I like the idea of the oilite type bushing and if I ever did it again I would use it. I doubt I'll ever wear out the steel bushing in my lifetime LOL. Does the oilite bushing actually absorb oil? If it does as a I guess there is a large chamber in the casting that would allow a good amount of oil to be in there..
I'm just as confused if you measure with the shaft pushed up or pulled down. I reused the gear and collar so they just went back in the original location and it measured .024 end play when I was done and I called it good.. I'm thinking the max of .032 it about the limit or the rotor may start hitting the cap?

They are porous yes, made of powdered metal. There are both steel and bronze oilite bushing types. When tapped, I could tell it wasn't tool steel or anything like that, because it was a little "crunchy". What you are calling steel is maybe what's known as Super oilite 16, gotta be oilite bushing of some kind anyway now that I think about it.

"Oilite is formed using powder metallurgy so that tiny pores are present in the metal. The pores are then vacuum impregnated with an oil to improve the material’s bearing ability. The material holds approximately 20% oil by volume."

Yeah for the dimension what I can do is re-assemble one of the cores and then measure, can figure out where the measurement is based upon. Maybe. LOL

Jim, do you have an extra 'strib laying around? If you get a chance, measure the gear dimension from the mounting flange to the bottom of the distributor gear, the flat machined thrust surface. It should be obvious (I think) right away from which direction the endplay is taken up prior to locating the gear. Pretty sure it's taken with the distributor shaft pulled down but I'd like to get a warm and fuzzy on this.

"Can anyone shed some light on correct part numbers and availability? Is this another unicorn part??"

I hate to interfere, but you realize there are two distributor designs (1957-1959) and 1958/ )? There is a design change again in 1960 and again in 1965. While many parts are interchangeable, many are not.

You are working with a 1963 292 LT distributor? What is the ID NO.?

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1964 F100, the Shop manual says Distributor No. C3TF-12127-K, have two (2) C3TF cores on hand. One was probably original to the engine but no idea which one specifically.

The question pertains to whether the distributor shafts available are serviceable for more years than Mac's or Carpenters allows. I'm aware the breaker plate changed, the vacuum advance etc, but it appears the distributor shaft "should" work for a number of different applications.

"The question pertains to whether the distributor shafts available are serviceable for more years than Mac's or Carpenters allows.

I have a hard time trying to decipher sites such as those. If I need something, I search by the actual PN.

That being said, The B7A 12175-A shaft was used on the 292 through end of pass car production (1962). I cannot say for LT as I got rid of most of my reference materials years ago.

I will leave you alone now ...

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Regardless of what type bushing,  the Pertronix will put no side force on the shaft like points do. I've been using the Pertronix II for about four years now..

Well that's really the issue isn't it. Sometimes they don't use Ford part numbers or just make up their own. So it's left to the repairer to try and figure out what's what and what will actually work.

So the bushings were unobtanium for a while I take it, and you sacrificed a housing to get a used one? There's somebody selling them on that auction site for $150 a pop (have to buy all 4 I guess) LOL

Another feller has them machined up for $80 per. I don't get it. They are available (at least for now) NOS for $10 to $20

Did you see the other post upstream a bit? Was hoping when you get a chance, you could measure your distributor dimensions to help solve the Great Endplay Controversy when locating the gear. I'm 99% certain it's measured with the shaft pulled out (down). Gotta be.

No LOL, I only used the shaft, gear, collar from the one I sacrificed. I put it in my housing and it had a tight bushing so I didn't replace it. My shaft had a issue with the advance. While doing this I was curious why I didn't see any hole in the bushing or a way for the oil to get to the shaft so I cut up that one I wasn't going to use, I have a few others..
I measured the clearance between the collar and housing with the shaft pulled down. Also after I cut down the rotor I checked this morning and there is no sign of hitting the top inside of the cap as before. I've only put 160 miles on it since I reinstalled it. Hasn't missed a beat yet..