1923 Buick 4 cylinder Distributor Cap broken...

While fiddling with my mis-fire problem I inadvertently "broke" my distributor cap. Is there a comparable modern swap that anyone can direct me to?

While we are there, are there comparable points, condenser and coil?

I'll get her back on the road soon!

Thanks, Dave

Can you post some pictures of what you have?

Dave,

I don't believe there is an easy swap for that cap and rotor. But check out this thread for one man's solution.

http://forums.aaca.org/f165/4-cyl-model-distributor-cap-change-376084.html

Dave

I checked out Leif's link and will give it my best shot. Pictures to follow.

Dave,(and other)here are more pictures how I did when chanced the dist.cap and rotor.I used a VW early 1960s, but I think newer70-80s VW parts(or others) can be used as well.Just check the diameter and see how much to grind inside the dist cap.I had to latched a tube to fit inside the new rotor too, and drill a hole for the "guide pin".Just remember that the rotor"guid pin"need to be mover about 45 degrees comparing with the old ones!I used epoxy glue to fasten the tube as you can see on the picture.

Leif in Sweden.

This was great the first time Leif shared it and it still is.

We did this on an old boat motor that they told us there were no longer parts for. It was a 3 cylinder engine and we used a 6 cylinder cap but only used 3 of the 6 terminals. Ran like a champ.

Also, not sure how you broke your old cap, but a pre-existing crack that then caused it to fail all the way, may have been what you were fighting all along. So no loss.

I did something similar once with a REO that had a Northeast combination generator/distributor except that I replaced the entire distributor with one from an early VW (very cheap at the local junk yard then). The original was an American Bosch and the much later, German Bosch distributor was almost exactly the correct size. All that was necessary was to replace the driving gear on the new distributor's shaft with the old one. I removed the vacuum advance parts, but the centrifugal advance still worked just fine and the clamp for the manual advance fit the body of the distributor perfectly. In a pinch, I don't see why this wouldn't work also. Was the generator unit on the Buick made by Delco? The critical measurements are the diameter of the body where it enters the generator and the length and diameter of the distributor shaft, all of which can be quite easily modified by any competent machinist if they are fairly close to begin with.

Possibly a distributor for a 60s Chevy 4 cylinder might be a close fit. Or just the cap and rotor. The hold down clips are different but being a GM it could be a close fit.

Dave

I have fixed cracked or broken mag and distributor caps by using a two part epoxy resin to glue it together and then sealing the crack with clear nail polish. It seems to work pretty well but one would need the broken pieces, assuming it didn't break too badly.

Regards

Al

Leif, great tutorial pictures, thanks.

I looked a bunch of old Chevy caps, and nothing comes as close as the old VW. I picked one up today for a 62 Bug. looks pretty close.

Check out what I did to mine. Don't know how, but when I was jacking around with my misfire, this was one of the outcomes. This isn't what originally was causing my issues, but as you can see, it certainly is now.

that little bugger just won't go back in!

Dave ,just try again to put it back ,I have done that more than 1 times.

Leif in Sweden.

Fixed the distributor cap issue, with the original cap! VW cap is standing by. But, back to square one, she wont fire up at all.

You have done the same fault as I did when I made it.Put your old dist cap and rotor back and adjust the ignition as in the manual.No.1---No.2---No.3 as it is as original.Remember that you can`t move the rotor axle from the original possision now,that`s the right possision for the ignition point setting,just look it in that possision.What you have to do now is to fix the VW-rotor without moving the rotor axle at all to be in the same possision as in my picture No.5,about 45 degrees to the right ,that meens that you need to have the "tube" you have put inside the VW rotor to be moved about 45 degrees left,se picture No.4,you can see the the differerns from the original cap and the VW cap.About 45 degrees.Once again don`t turn the rotor axle after your original adjusting,just turn the "tube"(if you have used a tube) inside the VW-rotor.

Leif in Sweden.

I have a large stock of NOS igniton parts for that Buick and other makes a models. Call me 402-359-5762 or 926-6909 tsvanmeet@gmail.com

Tom in Nebraska

Hi,

I have to wonder: rather than alter the rotor, is it possible on this engine to disengage the distributor shaft, rotate it 1/8 turn, and re-engage it to the driving gear? If so, it would eliminate the uncertainty of altering the rotor.

Just curious, just wondering.

--Tom

Tom,it dosen`t work,if you rotate the the shaft 1/8 turn you need to do the same with the ignition point as well(and that`s impossible) just to get the ignition point in the right place to the cam on the shaft..(I was thinking as you thought Tom but it failed,and had to do as I descibed on my input with the 5 pictures)

Leif in Sweden.

Hi Lief,

Of course, I see your point.

A lathe and milling machine would be of great help here to modify a newer cap. :-)

--Tom

Tom,it dosen`t work,if you rotate the the shaft 1/8 turn you need to do the same with the ignition point as well(and that`s impossible) just to get the ignition point in the right place to the cam on the shaft..(I was thinking as you thought Tom but it failed,and had to do as I descibed on my input with the 5 pictures)

Leif in Sweden.

Yeah. I know your not fooling there Leif. Been there and done that. Dandy Dave!