Thoughts on Helmet Dizzy rebuild?

[Ziggster]

Started the disassembly of my helmet dizzy for my speedster project. Was making a list of parts to get, and am now looking at what appears to me as some significant wear on the hex cam. What do you all think. I can’t find this item listed seperately on either Mac’s or Vanpelt?

[JM 35 Sedan]

Contact Third Generation Automotive (Michael Driskell) in McMinnville Tennessee, and see if he can help you with your needs.

[35fordtn]

Definitely worn. We have most everything on hand for 32-48 distributors

[Ziggster]

Excellent! Will give Third Gen a call tomorrow!

[supereal]

If the cam is worn, it is a good bet that the shaft bushings are, too. When, and if, you get it back together, have it set up and tested on a machine if there is one in your area.

[zeffer1940]

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DIZZY?? I'm so dizzy, my head is spinnin https://youtu.be/arpidGq8SlA
third gen is the best....even for dizzy parts
jb

[Russ/40]

There are a bazillion of those distributors around. EBay is a good source if someone doesn't offer to give you one. The damage you see is very unusual. Worth buying a few cores just for parts. Third Gen is a great vendor source. 35Fordtn

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by Ziggster

Excellent! Will give Third Gen a call tomorrow!

Ziggster, you may even want to consider sending your complete distributor to Third Gen Auto and let Michael go thru it and set the timing on his machine. He does do good work.

[Ziggster]

Yep, I may even just get one of his rebuilt ones. I think he even offered to look at mine a while back. I do have an Allen syncrograph, but need to get it working. Lol!

[Ziggster]

I was wondering if the breaker point cam assy is the same between the helmet (37-42) and the one for the crab dizzy as I still have the orig crab dizzy. From what I can see, the breaker point cam on the crab dizzy appears to have no wear.

[Lawson Cox]

Send yours to Mike at 3rd Generation or to Jim Linder at Bubba's Ignition Service. Both are excellent with "Dizzys' if that's what you want to call em. Do you call a horn a horney? (Inquiring minds want to know.) Damn. There you go again Lawson.

[Ziggster]

Haha, I picked up the term "dizzy" from this forum and the HAMB! I was thinking of sending mine down, but with the border "closed", my normal routine of having stuff drop shipped to Ogdensburg, NY has been shuttered as the cost of having it shipped north to Canada via the freight forwarder is prohibitive unless I can keep it in the respective postal services of each country. I checked Bubba's site, and he retired back in Feb 2020 and suggests Mike or Charlie. If I can use the cam assy from the crab dizzy, I will still likely rebuild mine as I see it as a personal challenge. Lol!

[35fordtn]

Is your distributor a 68 or 11a? If it is a 11a the cam/weight assembly in your crab distributor is the same. We stock them NOS and use them in the 37/41 distributors all the time. If you have a 68 you still could use it you just have to be sure to use the 11A index ring. If you do rob the cam from the crab there is a little washer beneath the upper small snap ring..... don’t lose it! In case you one day wish to fix the crab, that washer is very hard to find and not something available

[Ziggster]

Not sure if it is a 11A or 68. I’ll have a closer look when I get back home.

[Ziggster]

The helmet dizzy shaft is stamped with a "68".

[35fordtn]

you can use the 11A weights from your Crab with that 68 shaft. You just need to also use the 11A index ring (The ring attached to the weights in your photo there is no formal name for it so I call it the index ring)

Going that route you would have a quicker curve like a 11A, but would only advance 16 degrees due to the 68 shaft, which would still be just fine.

As others had mentioned a cam with that much wear is unusual. Check both bushings for wear as well as the posts the points ride on on the breaker plate.,

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

If yer in this deep , buy a 11 A conversion from zMike ands pick up the small points snd more advance in the same package .,.

[Ziggster]

Thanks Bubba. Will be giving Mike a call tomorrow to order what is needed.

[Ziggster]

For neophytes like myself, some pics of various helmet dizzy identification markings.

[Ziggster]

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