Help identifying this distributor Pierce?

[flatheadkid1]

I am trying to identify the year and type of car or truck this Delco distributor came off of.  It is a pot metal 8 cylinder distributor that sat on a base/tower.  The pot metal is cracked everywhere.  The only clue as to an origin is a gelco number on the bottom 036334 but I think this is the housing number and not the assembly number.  Any help identifying this or with finding a usable replacement is greatly appreciated.  Please disregard the drive dog as this is not original and was modified for racing use in the late 1940's. 

Thank You

Eric

[Grimy]

Diameter?

[flatheadkid1]

The overall diameter is 4-7/16"  The pilot that the distributor cap fits over is approximately 4.110" and the original drive shaft diameter is .350" 

I forgot to mention that this had a 33-35 Packard super 8 style (2 piece) distributor cap on it but I do not believe this is a Packard distributor, I may be incorrect though.  

[edinmass]

It’s a standard “large body” Delco body. The body was used on Cadillac, Stutz, and others. There are three or four sizes and the date would be around 28-32. Thr points plates lobe, and drive are all individual to a particular application. It doesn’t look like Pierce, Cadillac, or Stutz to me but it’s been a long time since I was playing around with them on a regular basis. A dual coil and dual point unit would be off a higher end car.....possibly Stude, Reo Royal, and a bunch of others. The housing is now available in bronze. The only parts of any value would be the points and point plate. Unless someone is assembling a unit from a very rusty core, they wouldn’t be of much use. The very short length offset drive is puzzling.........Not sure if it’s the photo angle, but it sure doesn’t look like anything I have worked on. Possibly off a high end truck. Pot metal failure issues were solved by 32 on the distributors......it could be as early as 1925. The alignment holes for the cap are also strange...........

 

Maybe a Marmon or Cunningham, or other obscure make.

Edited January 18, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[flatheadkid1]

Edinmass.  Can you point me in the direction of the replacement bronze housing you mentioned? Even if it is a bare casting, I can machine it. 
thanks

[Grimy]

The dist is most likely a Delco 668-(n) which on Pierce 8s is 668-E used on all 1929, 1930 Models A & B, 1931 Models 41 & 42.  Studebaker used the same dist with a different letter suffix; differences are likely advance weights and springs.  The Studes used a cap with towers whereas Pierce used a 3-piece cap (body, cover, screw) which captured the plug wires with spikes that give you a lot of holes in your thumbs when installing new wires or caps.

[nickelroadster]

Flatheadkid,

 

You can get a lower distributor housing in bronze from "Classic and Exotic Services" in Troy Michigan.  Tel. 1-248-269-9414.  These replace the old pot metal ones on several Delco units from 1925-1935.

[edinmass]

I might have a good used take off up north.....what is the exact application? I probably have twenty large series Delco distributors on the shelf.......because of COVID, I need exact info.......my brother in law specializes in two by fours......not cars. He will do the looking.

[flatheadkid1]

It looks like it is off of a Deusenberg model J or SJ. They may also be used on Cadillac V8’s or Stutz. That is as detailed as I can get at the moment.  The  replacement from Classic & Exotic Services looks very nice and is probably a better fit for my application considering the material and the fact that it is repurposed for a non Deusenberg racing application. Here is a picture of the entire distributor assembly on an engine and the replacement upper housing I need. 
Thanks to all for the help!!!