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By B-rad - 3 Years Ago
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Been trying to get the distributor out of my y block for over a week now. From what I remember, there was a not holding a flat piece of metal up against the distributor shaft on top of the block. I've been spraying it with blaster every day and trying to turn it a bit, hitting it up from underneath it with a block of wood but no movement. Hope someone has an idea or maybe I forgot to do something.
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By Dobie - 3 Years Ago
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You're doing the right thing, patience is key. You might try a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone.
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By Lord Gaga - 3 Years Ago
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Pour some melted paraffin wax where the distributor meets the block and twist it. Clean previous penetrating oils off 1st with brake cleaner and compressed air.
Buy the wax in the canning dept. of your local grocery, TSC etc.
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By darrell - 3 Years Ago
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heat if nothing else works.
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By B-rad - 3 Years Ago
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Using a pipe wrench I was able to turn it a bit but it still won't come out. I used a short 2x4 and tried hammering it from underneath it. Didn't budge. If I use heat, I'm pretty sure it'll make the distributor no good afterwards. That'll be a last option. Don't even know where I would find another distributor for it. But if it becomes useless, that would allow me the ability to use another distributor and carb, since the original setup won't allow me to swap carbs with the original distributor.
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By miker - 3 Years Ago
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The heat you use is a propane torch, not an oxy acetylene. An old mechanic told me it’s the repeated expansion and contractions the breaks the corrosion loose. Some kind of penetrant, (not too much, most of it is flammable), heat, lube, cool, repeat till it comes loose. Patience is the key.
I’m not familiar enough to know if your engine is one of them, but some Lincoln Y blocks will interchange with the Ford distribution if you change the gear. Somewhere will know for sure.
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By B-rad - 3 Years Ago
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I got it. Let it sit for a few minutes after hitting it with blaster. Turned easier with the pipe wrench, then hit it from underneath with a board and hammer. May have made the body of the distributor a little off round. Anybody know if that will make it not function correctly?
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By miker - 3 Years Ago
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I can’t say if it’s going to work, but a good distributor shop will know. FWIW, here’s a link to Marty’s post on the distributor for his 368, and the work in process with FBO. Might be something that helps. Read to the end, FBO appears to be making it right.
http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic148849.aspx?PageIndex=18#bm160785
The FBO site
https://4secondsflat.com/Ford%20Y-Block%20Distributors.htm
I don’t know about any 317/368 interchange, but someone here will.
Good job making progress.
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By B-rad - 3 Years Ago
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Moot point. Looked closer at the distributor and saw a crack in the body. Guess that answers that question.
Next question....
Switching to 12 volt....
I'll need another distributor since this one is broken, does it matter what I get to replace it? Is there another carb I can use with another distributor? I know this distributor and the original 4 bbl carb work together and can't work with others.
And does it matter if the distributor is from a 6 or 12 volt?
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By DryLakesRacer - 3 Years Ago
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If you are able to install a later centrifugal and vacuum distributor any early small base carburetor from Rochester or Carter will work. Most are in the same cubic inch and compression ratio as the 54 Lincoln. They are getting expensive and your air cleaner will need an adapter to work. A carb adapter on your manifold and a more modern carb like Holley and Edelbrock are popular but many Y-block guys are using a Summit either 500 or 600 cfm. Your original was in the 350-375cfm range. I do not know if the 57-up distributor will work in your 54.
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By FORD DEARBORN - 3 Years Ago
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I have in two separate occasions installed distributors from a Lincoln Y-block in a Ford Y-block by changing the distributor gear to a Ford Y-block gear. These were Lincoln Y distributors of 57 and later vintage. Therefore, there is no reason the swap wouldn't work the other way. Assuming all Lincoln Y blocks are machined the same, a dual advance Ford Y distributor would fit your 54 Lincoln Y by reusing your original gear properly placed on a Ford Y distributor. Assuming the early Lincoln Y blocks are machined the same as 57 and later blocks.
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By miker - 3 Years Ago
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Assuming the distributor interchanges with the gear changed, and assuming the 54 is the Holley 4000 (a lot of assumptions) here’s a link to Ted’s article on modifying the Holley.
https://www.eatonbalancing.com/2013/03/02/modifying-the-holley-teapot-four-barrel-carb-for-late-model-distributors/
If you’ve got hood clearance for the spacer, I’d be more inclined to look at the Summit carbs DLR mentioned. The annular booster are a really good street design.
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By B-rad - 3 Years Ago
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I'm not sure what the later centrifugal and vacuum distributor is. And does it matter if the car is 6 volt or 12 as far as the distributor is concerned? I know I'll have to swap out the gear on the bottom of the dist shaft.
Btw, I just took the engine in to the machine shop to get cleaned and inspected. I was happy to see that he had another y block in the shop. At least I know he has some knowledge about older engines. He said the cylinders are going to be needing to be bored so it looks like I'll have a bigger engine when it's done
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By B-rad - 3 Years Ago
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Plus the carb wasn't with the car when I bought it and they're really expensive. Seems like a newer Holley would be a good option. It would be nice if I could find one that would fit the original air cleaner.
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By DryLakesRacer - 3 Years Ago
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The early Holley “teapot” carb actually have the large 7+” air cleaner flange. Any new modern carb you buy will have this same flange. Depending on the air cleaners design there are spacers for the top of the 7+” flange in case you need one. Ignitions don’t care whether they are 6 or 12 volts because the 12 volt ones need a ballast resistor to lower the voltage near 9 volts to stop the points from burning. If considering electronic …Pertronix has a 6 volt system.
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By miker - 3 Years Ago
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DLR, it’s been a long time. Is the teapot that big? I thought it was closer to the 5 1/8” of modern carbs, just a lot taller with the float bowls up there.
Either way, look at the Summit carbs. Pretty reasonable $, and good on the street.
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By DryLakesRacer - 3 Years Ago
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Miker.. with in a few months of buying my 56 292 I found a 57-up distributor and a 1953 Cadillac Carter WCFB. I installed them both with a small bracket I made for the Carter linkage; I wanted to use the stock air cleaner but couldn’t as the hole was way too big. I found an adapter in the stash I had of swap meet stuff and used it. Later I bought another air cleaner and gutted it so I could use it lower with a paper filter..
The early AFB’s were also 5-1/8” like the WCFB’s and Rochesters. The Holley including the teapots and Autolites were bigger at over 7”.
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By miker - 3 Years Ago
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Thanks, DLR. one more thing to know I forgot over the last 20 years.
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