240-300 distributor in a 223

Great Job Duane! For any others when you are doing this you need to be carful taking it slow so as not to overheat the Driveshaft pulling what little bit of Hardness they have out of it as well as getting it to be a very accurate to get the correct Hex size so it that fits snugly into the Hex Socket there is actually quite a bit of pressure on those Hex Flats to turn the Oil Pump when it's making 40 to 60 PSI.

I have worked on several Ford engines over the years of different sizes where the Driveshaft Shaft and or the Distributor Hex was worn so much the corners of the hex were worn off enough that they couldn't turn the Oil Pump anymore. My favorite one was a 1964 Ford Galaxie with a 390 FE V8 that was towed into my shop. Some other shop had just fixed it a matter of a few days before by just installing a new Oil Pump Drive Shaft into the engine without even checking what caused the Oil Pump Drive shaft to start slipping and causing the engine to lose Oil Pressure. So it just failed again a short time later on the 10 Freeway (SoCal Area), the Tow truck driver was a good friend of mine and recommended that he take to my shop. It needed a new Distributor Center Shaft as the Hex was almost completely worn round, and then another Oil Pump Drive shaft. So within a couple hours after picking up the new parts it was ready to Hit the Road again.
 
That little shaft has a ton of pressure on it. When my brand new Melling pump was installed it was making well over 150psi (obvoisly a pressure relief issue there). I then put in my old pump and ran my drill on it to prime and test pressure. That Milwaukee m18 drill was working to get it up to 50-60 psi.
 
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OK, I got the shaft. It is 4 1/16 long.
I am also wondering about the retainer clip.
Since it is on a 5/16 shaft, is it gonna work when it is cut down to 1/4?
Since the groove is about a quarter inch from the end, I am guessing it has to fit into the pump.
Am I going to have to remove the pump to get the old shaft out?
If it makes any difference, this is going into a 63 223.
 
I am fairly certain that Retainer Clip is suppose to go into the Distributor's Hex End to hold it in position at least that's the way it is on all the 240 & 300 Ford Six Distributor's are. This is designed so that the Driveshaft comes out with the Distributor when your pulling it and doesn't fall down inside the engine. So "Don't Cut" that part of the Driveshaft off that's used for installing and holding that Retainer Clip, do all your cutting on the other end of the Driveshaft that goes into the Oil Pump. Good luck
 
It's been about 40 years since I had it out, so I had forgotten.
I was thinking the shaft went in with the distributor, but everything I found on the internet seemed to deal with engines that kept the shaft in block, secured so it couldn't fall off in the pan.

While I am sorting out this end, my friend that wants to give me a left over distributor can't find it.
I helped him look and we narrowed it down to not in his garrage, shop, carport, house, tool shed or the trunk of his 59 Caddy.
He thinks maybe "the ranch"... 40 miles away.

Just as well I am not in any rush.
 
In keeping with my one piece at a time policy, and not being in any hurry, I have a 64 pump coming tomorrow.
Moving on to the next hurdle, is there any reason not to use a rebuilt distributor?
I plan on the point type and the only not rebuilt options anyone seems to offer are HEI conversions.
Is one year any better then another?
 
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Cardone seems to be easy to source and offers distributors for the 240 and 300. I have had good experience with them in the past, as well as one or two purchases recently. As far as I know, they are still doing all their work in the U.S.

Lou Manglass
 
Thanks.
I guess the part that I worry about on a rebuild is the lobes that wear against the rubbing block. I expect that all of them will use new bushings.
Are there any with bearings instead?
Didn't the points type with dual advance run from something like 68 to 76?
 
Bill56 said:
I keeping with my one piece at a time policy, and not being in any hurry, I have a 64 pump coming tomorrow.
Moving on to the next hurdle, is there any reason not to use a rebuilt distributor?
I plan on the point type and the only not rebuilt options anyone seems to offer are HEI conversions.
Is one year any better than another?
Click to expand...
I went with the 64 pump and intermediate shaft to run the duraspark II in my ‘61 223. Totally happy with it! I didn’t want a GM HEI style cause of the large cap look and was trying to find something that looked closer the the factory look.
manglass said:
Cardone seems to be easy to source and offers distributors for the 240 and 300. I have had good experience with them in the past, as well as one or two purchases recently. As far as I know, they are still doing all their work in the U.S.

Lou Manglass
Click to expand...
manglass said:
Cardone seems to be easy to source and offers distributors for the 240 and 300. I have had good experience with them in the past, as well as one or two purchases recently. As far as I know, they are still doing all their work in the U.S.

