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.

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..

"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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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.

"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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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.

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

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?

Not sure, the bushing I ordered from tbirdhq, appears from the pic to be bronze colored, and (I think) has an oil hole. They don't use actual Ford #s on their site, and the places that have either part in stock don't have pics. I thought oilite doesn't need the oil hole though.

The parts will be here soon enough so I'm trying to get a better handle on the dimensions. The bushing gets driven home till it bottoms on the step, located in the base of the housing. This sets the proper bushing height, it still sits proud of the distributor bowl, but the distributor shaft itself should not run on this surface in operation.

So lacking the special tools Ford used, to set the proper endplay and locate the collar on the new shaft, could install (temporarily) a .022" shim or washer on the shaft, on top of the bushing basically. Then, run the collar all the way up flush with the distributor base. Using the collar holes as a guide, drill a 1/8" hole in the new shaft. Remove shim washer, reinstall everything and then pin collar. So now have the 0.022" end play spec'd in the book.

(1st question is why is the spec 0.022" to 0.032"? Wear is the where? Er, where is the wear normally?? It looks like the extra 0.010" spec'd must be the accepted limits past the normal endplay? Remember the shaft doesn't ride on the bushing, so I don't get it. The endplay will never tighten up! If I'm thinking correctly, then in any case 0.022" end play is golden, measured between the collar and housing base. Or do they figure some people will screw up, and up to 0.032" is OK?)

So that leaves locating the gear on the shaft properly. Once again Ford had special tools. Looking at different gear manufacturers like MSD, Crane, whoever, there are different instructions when installing their gears. The Ford manual says "remove endplay" before locating gear. So does everybody else - but, "somebody" is wrong! I think. Because, some folks say pull down, others say push up! I can probably figure it out by looking at the dimensions of the core I have, but.

So what do they mean exactly by that "remove end play" - extending the distributor shaft down as far as it will go by 0.022" OR, pushing up on the distributor shaft so the collar is tight against the housing?

It seems to me the shaft should be pushed up, with the collar against the housing when taking this measurement, and then the gear installed/located 4.991" to 4.996" as measured from mounting flange to bottom of gear. Notice this is different technique than when actually checking for the proper dimensions.

edit: distributor shaft should be extended as far out as it will go. I think. LOL


Keeping in mind the desired result is that the base of the gear should ride directly on the machined thrust surface in the block with a good wear pattern on the gears, while at the same time the distributor shaft weight should not ride on the bushing, ideally keeping the end play to a minimum etc etc.

Ted, is that for the steel bushing or the older oilite with the hole?