Carrier V-8 distributor question

[Jim Burrill]

For the collective expertise here.....

Mk2 carrier last run 10 years back, but was a good runner. (smoked a little)

We got it non-running. Did the usual stuff to check it prior to spinning the engine.

Added a new battery and was checking the spark and was very weak.

Pulled the distributor. - Original 'Diver's Helmet style.
put a new coil in it and cleaned the contacts and all the stuff you do to a distributor and went to put it back in.

Here is the problem... When it is seated, the tab does not seem to reach the slot on the cam shaft. with the round caps off, you can spin the shaft to get the tab to line up, but Joe says it keeps spinning and does not engage.

We have tried to fit just the shaft from a spares box and also with the end cap and the shaft.

I am beggared to think the shaft could travel out of position like that!!

Since I don't have personal confirmation the distributor wasn't tinkered with by the previous owner, I don't know if something went wrong with the cam and that was the reason for not still being a runner.

Or..... Joe just hasn't gotten the distributor housing fully seated.

Has anyone run into this before? Is there some sage "oh, by the way..." about fitting the diver's helmet distributor that we are missing?

Thanks all.


Joe thinks the cam shaft has shifted rearwards somehow.

[colin jones]

Jim I would say that the spacer button has fallen out when you took out the dizzy. I suggest you have a good look on the floor.
Colin.

[Lynn Eades]

Yes, and just to add to Colin's advice. The button is an adapter that goes between a late model cam (the shorter, late type cam, that suits the crab dizzy)and the earlier divers helmet type dizzy.(when the late cam is used in an early motor)
I don't know if it can fall down inside the timing cover, but if you cant find it on the floor, look in there.
The cam can't move back.
There is a picture of one sitting on The Servex timing fixture that I posted about in the last 2 days.

[RichardT10829]

Two different length can shafts... Later ones are longer I thought, but it may be the other way around as Lynn suggests

I went from divers helmet type to a crab type along with a later can installed, and needed a spacer between the dizzy and the block

[Lynn Eades]

Richard, I might have it wrong.
Looks like we are all on the same line of thought though.

[colin jones]

Here's a couple of photo's of a spacer plate I made about 2 years ago when I changed a bell dizzy for a crab one and a photo of the button adapter.
Colin.

[Darrin Wright]

Continuing on with the same line of thought....

I have the earlier helmet distributor on my V8, all original to 1941, when I did the rebuild I considered changing over to the crab distributor, in order to do this I had to look at acquiring the adaptor plate (as Colin has pictured) and the button.

This indicates that the front timing cover was also different.

So it will be a combination of distributor, cam shaft gear and timing cover fitted to the engine.

I would also consider, depending on level of work done to the distributor, going back over the distributor to ensure that it is back together again. easy way to possibly tell is the rotor should line up with the 2 sets of contacts for the plug leads, as it rotates. Then there is the timing or phasing of the points....

[Lynn Eades]

Darrin, The crab dizzy (21A) vacuum brake is operated via drilling back into the timing cover. The older (divers helmet- 68) dizzy has a pipe going directly off the dist housing. It would require a later timing cover as well.
The vacuum brake is important. It stabilizes the spark timing and alters timing to suit throttle position.
The early dizzy has the reputation of being the better one apart from a few downside issues, like being harder to get in and out. They are said to be more water proof (does it make a difference?) You would need the correct conduits as well because the crab has two ht leads that cross over to the opposite side (unlike the divers helmet that sends 4 leads down each side to the 4 plugs on that side)