Distributor parts sources? (C2 era)

[Verne Frantz]

I would like to know if the following distributor parts are currently available from any source.
2.385 1932418 Felt washer (actually a filter for outside air under the cam)
2.385 1932024 retainer (actually a broken wave washer above the breaker plate)
2.364 1938356 Oiler (the little spring-loaded fitting to admit oil)

I'd appreciate any leads. Thanks
Verne

[Joe L.]

Re: Distributor parts sources? (C2 era)

Verne-----

None are available from GM. The GM #1932418 felt washer was discontinued 30 years ago and replaced by GM #1951099. That part was discontinued over 10 years ago. The GM #1932024 retainer was discontinued over 10 years ago. The GM #1938356 oil was discontinued "when the earth was young".

Standard Motor Parts used to manufacture the felt washer and the retainer. I don't know if they still do, or not. I don't know of any source for the oiler.

Parts for points-type distributors will be getting harder-and-harder to find. I'm sure that some of the rebuild-type parts are manufactured but may only be available to commercial rebuilders. In other words, they are sold only in unit quantities which are not practical for consumers.

[Christopher R.]

Re: Distributor parts sources? (C2 era)

One of the major Corvette parts suppliers, try Paragon or Corvette Central, carries a lot of these little distributor parts. Both of them have on-line catalogs. One of them has a blow up of the distributor with all the little parts they carry.

[John G.]

Re: Distributor parts sources? (C2 era)

You might try LIC, also ..

[Duke W.]

Re: Distributor parts sources? (C2 era)

Most distributor parts are available under all the long time aftermarket parts names - Echlin, BWD, Standard, Niehoff, and all these brands are now owned by Standard. Delco also supplies distributor parts that they purchase from Standard.

The felt washer whose purpose is to lubricate the rotating breaker plate (It's not an "air filter".) is available. Give me a brand name that is convenient for you to purchase, and I will give you a part number.

I'm not aware that the breaker plate retainer clip is currently available as a separate item. I believe one was included with new breaker plates, but unfortunately, I know of no source for new breaker plates. You might be able to find an equivalent in a good hardware store or buy and old single point distributor out of a junkyard to cannibalize for parts.

I'm not sure what you mean by "oiler". Dual point distributors whose OE installation ended with C1 production have an external oiler port, but not single point distributors. The upper bushing of single point distributors is lubricated by a grease well that is covered with a plastic seal (which is not available from any source that I know of). The felt washer should be saturated with motor oil, allowed to drain for at least a day, and then be placed above the plastic seal.

Most single point distributors have not been disassembled, cleaned, and inspected since they were assembled by GM and have dry upper bushing grease wells, which is causing the upper bushing to wear faster than normal. The lower distributor bushing is lubricated with engine oil splash from the lifter valley.

If you mean the cam lubricator wick, I know of no replacements, but point sets usually come with a small capsule of grease that should be applied very sparingly to the rubbing block.

BTW, my '77 vintage parts book only lists the 024 retainer (actual part name is "spring"), but I'm sure it's discontinued. The cam lubricator went through various designs and part numbers. The felt washer is listed in Group 2.364, 1951099, and I'm sure it's discontinued.

Duke

[Verne Frantz]

Re: Distributor parts sources? (C2 era)

The 1938356 "oiler", as it is called in my early parts books, is the cap that presses into the outside body of the distributor for external oiling. I've attached a picture. It appears to be the same part as used on many generators. The passageway from it to the top of the main shaft had some other gummy residue in it, which I believe was either felt, cotton or some other material used to "wick" the oil onto the shaft. I guess it was kinda like a small diameter cigarette filter. I doubt it's available anywhere either.
I was not referring to the Wick, p/n 1931748. I probably shouldn't have said "C2" because this distributor is a '62, #1111006. It is a single point, vac adv dist. It was released as part of a service package sometime in Feb. '62. It is not a Corvette distributor.

