1944 Sun Distributor Tester Model O

[39SixSedanMan]

I am selling my Sun Model “O” Distributor Tester as I simply am running out of usable space in the shop. I acquired this from the estate of a Dayton OH based vintage car collector and vendor, and at the time did not know of its historical relevance with respect to Sun’s products, but more on that later. The tester is fully functional after having put my electrical engineering degree to work; it is restored and calibrated it to great working condition.

REPAIRS:
-High voltage power supply for the neon strobe repaired with new capacitors from Paramount Distributor (great resource for the Sun machines)
-Grounding capacitors on rotating pickup replaced with new capacitors
-Vacuum pump internally rebuilt, motor commutator repair, motor lubrication, proper vintage looking, but modern, red external hose; pump now runs smoothly and able to generate steady vacuum for the distributor vacuum advance functions to be tested
-New AC power cord, but still industrial and vintage look
-Repaired high current power leads
-Rewired internal strobe, low voltage, vacuum pump, gauge lights, points inspection lights, and trigger circuits
-Fully cleaned external and internal cabinet, internal gauge faces and glass, rotating strobe light and platter; the cleaning and rewiring have made the strobe light as bright as could be.
-Cleaned and lubricated adjustable distributor mount
-Repaired index roller having distributor specs for cars from early 30’s to 1942
-Calibrated Tachometer and Vacuum Gauge
-Working Spark Simulator tube: simulates spark plug for each ignition pulse
-Replaced platter ring bushings, also from Paramount
INCLUDES:
Original mount clamping tool, assortment of hose to distributor vacuum adaptors, assortment of mounting diameter adapters, and the rare Ford distributor adaptor (not that you Packard guys need that)
Later model original Sun manual that has some applicable information.

$500; I’ll get better photos uploaded later today. Most of these were taken either before or immediately after I brought it home to my shop.

Background:
-From the research I’ve done, including conversations with Mark Saunders of Paramount Distributors in Michigan and Robert Masters of the Masters Company near Cincinnati, OH, this model is the very first version of Sun’s Distributor testers, built in 1944 based on the writing inside the cabinet.
-Sun’s later models all included full metal cabinets whereas this one has a wooden lower case and an attached metal gauge housing.
-Searching the internet for other examples and literature on this Model O have generated no information. It has also surprised a few experts who had believed that the Master model was Sun’s first offering.

I may bring it to Hershey to sell or can deliver it to you there (Space RNC-21).
Thanks for looking.

Attach file: