1923-1927 Buick dist.cap problem.

[Leif Holmberg]

My friend in the north of Sweden bought 3 distributor caps from Bob:s 20 years ago.Last year he finished the restoring of his 1927 Buick model 25.His problem now is that the engine dont work properly becuse there are high voltage flash over inside the cap between the spark plug points.He has tested 2 of those caps and both are caputt after a couple of houers.After driving the car there are black soot inside the cap.He went to a high voltage shop and had the caps tested and the man told him that the material in the cap wasn`t used for high voltage as in a car engine.Have anyone else had this problem with caps from Bob:s.

Leif in Sweden.

[Guest morerevsm3]

there are a couple of different rotor buttons, the one he is using may have too big a gap causing arcing, or distributor can be a tooth out, so rotor is a few degrees with pole in cap when it fires, causing arcing

[Leif Holmberg]

Just wonder why it happens with a"new" cap and a new rotor.I have restored 4 Buick 1920s since 1970 and never had that problem with old caps (rotors).On those 42 years I have never seen other than one type of rotors,they fit 4cyl model as well as 6 cyl.model 1923-1927.

Leif in Sweden.

[Guest morerevsm3]

I have 2 kinds of cap, and 3 rotors, but first thing I would do, is using a test light, with ignition on, turn motor slowly until points just open (doesn't matter which cylinder), note where rotor is pointing, or put a thin bit of tape on the distributor body where rotor is pointing, sit cap back on, and see where rotor is pointing in relation to spark plug leads.

If rotor is not pointing straight at one of the spark plug leads, that is the cause of your arcing, distributor out by a tooth

Edited August 15, 2012 by morerevsm3 (see edit history)

[Leif Holmberg]

The left cap is Buick 1923-1927 as well as the left rotor and the "broken" right rotor without the buttom.The right cap and the rotor in the middle is late maybe Buick but at least not 1923-1927 Buick.

I have no problem with installing the timing,I restored a 1925 Buick Std.1970 ,a 1924 4cyl.model in 1983,another 1925 Std.in 2004 and a 1923 4cyl.model in 2005 all of them the totaly restored and driven since those years.I also helped a man in the north of Sweden with his 1927 Std.model and that`s the first time I have had this problem with the Dist.cap ever.

Leif in Sweden

[Guest morerevsm3]

I have 3 rotors exactly the same as one on the right, they are completely different to the one on the left if you removed the part with the button, no evidence of anything broken off them at all

[Brian_Heil]

For what it is worth, my 23-45 has a cap like the one on the left and it is brown. The rotor used is the one on the left also, note there are two metal arms on it, a heavy one and then a lighter 'spring' arm with a contact disc on it. Not sure what the middle rotor is or the right hand cap but the rotor on the far right that you said you are using looks like the one on the far left but with the spring arm and disc missing? Tough to tell. Is this your problem?

I treat my cap like a fine piece of jewelry, would hate to break it. I do find it interesting that the contact disc on the spring arm 'sweeps' the cap keeping the contact round spots on the cap clean yet the contact pressure/force is light enough the disc does not wear a groove in the cap. I have seen this grooving when the spring arm is bent up too far and the pressure/force of it contacting the cap too high.

So, long story but if you are using the correct cap and rotor, there is very little opportunity for any arching, there is actual contact in most cases, perhaps a small amount of arching as the rotor disc aproaches the round contact disc in the cap. Are you using some sort of high output coil that could be generating too high a voltage causing excessive arching? Any arching I have had in a cap was because the cap was cracked and the voltage was seeking ground through the crack instead of through the contact/wire/spark plug gap route.

I have also heard of people putting Chevrolet 6 cylinder distributors in Buick 6's (due to pot metal issues with the Buick/Delco design) starting (I think) in 1927 (not sure). I helped a fellow once with a problem and thought his distributor look wrong, and it was, it was a Chevy but his issue was that he had it installed wrong and was off by so many drive teeth that he could not even get close with the timing.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Brian_Heil (see edit history)

[jbbuick22]

Buick dist caps up to 27 do not run an air gap, contacts both the center carbon brush and the brass plug connection,

the cap would have to be way off to cause arcing.

Leif,

Is he using a little vasoline on the track in the cap?

JB

22-6-55 Sport Touring

[Leif Holmberg]

My friend is using an original rotor D-15325 as in the parts book and an original 1927 ignition coil D-2188 that he has ben tested as a very good ignition coil, as good as a new one.He don`t use vasoline? is that a way to reduse the arcing? I have sent him an old "restored" dist cap and I hope that will help him to use the car as he wants to do.I still wonder about the black caps from Bob:s if anyone else have had this kind of problem.

Maybe you have domestic made rotors and dist caps in Australia that we don`t have in Europe and USA for 1923-1927 Buicks.

Leif in Sweden.

[jbbuick22]

Leif,

The vasoline is just a lubricant for the rotor button and track in the cap.

JB

[Buick Downunder]

Hi Leif

Sorry its been a while since I have been on the forum. I have been using a black distributor cap from Bob's for a year or so now with my 1925-25X. I have had no problems and have done about 2000 miles with it. It is the original distribitor.

Take care

Ben

[Leif Holmberg]

Hi Ben and thanks.Good to hear that one more in the hole world had bought a black Dist.cap from Bob:s ,My friend called me today and he think he has fond the problem,i asked him a weeks ago if all the sparks was okej and he sad yes they are okej,but when he called me today he told me that the sparks he bought from Bob:s at the same time he bought the dist.caps was far to long when he use the Spark Plug Cover ,as he had done all the time ,so he think that that has causing the problem.But I still can`t understand why the dist cap should be so bad.

