Guest Vintage Ignition Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) I stumbled across a Delco distributor # 658 U. Can anyone help me with what it is out of? Thanks Doug Edited February 19, 2017 by MCHinson Changed title to appropriate title (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) It might be beneficial to you to change the thread title to something relating to the question? 658-W was fitted to L-29 Cord, 1929-32. 658-L was fitted to Kissel 8-95 1930-31. 658-Z was fitted to Studebaker 1929 Dict. 8, 1930 Dict. 8 and Comm. 8, 1931 61 and 70. 658-U not listed in National Service Data 1929-37. Edited February 19, 2017 by Spinneyhill (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Carl Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) Doug , what kind of shape is that thing in? The pot metal cups are usually degraded to a greater or lesser degree. Finding one in great almost useable shape is uncommon. Now I am going to stick my neck out a bit here. Please forgive me if I am mistaken. That stretched neck still supports a head containing a brain which is also degraded to a significant degree. So here goes : somehow it rings a very faint bell for me. I have a '27 Cadillac which unfortunately is 1000 air miles from me . Therefore I can't immediately verify. If it rings that dim and distant bell , perhaps it is because a 658 U sits on said Cad. If indeed it is for model 314 Cadillac ('26&'27) , it will also be common to some other 8 cyl cars of the era. For example , Olds and others , fortunately including Stutz and Duesenberg. I say fortunately, because that great top end shop in Troy , MI , Classic & Exotic Services has and makes every last part for these. I had mine totally rebuilt by them a couple or three years ago , and could not be more pleased. Superb quality, reasonable price, very fast turnaround. Did my carb , too. Some folks suffer the pot metal blues over these , not realizing how lucky they are to have C&E available. DO NOT RUN THAT OLD DELCO WITHOUT THOROUGH SERVICE. THE FLYWEIGHTS IN THOSE THINGS ARE ALSO POT METAL , AND FAIL UNDER LOAD AT THE PIVOT. THEY THEN ARE SLAMMED INTO THE CUP , CAUSING FURTHER DAMAGE. Someone soon will pass judgement on the soundness of my failing memory. I do agree with Spinney's suggestion that a more specific title is generally appropriate. " Unknown" does trigger curiousity, however. The realm of the unknown doesn't usually stay that way for long with the experts around here. Welcome to this wonderful world of knowledge, Vintage Ignition. I hope you stay with us ! - Carl P.S. While I was winding this up , over the radio came a version of "Clarinet Marmalade ". Recorded , coincidentally in 1927 ! Frankie Trumbauer , with Bix Beiderbecke. Ken Wylie's fantastic jazz program runs Sundays , 3:00 - 6:00 PM , Pacific Time Zone. Streaming at knkx.org I know lots of us have our heads in the past and enjoy jazz music of the '20s through more modern times. Another interesting (to me) program continues after that until midnight. - CC P.P.S. Did Ken just tell me it is actually streaming at jazz24.org ? One or the other , I figure. Really putting it on the line here , - Carl Edited February 20, 2017 by C Carl Humorous coincidence (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Vintage Ignition, Welcome to the AACA Discussion Forum. I have changed the title of your post to something appropriate to get more people to take a look at it. Hopefully you will find an answer here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Maybe the U designation was for universal, maybe just an end gear change or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vintage Ignition Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 Gents Thanks for all of your advice on changing the title. Brand new here. Also in response to C Carl.....condition of the pot metal cup is very good and thanks for narrowing it down to the '27 Cadillac model 314. I will be starting to work on rebuilding it. Again, thanks for the replies men! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Carl Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Hi , Doug , I will try to confirm 100% 314 Cadillac ('26 & '27 - also high end Stutz and Duesenberg of the period) , by calling the present "Caddie Sitter" who is guarding my "Baby" for me. I am trying to get back to it for another 2-3000 mile trip in it. This will be the return leg , and I must do it before it gets too hot in Nevada and So Cal. The rains have to go away , and I have been on a medical hold for a while. As I mentioned , C&E has all the parts you will need. Flyweight , sealed bearing upgrade , etc. In fact , since you will be doing the work on it, give them a call. Your contact man there will be Bruce. He will supply you with all the parts and info that you need. Many guys do not know about C&E , and spend massive $ and time , uselessly trying to reinvent the wheel. These distributors are valuable to guys looking for absolute authenticity. Even degraded rebuildable cores can bring $500 or so , depending on condition and the level of friendship between buyer and seller. High level rebuilt , turn key : $1500 all day long to the guy or gal who must have it. Many of the owners of late '20s cads simply plug in "el cheapo" '37 - '39 Cad/LaSalle distributors , those being before vacuum advance. Single point , better curve , look perfectly period correct. The cars run better. Please let us know how you make out. - Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud Tierney Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 Per Shurhit catalog #81 658-U came on Stutz Blackhawk 29-31 8Cyl... Unfortunately cannot comment on Caddies as Cadillac section begins 1928... Various other 658s were on Marmon/Roosevelt and various other Studes of the period, all 8s... Little catalog doesn't cover proprietary engines so can't comment on those... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud Tierney Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 Forgot to ask a question about these dist's I've always wondered about... 658s seem to be on 8s; my little Shurhit catalog shows 658-C, J, U, V, W, Z (Kissel not in may catalog)... All take the same Shurhit points EXC one Stude All take same Shurhit roror EXC Cord... All take same Shurhit condenser... The six dist's are paired with 4 different coils... It's understood Shurhit parts may be NOT EXACTLY same as original, but "universal" enough to fit several distributors... QUESTION: are these 658s basically the same distributor, probably with different drive shafts for the different engines, that could be interchanged with replacement of points etc mounting plate or such???: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Carl Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 Thanks , Bud. You saved me a call , and some acrobatics on the part of my friend in 'Vegas. Since the 658-U was not used by Stutz until 1929 , it can not be common to 314 Cadillac. Earlier Stutz , and Duesenberg A , and other contemporaries did use the same distributor as 314 Cad. After Doug talks to Bruce at C&E , we will have more info. Of course , I am curious whether ANY Cadilac used these distributors. I suppose with geriatric degradation, I'll figure out some clever way to confuse that info too ! Books. Without suffering memory lapse , they are the keepers of the truth. I have a rare book out of the '50s describing experimental data obtained , I believe, in 1953 , indicating presence of trace amounts of water on the Moon. I tried in the past to Google up info on this experiment (occultation of a radio source - the Crab Nebula - by the moon) , couldn't find a thing. No one in my astronomy clubs had previously heard of this. It took 21st century Lunar orbiters to validate this. (Maybe now that I am a little better at asking computer questions I can get more info.) Thanks for hitting the books , Bud and Spinney' ! - CCC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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