ford 541 distributor

skip58 · Jul 15, 2015

I have a 59 ford 541 offset that my dad left me. it has started running awful a couple of weeks ago. i had carb rebuilt, installed new points, plugs and condensor. i noticed while checking timing that when i move the distributor it would spark from the dist. shaft to the hold down bracket. not being an ignition genius, is this normal or is there something amiss. this happen anytime the ignition switch is on. thanks for any help you can give me.

JMOR · Jul 15, 2015

(quoted from post at 22:05:09 07/15/15) I have a 59 ford 541 offset that my dad left me. it has started running awful a couple of weeks ago. i had carb rebuilt, installed new points, plugs and condensor. i noticed while checking timing that when i move the distributor it would spark from the dist. shaft to the hold down bracket. not being an ignition genius, is this normal or is there something amiss. this happen anytime the ignition switch is on. thanks for any help you can give me.

ath for coil current is thru metal distributor housing to block, so, yeah, if you lose that continuity, it will spark.......or not run at all.

john in la · Jul 15, 2015

Your breaker plate (what I think you are calling a hold down bracket) has lost its ground.

You will need to take the distributor apart and clean all the metal to metal contacts.

old · Jul 15, 2015

Hold down on the bottom of the distributor as in to hold it to the block?? Yep common if things get dirty so clean things up because you need a good ground there or it can run funny

old · Jul 15, 2015

He said he was checking timing so I am reading it as he loosened up the distributor which made him loose ground where it blots to the block and that can cause odd problems not inside the distributor

john in la · Jul 16, 2015

Yes now that I re-read it you are most likely correct.
Dist-shaft threw me off.

If he is losing ground just by loosening the bolt to move distributor he really needs to take it out and clean the area.
I have seen this several times with people painting tractors.
They paint the motor with the distributor out and the base of the distributor never gets a good ground.

skip58 · Jul 16, 2015

Thank for the replies guys. Yes I'm talking about
outside the distrib. I was trying to adjust timing by
loosening dist. when I noticed it sparking from dist.
housing to the bolt in the block for the dist. hold
down bracket. Yes I have painted the engine but I left
the dist. in the block. Since it is arcing I reckon I need
to remove it and clean the base of dist. and the block
really good. My dad passed away in April and left me
this tractor so I'm trying to do a little restoring on as
a tribute to him. Thanks again guys, I'll let you know
how it goes.

old · Jul 16, 2015

Ya loss of ground is a big problem on any thing be it a distributor or lights etc and is also something people over look a lot

skip58 · Jul 18, 2015

Just a quick update. I took dist. out , cleaned the block and dist. housing really good and put it all back together and she started right up. after a little fine tuning on timing and a small adjustment of carb and she purrs like a kitten. Thanks again to all for your help.

john in la · Jul 18, 2015

Glad it worked out for you.

ford 541 distributor

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