Leif in Sweden

[Buick Downunder]

Hi Lief. No problems. I must add that I need to clean the 'black stuff' of the internal contacts every month or so with vaseline on a rag, which comes off easily. I assume this is the same with the originals also. Kind regards.

Ben

[trp3141592]

Hi,

For what it's worth, Hagen Hiway Parts in Washington State shows caps, points, and rotors available for the 20-series 1927 Buicks. They appear to be interchangeable with the larger series also. There's a note saying to use 9mm ignition wires.

I bought very affordable non-original substitute distributor caps for my Cord from Hagen, and they are the cat's meow. (That means "good"). The Buick parts in question here must be rare because the price is pretty high for them. Perhaps there's an interchangeable cap available--if you have the distributor model number "Rick" can look it up as he did for my Cord. Hagen's web site and catalog is:

Ignition Distributor Cap - C14 | Hagen's Hiway Auto Parts, Inc.

Their phone is 253-845-7020. Ask for Rick and tell him the 36-37 Cord Distributor Cap Guy sent you. :-)

--Tom

[Guest morerevsm3]

I bought a new set of points from the local auto parts store in the little villiage of 8000 people I live in this morning, Bosch part number GD44

[Leif Holmberg]

Ben,That seems to be the problem with those black caps,I don`t clean the original cap mere than every 2 years and there are never any visible brown stoff there.

trp.$356.30 for this /set is robbery in my opinion,how much should it cost to restore a car if the prices on other Buick parts was as expensive as those dist.parts.

morensrev3.If it works that a good tips GD44.

Leif in Sweden.

[Guest morerevsm3]

put the new points in and is running like clockwork

cross reference to Echlin CS763A

suits Chevrolet:all 6cyl 1953-62

International: 1956-60, 1965-66

Jeep:4cyl 1959-60

Mack:6cyl 1955-73

Pontiac:all 6 cyl 1955-62

the old Bosch GD44 points

Edited August 18, 2012 by morerevsm3 (see edit history)

[trp3141592]

Hi Leif,

.

trp.$356.30 for this /set is robbery in my opinion,how much should it cost to restore a car if the prices on other Buick parts was as expensive as those dist.parts.

.

No argument from me about the cost--I said they are expensive. However, compared to a original-style Cord three-piece cap, the Buick parts as listed are much cheaper. If you have another source, by all means go for it. Hagen's was valuable to me because they found inexpensive alternates for my Cord. I bought a lifetime supply of them. So--originals for "show," alternatives for "go" as far as I am concerned.

--Tom

[Guest buick35850]

G'day,

The photo of the distributor caps I believe show an original buick cap on the left and on the right is an aftermarket cap that was made by Lorimer (Australia) and it was a much improved cap that the original. The middle rotor button looks more like a 28 rotor.

cheers from down under.

[Guest morerevsm3]

G'day,

The photo of the distributor caps I believe show an original buick cap on the left and on the right is an aftermarket cap that was made by Lorimer (Australia) and it was a much improved cap that the original. The middle rotor button looks more like a 28 rotor.

cheers from down under.

I believe you are correct, it has an L in a diamond, and part number DE100

[Leif Holmberg]

After all the problem my friend in north have had with his 1927-25,he putted shorter plugs in his engine and after that there are no problem,with or without the spark plug cover on place.

Leif in Sweden.

[old buicks]

I have dist caps, points and rotors for all years of Buicks and other cars. Drop me a PM with your needs. tsvanmeet@gmail.com

[Leif Holmberg]

Thanks Tom,There are no needs for any dist.parts at the moment,but I`l save your email adress.

Leif in Sweden.

[dibarlaw]

Leif:

When I get my pictures organized I will do another thread on what I did to my 25. The cast iron 24? dist I bought at auction 2 weeks ago

fit perfectly. My old one was a cobbled up mess. It was amazing the car ran at all!

Larry

[Leif Holmberg]

Larry .As I told you before I have the cast iron dist.from a 4 cyl 1924,just changed the inside parts and that`s a lot better than the aluminium cast dist. that was broken on my 1925 as well.

Leif in Sweden.

[Leif Holmberg]

I`m sorry Dick but I can`t help you with this question,but I`m sure someone with a 1922 model 54 will help you,or even a owner of a model 55 can at least help you with the high and deep,Roadster model doors a a little bit longer than Touring models. But in my eyes the measurment looks to high,to wide and to deep,but that`s in my opinon.

Those doors for $500 are really big I think,5" deep must be with the outer handle in that case.

Dick I think it would be better for you to "+post new thread" with the right advertisement as(1922-54 Buick Roadster doors) ,A lot more people can see your question then and help you in a better way than I can do.

Leif in Sweden.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Leif Holmberg (see edit history)

[MrEarl]

Hi Leif could you tell me the height and width of my 1922 buick model54 roadster doors? because i found2doors they are 22 highx24 widex5 inches deep he is asking 500 for the pair but i don't know the size i need. Thank You Dick

Richmond, I'd suggest starting a new thread with a title of "1922 buick door measurements" or similar. That should get more attention from those in the know on this subject.

[jbbuick22]

Richmond,

I'll check those dimensions with the front doors on my model 55. Do the doors have any upholstery on them?

JB

22-6-55 Sport Touring

[Terry Wiegand]

The cap in the above photos is a Delco and it is in really nice condition.  If I had it I would clean it up with acetone and make sure that the wire sockets were good and clean.  These caps show up on evilBay quite often and really do not bring that much money.  Just be thankful that you aren't needing a 1922 and earlier threaded post cap.  A NOS one of those can bring almost $500.00.

 

Terry Wiegand

Doo Dah America