Distributor for 8n

Bought an 8n front mount tractor that the distributor had been stolen from. Does anyone know the size and length of the 2 bolts that hold the distributor
on so I could order them. Thanks.

(quoted from post at 20:39:44 08/20/20) Bought an 8n front mount tractor that the distributor had been stolen from. Does anyone know the size and length of the 2 bolts that hold the distributor
on so I could order them. Thanks.

Click to expand...

5/16 - 18 x .87

Stolen? Hmmm? Maybe someone took it off to rebuild it and never got it back on. Whatever. Yes, Ford p/n 48-1248 the 5/16-18 x .87" Hex Head Bolt used on the front distributor with a 5/16 lockwasher, 2 each req'd. I have a lot of 100 of each so email me and I will mail you a few of each if you want, $10 should cover parts and shipping. Do you need an OEM distributor as well? I also rebuild them with quality parts, ready to go. There are only 3 or 4 suppliers now who have the correct points that can be set right, all others are junk. You do know the front mount distributor can only be mounted one correct way. If it is forced off 180° it will bust the aluminum base when power is applied. Points set at .015". Timing set via manuals. Firing order: 1,2,4,3 CCW. Are you set with the 6V/POS GRN system or did you go over to 12V? Use your ESSENTIAL MANUALS to verify wiring. WIRING PICTOGRAMS by JMOR are the references for wiring 6 or 12 using pictures. Either way, 6V or 12V, generator or alternator, if you fail to have proper belt and tension applied, you will not charge the battery and power will drain.

FORD N-TRACTOR FRONT MOUNT DISTRIBUTOR:

HOW TO SET TIMING:

FORD FRONT MOUNT DISTRIBUTOR – WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MOUNTED 180° OFF:



FORD TRACTOR FRONT MOUNT DISTRIBUTOR FIRING ORDER; 1,2,4,3 CCW:






FORD 8N TRACTOR WIRING DIAGRAMS:


CORRECT FORD 8N ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS - 6V & 12V:


*PICTOGRAM courtesy of JMOR



FORD 8N TRACTOR ESSENTIAL OWNER/OPERATOR/PARTS/SERVICE MANUALS:

Tim Daley(MI)

Tim
Great picture of the broken base. Read a lot about it but never seen it!
JB

This[5/16-18] is a common size,but .87 is not. I had to get some 5/16-18 bolts to replace some which were buggered up,probably some Farmer at some time only had a Crescent wrench or wire pliers,so used what he had. Anyhoo,I got some bolts at TSC and a few nuts to make a pound and cut the distributor bolts to size with a nut backup,then cleaned the threads with a die. Since you only need the two,I'd buy the ones that were offered,but I have lots of time and stuff to alter things to fit.

Well, yes, 7/8" is an industry standard length, don't judge by what TSC sells. I buy all my hardware in bulk if I can, from McMaster-Carr mostly -see LINK. When engineers design and draw parts, dimensions are listed with a tolerance too. Non-critical items are typically +/- .010". Semi-critical parts may be listed with +/- .005" tolerance. Often there is a chart on the drawing specifying what a 2-Place, 3-Place, and 4-Place decimal tolerance is to clarify and avoid clutter on the drawing. Using our example, part number 48-12148 is listed as a 5/16-18 x .87" Hex Head bolt. The 2-place decimal on .87 defines it as having a +/- .010" tolerance. If it was listed as an .875" dimension, it would then have to be toleranced at +/- .005". there's no need for a bolt length to have that tight of a tolerance. It is simply a way to define part drawings so when an engineer or designer looks at a part drawing, or in our case, a parts catalog, they can tell by the text how tight the tolerance is. A part like a press fit bearing bore would have a .0005" TOTAL Tolerance and would be listed on the part drawing as such. I don't shop at TSC, ACE, Fastenal,Home Depot, and many others because they all just stock basic sizes in a few basic lengths. It's either 1" or 1-1/2" and you get stuck with a too short or too long fastener. They also rip you off on pricing. MMC sells those bolts at $10 for 50 pcs. I've done the cutoff method myself -advise to break a chamfer on cut bolt before removing the nut. It will also help when fastening a nut or screwing into a part.


Tim Daley(MI)
5/16 18 x 7/8 HEX HEAD BOLT GR 8

(quoted from post at 08:20:56 08/21/20) Tim
Great picture of the broken base. Read a lot about it but never seen it!
JB

Click to expand...

Other breakage is possible - I wish I had a picture of the one I broke. One of the ears broke off the drive. The rest of it was OK. My fault for not checking that it was on right after my 12-year-old son mounted it. He'd been doing fine up until then.

I didn't state that the bolts are impossible to find,just that I had bought a bunch of 5/16x1-1/2" grade 8 bolts along with some others.I live far away from Grainger,Mcmaster Carr and other specialty stores and would have to wait for them to be shipped,as well as pay shipping. TSC charges a little more than $5.00 per pound for grade 8,no matter what size. To make a shorter bolt from a longer one,I put a nut on it,then cut it with my band saw and grind a slight bevel. When you remove the nut,the threads are cleaned so that it will easily thread into whatever you want to fasten it to.

Tim what does the NFG stand for written on the distributor body?

i've got a crisp new twenty-five dollar bill that says it's No <something> Good.