Hello, new to forum, just bought a 57 F100 with 272 motor. This is the first one of these I've owned and noticed the distributor is tucked waaaay back of the motor near firewall. Is there an easy way to get to the points or do I need to lay on the engine block?! The motor compartment on these old pickups are huge! Guy I bought it from had it stored in barn for about 20 years, the thing cranked right up when he decided to sell it. Rust is not bad as it is a Southern truck. Got it for 2 grand, can't complain!

Very good find, get used to carbs, rad caps, and valve cover studs poking you in the ribs and other places, it's the love of the vehicle that makes it all worthwhile.

       

Gary, 55 Vicky, St. Germain, Wisconsin

 

The easy way is to pull the distributor.Chalk mark where the advance is pointing and where the rotor is pointing.You may have trouble getting it out of the block if it hasnt been out for years.Apply penetrating oil around the base 2-3 times and let it soak.This is the best site around for Y-block info.Welcome!

  

Thanks guys, you are right, this is the oldest vehicle I have ever owned and I am already emotionally attached!

Welcome to the forum. I am old enough to remember falling in love with a 56 Ford in the new car show room and waiting 5 or 6 years until I could afford one. Changing points wasn't fun when I was young and it gets worse with old age. I used a 56 as a daily driver for 20 years and put 400,000 miles on it going through several engines. I have changed points in the car and pulled the distributor. If you try to change them in the car, get yourself one of those screw holding screw drivers. Otherwise you will probably lose one of the screws.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

For me it's easy, I just pop the hood, and change the points using the space between the open hood and cowl. Ford used two kinds of distributors around here, the FoMoCo (imported) and the Wapsa (a Prestolite made under licence). My car has the Wapsa, and it's very easy to work on it. If I had to do the same job at a '57 truck, I would pul the whole thing from the motor. Adjusting the gap laying on top of the engine is not that fun.

Túlio Lazzaroni "FORD", Florianópolis SC Brasil.

'74 Ford Galaxie 500 292 V8

'82 Ford Galaxie Landau 302 V8

'98 Chevrolet S10 4.3 V6

'01 Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec

I stand on something so I can reach in further.

54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

If I were going to the trouble of pulling the distributor I would install a Pentrox electronic conversion and that will be the last time you will have to worry about the plugs.