C2:67 Distributor, were they green?

[Clem Zahrobsky (45134)]

i used one when i installed a pointed setscrew

with a locking nut so i could set the cross gear end play which had to be on center of the gear.

[Patrick Hulst (16386)]

Re: how much do you really plan to drive the car?

Touche'

[Clem Zahrobsky (45134)]

correction.it was not pointed, it had a

small ball bearing installed in the end of the set screw. it has been a LONG time.

[Ernie Fry]

Re: correction.it was not pointed, it had a

If you look inside the old housing, there should be a tit where the center of the old cross shaft wore in to the side of the housing! This is the true center of where the small gear will ride against the housing. If you have access to a milling machine, then putting the hole in the correct place and depth is not a problem using the tit for a guide.

I’m not positive, but was there not a recess in the side wall on the later distributors to allow for the nylon button to sit flush in the housing when installed? I know that if you install the brass button in the housing and do not mill the wall to recess this button flush, it will bind the cross gear when installed. Once the hole is drilled for the center you should mill out the wall to accommodate the thickness of the brass button.

Another problem that I’ve seen and one that should addressed is an issue of two different cross gears on the market! One gear has a brass end on it to allow for the wear in the housing, one gear is made as OEM would be made.

If you bushing up the side of the housing and have the gear with the brass end on it, it will lock up when installed! The gear is longer than that of the Original design and will bind when you screw the coupling tight.

Ernie

[Gerard Fuccillo (42179)]

I think you have clarified things for me

Ernie,

I've been scratching my head on this issue of the nylon and bronze button and I think you just clarified it for me. Here is a picture of the end of the two cross gears:


The one the left I believe is the original, and the one on the right is a ZIP special (from the mid 90's) with SS bearings. I don't think it is the Hi Tech one as it has a bronze cap on the end of the gear. The pictures of the Hi Tech one which I've seen do not have that cap. Did the OEM one have the hole in the center, or is the hole from wear.

As you can see in the picture, the original one has a hole in the center of the gear. Did the OEM one have the hole in the center, or is the hole from wear. The housing has a depression and a corresponding tit as you describe:


In the early 90's, I bought this kit with the drill and tap guides with a set screw and a nylon button. I never could figure out where the nylon button went and how it was supposed to work with the set screw. I thought it may have been the end cap of the gear. But the job at the time was over my head, and so I lived without a tach for a while until I bought a replacement distributor. I think I got at least 45,000 miles on that original tach and cross gear.

So, now I'm just tempted to throw the new gear in and try to use the tit as the bearing point. Seems to be the same arrangement as the set screw and bronze end cap. Maybe it will wear down enough to fit the plastic button in it, or I guess I can always tap in the set screw at a later time. I'll bet I get lots of miles on it, as is, or maybe it will lock up.

Thanks for your info,

Jerry Fuccillo
#42179

[Clem Zahrobsky (45134)]

that recess in the end of the GM gear

was what the ball bearing i posted above rested into. i made my own setups back then even adding the ball bearing to the allen set screw by drilling into the end of the screw about 1/2 the diameter of the ball bearing and inserted the ball bearing. this made for a almost frictionless setup and you could adjust the end play of the cross gear with the setscrew and lock it down with the nut.

[Ernie Fry]

Re: that recess in the end of the GM gear

I think if it were my distributor, I would use the brass insert. Drill the hole for it where the tit is sticking out! You can drill the hole and not pass all the way through the housing and then epoxy the brass button in place. You may have to trim a bit from the end of the brass bushing to get it to fit the short hole. To be honest, it would only require a tiny bit of epoxy to hold it in place once installed.

Yes the original distributor cross gear had the hole in the end of it.

The gear that you have and the roller bearing set up will work with the brass button, but you will need to recess the button in the housing. (Milling required) One way to tell if button needs to be recessed is drill the hole first, sit the button in the housing and assemble the coupler in the distributor. With all the parts assembled, the gears should not bind in any way. The clearance on the main shaft must be shimmed properly too! To much end play will cause the gears ride up and down!

[Gerard Fuccillo (42179)]

Re: that recess in the end of the GM gear

Ernie,

I have a nylon button which I could never figure out how it was used. It has 4 little ears on the back which I guess fit into a hole. Was the nylon button, or the brass button used in conjunction with the set screw, or did it fit just in the hole in the housing.

Would the nylon one work just the same as the brass button if I cut the ears off and epoxied it in place (with the new gear in the picture).

Well, I just ordered a brass (bronze) insert, and a thrust washer for the gear shaft. Looks like I'll be doing some experimenting when they come (with the new main shaft and shaft bushings).

I still don't want to drill the hole in the housing. The replacement distributor I have on the car now has the threaded hole and works fine, so I guess I can do some experimenting with the original.

Jerry Fuccillo
#42179

[Ernie Fry]

Re: that recess in the end of the GM gear

The nylon just snapped in the hole when istalled. The hole passed throught the housing and held it in place. I doubt that the bushing would stay in place with just epoxy. If you did this, it would probably fall out and then you would eat up another set of gears. Drill it! As long as you don't pass through the wall you will be fine! But if you do it this way, you will have to use the brass.

I've never used the threaded adjusting screw type of set up. Other people here may have, you might ask them!

Ernie

[Gerard Fuccillo (42179)]

How does the ball bearing stay in place?

Clem,

I might want to try that on my replacement distributor which already has the threaded hole for the set screw. If it stays in place just from the pressure of the gear against the housing, maybe the piece de resistance would be to use a modified grease fitting instead of the set screw. Then you could occasionally grease it without disassembling it.

Regards,

Jerry Fuccillo

[Clem Zahrobsky (45134)]

Re: How does the ball bearing stay in place?

i just put a little grease to hold it in place till it makes contact with the end of the gear and then the gear holds it in place