Ooopppsss I am reposting this from the Street forum, I think it is better here 😅


Hi all you Y-block lovers! I'm new to this forum from Athens, Greece with my '54 Mercury Monterey driver. It has the original 239 with low mileage, manual with Overdrive, 6volt positive ground, the 2140 Teapot and, the ' temperamental' Load-O-Matic..

Before learning that need a SUN machine, way back I tried to adjust the spring weights and really messed it up. I found one in England but it came back and still is no good. I've always had problems and lately it misfires especially in the mid RPM range.


Here are my novice questions for your kind expert consideration:

1. Is there a way I can manually tune the springs without the SUN machine?

2. Are there reliable Load-O-Matic tuners in the states I can send it for proper tuning?my Load-O-Matic for tuning or I just forget about them?
3. Should I simply forget about it and go for a point unit with centrifugal weights like the ones used in the later Y-Block engines? And frankly I would like to keep it as buy now. I ( I can easily do Ted 's vacuum Teapot conversion I read about in this forum) know it quite well
4.
5. I am also open foran HEI distributor that looks like my original and can fit with the shaft length and tang coupling to the oil pump. However there is a question with the wiring of my overdrive's kick down switch wiring on the coil, because I tried the Pertronix unit it way back and it did not work.

That's it, thank you all in advance
Aris

HOLLEY was the vendor for FORD IGN and FUEL for that period. It may be the tagged ones were issued at the CLEVELAND PLANT and the bowl ID was issued at the DEARBORN PLANT.

The DIST tagged FAE-12127-C is the correct DIST for your engine (CLEVELAND ENGINE - CF).

KULTULZ am I given in my ignorance another chance? I have already seen this listing https://ebay.us/m/8MK0dF but made nothing of it because it is not a Ford one. Now with your endless expertise you wrote that Holley made them for Mercury!
The description is "NOS 1954 Mercury car HOLLEY DISTRIBUTOR Model# 1275-S part# R-844-1AS This is a bid for a new old stock distributor for a '54 Merc made by the Holley
Carburetor Co.It has a 14-tooth gear, and includes the points & condenser.
The original box is included but it is very poor. Part NumberA414 "
The seller has 100% feedback and on the sNOS box it's written For 54 Mercury!!! I've asked him just now if he can tell if it has ever been used

What do you say, shall I go for it? I have not yet tried tuning the one on the car.

I'm probably wrong but could I have a 100% original solution if I build the one you wrote that came with the car, with the ''innards" of this Holley? Ok maybe I'm again beng daft?

Kultulz, thanks for that information.  I never knew there were two different 239/256 series, I thought they were all the same.

You are more than welcome. Just one 256CI SERIES as it was a CLV (CF) engine (as far as I know). The 256-4V was also used in the 1954 FORD as a police engine. That engine is not cataloged in the 1949/1959 FORD MPC. Most likely cataloged in a SPECIAL POLICE CATALOG. 

It gets even more confusing with the gradual transition of the truck 256CI to the 272CI (1955-56).

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KULTULZ am I given in my ignorance another chance?

I have already seen this listing https://ebay.us/m/8MK0dF but made nothing of it because it is not a Ford one. Now with your endless expertise you wrote that Holley made them for Mercury!

The description is "NOS 1954 Mercury car HOLLEY DISTRIBUTOR Model# 1275-S part# R-844-1AS

Well, No.1 is that you are not ignorant. 

The problem is that you have come across a CHERRY 54 MERC and of course where you are located makes it even more difficult for you to find advice, parts and service.

HOLLEY made for FORD-LINC-MERC as well as FORD TRUCK. They also made for others like INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER.

The DIST shown (HOLLEY) is not a FORD ISSUE, it is a type of service replacement (similar to aftermarket service parts of the period). A FOMOCO specific DIST will be ID'd by the two TAG/DIST BOWL examples already discussed.

HOLLEY also made in his period a series named ROTO-VANCE (both vacuum and centrifugal advance) which was a HP offering and frequently used to replace the LOM DIST.

You have the correct DIST on the car.

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Ok, there is a. 'In 1 cart" note on it, so I took my chances and bought it..... Hope this time it works out good, and yes, I won't touch the pivots😛 I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Ted yes, for timing I use a timing light and yes the mark moves when I rev it

If you see the timing mark advance with the timing light, the advance should be good.

If you put a vacuum signal on the vacuum advance canister (with a hand held vacuum pump or mouth suction), does the breaker plate advance and return (after releasing vacuum) easily and does the vacuum canister hold vacuum?

If that low of mileage, the DIST advance may be hanging but not totally dysfunctional.

Exactly what is (are) the drive-ability concern(s)?

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Hey KULTULZ your reply came to Greece! I wish I'll get it working with such smaller problems 😅

DANIEL TENDER WROTE -

Just that it is possible to improve performance while retaining the 6SEMV system. He’s not doing a concours restoration.BTW:

His problem with a 6V Pertronics is common (overdrive draws too much juice).

#1 -
I owe you an apology. Ted and others later corrected me as to being able to use a 12V DIST on a 6V system in another thread.

 #2While PERTRONIX does offer an IGNITOR for the 6V NEG GRD LOM DIST, I have read casual references to the OD electric control interfering with it's operation (I believe the momentary electric supply cut-out) confusing the IGN MODULE?

Do you have any other info/experience?

BTW - The FDT-12127-B1 DIST ASSY the OP showed earlier was a 1956 FORD 292-312. I would think that one would have better advance curves if he kept LOM..

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6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

"I once installed the Pertronix for 6V +grd in my OEM LOM dist.   Combination of worn gen., corroded relay assembly contacts, etc., made the idiot light glow when the solenoid hold-in coil activated with headlight on, and the motor would thus start missing at high RPMs. Reinstalling the points cured the issue."

... hmmpf  ...

Was the IGNITOR wired thru the IGN SW or a free-standing relay circuit?

Think I will contact their TECH and see if they have a go-around.

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6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Dan, I don't know if you are cussing me or what ... 

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