Lou Manglass
Click to expand...
I’m not a 💯 on this but I know performance distributors had a hard time finding or getting cores of the duraspark II. I’m not sure if it was covid /supply chain issues and I forgot who told me but Cardone new parts may have gone China made now, I believe their reman stuff may still be American made, just a heads up maybe some one can confirm this or correct me if I’m wrong?
 
Inquiring minds want to know.

I wonder if the lack of Duraspark II distributors is because they just keep going so there are none being replaced.
In my case, I want the point type.
I plan to have it trigger an MSD 2A, but want the option of bypassing it in case it tries to leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Yes, I do look both ways when I cross a one way street.
 
Bill56 said:
Thanks.
I guess the part that I worry about on a rebuild is the lobes that wear against the rubbing block. I expect that all of them will use new bushings.
Are there any with bearings instead?
Didn't the points type with dual advance run from something like 68 to 76?
Click to expand...
There usually isn't much wear on the lobes of a points distributor, they are metal and the rubbing block on the points is plastic. As long as it's been properly lubed when the new points are installed it can go on almost forever.

I don't know what procedure production rebuilders use for re-bushing the shaft and I imagine it varies from one shop to the next. Based on the condition of the incoming unit; it could vary from nothing, to a slight nurling, to boring and re-bushing, to replacement of the housing. I don't ever recall seeing a freshly rebuilt (or new) distributor with any side-play in the shaft. Vertical end play in the shaft is another matter and, fortunately, not as critical. The only distributors (new or reman) that I ever remember seeing without excessive end play were distributors that I shimmed myself.

I can't remember a specific distributor made with bearings instead of bushings. It can be done but it sounds like what you are looking for is a custom rebuild. I believe Paps61 may have mentioned one source.

Ford used both advance cannisters concurrently depending on engine emission calibration. The dual diaphragm started on California vehicles. Points were used through 74. As far as I remember, the vacuum advance cannisters are interchangeable (some are adjustable) from the beginning of 240's & 300's until the end of Duraspark II.

As far as new parts, whether complete distributors, or components used as a rebuild probably come from China. As my local NAPA dealer put it, "if our supply from China ever dries up we won't have anything to sell."

Lou Manglass
 
Thanks for the thoughtful reply.
I have seen distributors that had wear on the lobes. It takes a while, but it can happen.
Any idea which ones have the adjustable canisters?
 
I think most of that era advance units were adjustable, including some of the dual diaphragm models. An allen wrench just small enough to fit into the vacuum port (1/8"?) will usually fit the adjuster.

Here's a sample of an adjustable model.
www.summitracing.com

FORD Standard Motor Products VC-31 Standard Motor Distributor Vacuum Advance Check Valves | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Standard Motor Distributor Vacuum Advance Check Valves with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Distributor Advance Kits at Summit Racing.
www.summitracing.com www.summitracing.com
I believe it also fits a 300.

Lou Manglass
 
Bill56 said:
Inquiring minds want to know.

I want the point type.
I plan to have it trigger an MSD 2A, but want the option of bypassing it in case it tries to leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Click to expand...
Bill, FYI points can be fired by the TFI module as well. Module controls dwell so point gap is moot, and only milliamps of current across the points, full battery voltage at the coil. Easy wiring. Making the upgrade gave a noticeable improvement over factory points/ballast resistor.


Upgrade Points Distributor To Fire With A TFI Module

Converted my wife's daily driver to points-controlled electronic ignition using a Motorcraft ignition module off a '93 F150. Credit for this swap goes to gofastforless.com. I emailed the man who wrote the site to verify a couple of specifics, and he responded, which I appreciate. The goal of...
fordsix.com fordsix.com
 
OK, as if I didn't have enough to do, I got around to crawling under my truck to change the pump and found the 64 pump has the pickup attached on the side facing the rear of the engine. My current pickup is on the bottom plate and the plates have a different bolt pattern so I can't just swap plates and block the side. Is there any chance the gears in the 67A could fit the 67 pump? I have a deep sump pan and do not want to back up 50 years and fab a pickup. You'd think there would be very little difference from 63 to 64.
 
Well, as luck would have it, the M67 pump uses side by side pump gears.
The M67A has one running inside the other, so there is no hope of swapping gears.
I will have to check the dead engine pile at the wreaking yard to see if I can find an oil pickup that can be modded or used for parts to make a new pickup for the custom deep pan and M67A to get along together.

By the way, does anyone have a spare timing pointer for a 223?
Somehow I don't have one at all.
 
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