canada tooled up for Cast Iron Crab bodies while Ford USA stayed with Aluminium.


Original Loyd Cast Iron Crab Distributor body.


Cast Iron Crab I found in the UK to rebuild.

[Lynn Eades]

Hi Alastair. Nice Loyd. The generator tray is an odd one. It looks like it takes a fairly small genny. I have not seen your one before. I have the 90 amp genny, (that has the little brackets that go from the housing to the manifold) it looks too big to go on that bracket.
I Bought this dizzy about 5 minutes before you posted. Hopefully it's innards are all there.
I must say the Windsor set up looks complicated. Glad I'm not looking for those bits.

[ajmac]

Looks like a good buy, it appears to be missing the timing adjustment locking screw which is not a big deal to replace. The cap locking clips are made repro in the US by macs, that's where I sourced mine from, along with a rotorarm and cap.

[Lynn Eades]

Adding more images to help.
The first image shows the two "cross over the motor" H.T. leads at the front (artist's priority was a pretty drawing) Lead no's "2" and "5" have to cross (the top of the motor)from one side to the other with the Crab distributor.
Image two is the firing order and cylinder lay out from a British Ford head casting.
The last image shows the neater wiring layout of the early (football, divers helmet) distributor. (note the info on which is left and right, and how it is arrived at)