Distributor caps, wiring, etc. '32-'41, '42, '46-'48

[Kube]

I think most are familiar with the three design variations of distributor
caps / terminal plates during the flathead years.
1932 - 1941 were identical, requiring a pair of outer caps and inner terminal plates. Although a tad difficult to assemble properly, this task can be performed fairly quickly with a little experience.
Along comes 1942 with not only a newly designed distributor but a new distributor cap. Often called a "crab" cap, this design was without question the easiest to install as there were no longer outer caps and inner terminal plates.
Then, the third and final design was utilized throughout 1946 - 1948. Once again an outer cap and inner terminal cap were required. And, again, the process of assembling this was quite the task. I would say, perhaps arguably, more of a task than the '32 - '41 design.
So, the question is: "Does anyone know why Ford did away with the '42 crab style cap with its inherent simplicity after only one year"?
Even on an industrial level (mass production) the time and subsequent cost required to produce, assemble and install the last design had to be significantly increased over the '42 style.

[V8COOPMAN]

1942 "initial issue" possibly translated into a lot of war-years (military experience) usage and feedback that suggested the need for better water-intrusion control. Just a guess! DD

[Steves46]

Although I am not sure the reason for the change, the crab style on my 46 has been terrific and easy to work with. I am glad it does not have the stock set-up for it appears it would be a major pain in the buns to route plug wires to the connections. Steve

[Bruce Lancaster]

On the '42...I found out on here that they had different wiring conduits from '46-8, with holes allowing the wrong-side wires to cross over the intake rather than having to be carefully arranged right above the distributor!
Official Ford verbiage I found in some old 1946 edition of a garage/filling station magazine covering new stuff from postwar cars:
Ford said that the change was to control condensation problems within distributor cap!
Valve angle change was chalked up to a desire to increase water passage size.
I suppose it moved the condensation area to the outer chamber where it was unlikely to cause problems.
At one time I had a '42 setup on my '48 for a while, and I of course put on lots of miles with the original type. I always worried about the distributor location when I was running at 75 MPH behind an 18 wheeler in a downpour...but the motor never sneezed with either setup.

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

Just for giggles. The inner caps on the 32-36 have the inner brass terminals closer together then the 37-41 dist. Walt

[Kube]

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Originally Posted by Walt Dupont--Me.

Just for giggles. The inner caps on the 32-36 have the inner brass terminals closer together then the 37-41 dist. Walt

I realize there were minor differences between the years but the designs were basically the same 32 - 41.
It appears the most commonly held opinion is Ford must have experienced a moisture issue with the 42 style.
Still, one has to wonder why they "over engineered" the design for 46 - 48 when a simple and effective cure would have been to simply add rubber insulating boots to the cap ends.

[rotorwrench]

Whenever I look at the early front mounted ignitions, it reminds me of aircraft engine ignition design since they also used conduits to protect the multitude of high tension leads on the big round motors. I figure the "42" design might have ruffled some feathers over the conduit thing. One of the Ford engineers must have worked in aviation and was obsessive about the conduit design and how it was packaged. It's like they were shielding the ignition from EMP or something like that and the 1942 set up just didn't meet the standards of that obession.

[harley]

How much effect would emp have on non electronic ignition?

[rotorwrench]

It depends on how well shielded it is. Aircraft systems have shielding of the magnetos due to the metal housings and all the high tension wiring is shielded clear out to the spark plugs. The B-29s Enola Gay, Bocks Car, and all the chase planes used in the 1945 attacks on Japan didn't have a problem but they made great effort to get as far aeway from the blasts as possible. Modern wepons designed to put out EMP are much more powerful so shielding would have to be very good to hold up. In a auto ignition system, the coil would be very susceptible to burn out but most other items would likely survive. Modern electronic ignition modules are a different story though but they too could be shielded.

With world war II production ramping up early in 1942, the war effort may have had an effect on the change over to the system used in post war production. It looked like they wanted them to run under water.

[Bolts]

On the subject of emp, has anyone invented a gizmo that will take out an automotive boom box? Just wondering/hoping. Sorry, back to distributors and wires.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Bolts

On the subject of emp, has anyone invented a gizmo that will take out an automotive boom box? Just wondering/hoping. Sorry, back to distributors and wires.

That guy in the news recently figured out a way. Perhaps not the wisest method...

[37 Coupe]

This is not going to get credence because I have nothing to back this up with. I have never had a 1942 Ford or a crab distributor but I had a very nice low mileage 1946 Ford ,second owner in 1971. This was my first flathead and I was lucky to have a mechanic who worked on my car from the Ford dealership in 1946 and in his own garage by the time I bought the car. He had the equipment to set up Ford distributors and probably checked mine out at the time with a problem I had. I always remember something he told me about the distributors,especially the last few years seeing how popular the crab or the look of it anyway is,or the convenience of it. He said they were a problem new and the problem was water getting in so many holes on occasion from rain ,puddles. According to him Ford went back to a good distributor in 1946 and reliabilty problems went away. I have mentioned this before and a lot of feedback saying this is not true as the crab never funtioned this way,but how many drive daily in all types of weather. Anyway this is one of several things he would recall as a young Ford service mechanic.