Ford V8 Distributor 68A

[39-Ford]

Hello, all. I am hoping I can get some advice on how to install my inner distributor caps on my 1939 Ford Tudor. I have original 221ci 85hp V8. I am installing a rebuilt 68A distributor. When we removed the inner caps from the old unit. They were extremely tight. Had to use a heat gun on low to lightly tap them out. We went to reinstall the inner caps with no luck. One cracked. So I ordered 2 new inner, and outer from Dennis Carpenter. Any advise on the best way to get these in without the same problem happening again. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Brian]

I always file down the outer diameter of the new caps until they are a nice fit.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by Brian

I always file down the outer diameter of the new caps until they are a nice fit.

Me too. The phenolic material used to mold those inner caps will tend to swell and increase in diameter over time, and will require some sanding or filing to make them fit into their normal location in the distributor housing.

[Als48]

I fully agree that the phenolic caps swell. I was helping a friend with a '54 International B tractor, who could not get it to run consistently and had been fooling with it for months. I soon discovered that the distributor cap was swollen and not seating properly into the indexing notch. This, in my opinion was preventing the cap from seating properly, causing the rotor to be improperly aligned with the cap. This allowed the engine to mis-fire due to weak or no-spark at some of the plug wire connections. I was able to file down the O.D. of the cap which needed to insert into the distributor a small amount and the engine started and ran fine.

Al Hook

[38 coupe]

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For future reference, to remove stuck inner caps take the coil off the top and push out on the caps.