The felt washer I removed was saturated with oil. There was no source of oil leading to it, and there was a small hole through the bottom of the distributor casting under it to the outside. That lead me to think it was acting as a filter to allow fresh air inside the distributor to relieve the ozone created by the constant sparking. It has an OD of ~1.100"

The 1932024 "retainer" as it is called in the early parts books, looks pretty much like a thin wave washer, but cut, (like a wavy piston ring). It would be great to find a source for new ones, rather than having to resort to parting out old distributors.

Was there something in the recess at the center of the breaker plate, where the cam rides in that lubricates the bottom of the cam as it rotates? I'd think I'd need something there so the cam doesn't rotate against the metal base of the breaker plate. I don't believe there was anything there when I disassembled this one. The inside dimension of that cavity is ~1.050".

My local NAPA dealer closed down recently, but I believe I have access to Standard brand parts. I'd really like to put this back together again as good as new (or better). It has minimal wear. No bushings, just metal to metal, and the only measurable wear is at the bottom. The shaft is 0.001" smaller diameter there. No upper wear. (maybe the rear camshaft bearing was worn out)

Thanks again
Verne

[Verne Frantz]

Sorry, use this.... *NM*

[Duke W.]

Re: Sorry, use this....

"Was there something in the recess at the center of the breaker plate, where the cam rides in that lubricates the bottom of the cam

as it rotates? I'd think I'd need something there so the cam doesn't rotate against the metal base of the breaker plate. I don't believe

there was anything there when I disassembled this one. The inside dimension of that cavity is ~1.050"."

The cavity in the dist. housing below the breaker plate is the upper bushing grease well. It should be filled with grease and covered with a plastic seal. The felt washer is installed on top of the plastic seal. I know of no current source for the plastic seal.

Maybe someone can scan and post the IPB illustration for the simgle part dist., which clearly shows the assembly sequence. Various shop manuals also have exploded views of distributors.

As I said earlier, single point, vacuumm advance distributors do not have the external "oiler" unless this dist. is some sort of one-off that I am unfamiliar with.

The Standard Motor Parts p/n for the felt washer is DG-53.

SMP and the other old time aftermarket brands have online catalogs with part number cross references including OE, so you should do some research on those sites to see if you can come up with anything else.

Duke

[Verne Frantz]

Well then.........

I guess it is some sort of "one-off". By design, it is actually a hybrid of an earlier dual-point (919) and a later single point (023). But there are also a few other regular production single point distributors with external oilers, but they are for 348 passenger applications. Some have the small "cap" as this one in question, and others have a longer, bent tube either pressed or actually screwed into the outside housing.

"The cavity in the dist. housing below the breaker plate is the upper bushing grease well. It should be filled with grease and covered with a plastic seal. The felt washer is installed on top of the plastic seal. I know of no current source for the plastic seal. "

The cavity below the breaker plate in my distributor is where the felt washer resided. That cavity had no plastic seal and that cavity has the hole in it's bottom leading to the outside air. The ID of the felt washer will fit over the machined top of the housing and nest in the cavity, but not over the cylinder at the top of the breaker plate which fits around the top of the housing. There is no upper (or lower) bushing.

The (partial) order of assembly of this distributor from bottom to top is: cast/machined housing, felt washer in cavity, breaker plate, snap ring (retainer), cam, main shaft. After a test assembly, I realized that the cam does not ride against the bottom of the recess in the breaker plate. A shoulder inside the cam prevents it from contacting the breaker plate, so I withdraw my concern there. It's still a metal-to-metal contact, but at least the surfaces are machine finished co-planar (even though there is no way to lubricate them in service).

Thanks for the part number, Duke. I'll go on line to see what else I can (hopefully) find. I apologize if my initial query strayed from the rules of this forum. I was looking for help to locate original type parts for a Delco Chevrolet distributor, even though it is not a Corvette distributor. The body of knowledge here is more impressive than anywhere else, so I came here first.

Thanks again,
Verne

[Christopher R.]

Single Point 62-74 Corvette Distributor w. Oiler

I've a Chevrolet single point tachometer drive distributor with an external oiler port. Don't know where it came from. But where it has a tach drive, I assumed it was 62-74 Corvette. Do you know what it is? The band was missing when I got it.