Starting a new post with a more accurate title rather than attaching your inquiry to a seven year old post will possibly get more responses.  Try putting the post in the Technical section.  A title suggestion would be “Who rebuilds distributors?”.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I'm rebuilding my 1957 T-Bird's 312 Y-Block and the distributor is full of metal shavings/powder.
Yes, it's a tach-drive distributor.
It appears that the top bushing (closest to the cap) has failed and the entire distributor will need replaced/rebuilt.
But I've heard bad reviews on the rebuild places.
Anyone know where to get one - affordably?
Your help is appreciated!

It should have read two piece cap.

Any numbers or letters on the distributor?  Does it have the two cap? 

I don't know if anyone will see this based on the age of this thread. I have posted my distributor question on the cam thread that is trying to determine the cam used on the illusive 285hp E-code engine. 
Here is the issue. 
  I recently purchased a very rusty 57 T-Bird that has been sitting non-working since 1966.
The engine in this car may be rarest Ford engine in existence. If it can be verified to be a 285hp engine, it will finally help put to bed the rumors and speculation that has existed for many years as to what made up this engine. Nobody knows for sure what all was done to the regular E-Code dual quad 312 Y block to make it put out 15 more horsepower. I am in need of information regarding the distributor. Other parts of the engine point to it being a 285hp version of the E-Code 312 Y block, but the distributor is now throwing doubt about the authenticity of the engine.
There are exactly zero 285 hp 312’s left anywhere that can be verified. Ford never documented this engine and they were supposedly built all in one very small run. The vast majority of these engines were sent to racing teams in order to boost Ford’s success over the Corvette. It is believed that only a hand ful of these engines ever made it into production cars. The engine I have hasn’t been messed with at all, but there is a question regarding the distributor. The original owner passed away, but the remaining family members do not think he ever did any real work on the engine. The distributor has a Mallory dual point ignition. One of the Thunderbird experts does not think it came from the factory with this dual point Mallory set up. I am looking for any information that may be available in regards to this Mallory coming from the factory rather than the regular Ford dual point distributor. I doubt that Ford had a lot of dual point distributors laying around in 1957, so is it possible that Ford bought these from Mallory for the small run of 285hp engines? Ford discontinued this engine very quickly when the supercharged 300HP engine became available. If you have any information that might help to verify this engine, it would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
Robin Gudgel ….  Phone 360-403-7207 …. E-mail:  robin@midnitesolar.com

Ditto that the coil location is not your problem. I work on these Thunderbirds daily and they're all on the intake with no problem. I have a 1955 Thunderbird with 1957 style stock distributor (rebuilt distributor on the shelf at Bumper to Bumper for $106.00) with a Pertronics electronic conversion ($65.00) and Autometer electronic tach mounted in the same hole as stock tachometer (use 3 3/8" tach). Driven for 6 years and haven't touched it. Runs and starts great and among other things, I take it 250 plus miles each way to Back to the 50's on the Interstate with zero problems @ 3000 RPM @ 70 MPH the whole trip. The '55 distributor was 6 volt and vacuum advance only design (not good) while the 1957 and newer use both centrifugal and vacuum advance. Check out "www.ctci.com" site technical link for distributor background for '55 vs '57 with good pictures and explanation. 1955 vacuum advance is physically bigger so check out the pictures since you think you might have a '55 style. By the way I use a stock coil 12 volt (yes I converted my '55 to 12 volts) WITH internal resistor from Bumper to Bumper. Same coil 6 years later no problems (don't jinx me now buddy.



Ok now, do you want to sell the Ford tach-drive distributor? If so call me at 608-469-1869.



Rod T

I have a 54 with a 312 and a 56 Bird with the 312. Both have the coil mounted in the same position as yours (this is the OEM mounting). I have never had a problem with either car as far as the coil is concerned. The Bird made a NJ to Oregon trip in the middle of summer with no problems.



Its not the mounting of the coil that is your problem.

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

I don't think you need to relocate the coil-----suspect something else is going on to cause your problem.  I've had the same coil on my 57 Bird for many many years in it's original position with no problem.

I thought I'd let everyone know I did get the Mallory distributor installed ok and put in a new Ford Ballast Resistor.  Last summer my NAPA coil failed.  So I bought a new coil-not a high end one (it cost about $25 at O'Reilly's) but nevertheless it was a lifetime warranty one.  The coil on a 1957 T-bird mounts on top of the engine so it picks up all the heat of the engine.  These coils are also mounted parallel to the engine and not up and down.  This winter prior to replacing the distributor, the car would run about 20 minutes and once the coil got hot, it would stop.  If one comes back in an hour, it starts up again.  After putting in the new distributor, I have had the same experience. 

I ordered a new Mallory coil in hopes that a higher quality coil will fix the problem.  I also ordered a Mallory ballast resistor to install.  My concern is that by the coil sitting on top of the engine, the heat will cook the new coil.  Also, the fact that it sits parallel to the engine, I figure that the oil in the coil isn't cooling it as well as if the coil was sitting up and down.  I've looked around on my T-bird and there isn't a good place to mount the coil without drilling holes in my precious car (plus I'm not sure some of the other locations are any better-for example on the side of the engine puts the coil next to the exhaust manifolds).  Does anyone have experience with coils to advise if a coil mounted on an engine will resist the heat and if so, is having it mounted parallel make them cook quicker than if they are mounted up an down?  Also, does anyone have experience in re-routing the coil to a cooler location on a 1957 Thunderbird without drilling holes in the car?

Any help would be appreciated. 

Birdman:

You have a hex oil pump drive.  '54 was the only year of the tang drive, and a '55 Bird distributor would be hex drive.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"