1953 SC: need conv. to distributor tips

I've given up on the mag that quit on my SC. I bought a Delco angle drive distributor, probably was on a Farmall, but the number matches what many of you use for Case conversions. (I think it's Delco 111141)

My tractor has an old Wagner loader that's been on it from nearly new. So front pedestal has crack/break and former owner put a reinforcing band around there that covers the hole for the crank, (I don't have a crank anyway). (I bought a replacement pedestal to put on later)

I'm not used to doing this or setting up timing, etc. Did a little years ago, but no longer have any confidence. I know there is a little pipe plug below the starter that, when the flywheel is in exactly the right position, will show what the manual says is a dimple, hole or circular mark to indicate, I guess, top-dead-center? I know if I can get the engine turned over to come up on compression for No. 1 cylinder, I'm close. I do have a starter, but it's going to be tough to use that to get precise positioning. I can try to pull on fan belt with all plugs out. If I can get it on top-dead-center, (and not be off 180 degrees), then it seems that if I have the dist drive bolted up with the rotor pointed to No. 1, I should be close to having the tractor fire up. (Provided I've remembered to wire a 12V lead to the coil) By the way, how do I know which dist. cap hole is supposed to be No. 1 in the first place??

I don't have any real assistance nearby, so this is me alone. Any tips on how to make this a positive experience? My biggest concern is finding top-dead-center and how to turn engine and get the drive syncronized.

Thanks for listening,
Dennis in E WA state

do you still have a belt pulley? if so remove the plugs enguage the clutch with trans in "N" very easy to turn over to aling timing with pulley, if it has been removed you can turn it with a wrench on the pulley shaft nut

I didn't yet have a crank when I timed my 54' SC this past spring. I put the shifter in neutral, engaged the clutch, and used the belt pulley to turn the engine. You could also lock the left brake, jack up the right wheel, and turn the wheel with the tractor in high gear.
If you do choose to turn the engine with the fan, then be sure to remove all of the spark plugs and be careful not to bend the fan blade.
Also, I would like to get my hands on a case parts mag if you would like to sell it.

Great suggestions. Knowing me, I'd probably have fought turning the engine in the worst possible way. That solves that.

Now for figuring how to set up the distrubutor and mount it somewhere close to being aligned.

??

Dennis

use a socket and ratchet on the belt pulley nut,align timing mark, loosen the dist. and align with no.1 dist terminal, turn on the switch and slowly rotate dist. until no.1 plug sparks

First, make sure that the distributor that you have is set up for counter-clockwise operation, otherwise the timing advance flyweights will not work and your tractor will run really crummy at every speed except idle, or it will kick back when starting. Also make sure that the flyweights are free and do not bind.
Then, install the 90 deg. distributor drive in place of the mag and make sure that the distributor is locked in the middle of its range of adjustment, if it has a limited adjustment range. Next, rotate the engine until you are coming up on compression on cyl 1 and you see the punch mark on the flywheel through the pipe plug hole in the transmission. Then remove the distributor cap and note where the wiper is pointing.
If the wiper is pointing directly at a spark plug contact/lug on the cap, then you are very fortunate and this will be the contact for spark plug #1. If the wiper is not pointing directly at a lug on the distributor, then you will need to rotate the distributor on top of the distributor drive until the wiper lines up with a lug. If you cannot do this because there is not enough adjustment, then you will need to pull the distributor up out of the distributor drive so that the bevel gears disengage, and then rotate the distributor drive shaft so that it engages a different set of gear teeth and try again. After re-engaging the distributor into the distributor drive, lightly rotate the wiper all-of-the-way clockwise on top of the distributor (this is to make sure that the timing advance weights are in the fully retarded position). Then see if the wiper lines up within the distributor's range of adjustment. Keep trying new gear teeth until it lines up. Distributor drive gears usually have an odd number of gear teeth to provide as many unique wiper locations as possible, so there may be 20+ locations for the wiper, and 1/4 of those locations may work just fine.
Once the wiper points at a lug, then make a mark on the outside of the cap to indicate that this is the lug for spark plug #1. Alternately, you may use your steel trap memory to remember which one it is.

Christopher:
Thank you for your comprehensive commentaries. I'll check the dist. rotation. I'm hoping it is correct because I'm certain it is the same Delco number as others on this forum use for the same tractor. I might even ask that in a separate post. I had liked the mag ignition on this tractor and probably would never have changed it over. When it quit, I decided in the long run it would be easier to maintain the distributor than the mag. I'm not sure I want to sell it at this point. It is not a Case mag, but rather a WICO replacement. Sounds as if you are looking for an original Case mag.

I'm beginning to feel better about this now and really appreciate this forum, (as I have in the past as well).

Dennis

You will next need to reassemble your distributor, wire your ignition system, and connect a spark plug and spark plug wire to the #1 lug. Then rotate the crankshaft backwards through about 90 degrees and switch the ignition system on. Then rotate the crankshaft forwards with the spark plug held up to a grounded surface on the tractor and stop when it sparks (you may want to use gloves). Note where the spark occurred in relation to the punch mark on the flywheel.
If the spark occurs after the punch mark passes beneath the hole, then rotate the distributor a small ammount clockwise. If it occurrs before the punch mark appears, rotate the distributor counter-clockwise. Repeat this until the spark occurs when the punck mark is centered in the hole.
You should now be done.

I should also have said that you need to connect the other spark plug wires to the distributor in a counter-clockwise order starting with cylinder #1 and following the firing order. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Thanks to all, again. I pulled out my right-angle distributor and drive and now have it cleaned up for painting. I did remove the breaker plate and lubed the weights a bit, (they were actually moving freely anyway), and reassembled. I pulled the flat plate off the right angle drive section and found the old grease looked like dark amber honeycomb. So I cleaned all that out, spray lubed, and I'll let it sit overnight to drain. Then I'll pack it lightly with grease. I notice these dist's and drives all have two pipe plug thread places with either lube fittings or just plugs. I think it might look good to put a brass grease cup in one of them, but probably unessary.

I won't have much time this week, but will pop back with a new post later next week when I get further.

Dennis

Hi:
I did find all the ignition parts at NAPA today. Got 'em. Finished lubing the distributor and filled half the gear chamber with fresh grease. Cleaned, primed and it's painted. I'm required on other obligations most of this coming week, so paint will be nice and dry when I get back to it. Will then enjoy putting it on the tractor. I guess I'll have to pull up the gauge cluster and add some wiring....figure that out as I go.

Dennis

I'm going to install the same Delco distributor as in this thread. I'm using a 12 volt system, and was wondering what's best for a resistor so the distributor points don't burn up?
Thanks.

(quoted from post at 19:00:46 10/08/12) I'm going to install the same Delco distributor as in this thread. I'm using a 12 volt system, and was wondering what's best for a resistor so the distributor points don't burn up?
Thanks.

Click to expand...

If u r using a 12 V coil that is designed to be used with an external resistor then you need one otherwise not. Many replacement coils are marked if they have an internal resistor, a good way to know is by measuring the primary resistance with an ohmmeter, a 12 V coil will have about 4 ohms resistance , a 6 V about 1.5 ohms, the latter would be used with a resistor on a 12 V system.

mEl

Thanks for this information. I have
several coils laying around, and some
don't appear to be marked, so this
will help!
If I do need a resistor, what's the best
set-up? If I remember correctly, some autos
had a means of feeding the coil 12 volts during start-up, then cutting the voltage back after the engine was running.
Thanks.