[25stevem]

In terms of these factory distributors and there oil application tube, I have a few questions.

1) What did the factory owner’s manual say to use to lube these up, engine oil , and if so what weight, or gear lube ?

2) what was the recommended mileage interval on lubing them?

Thanks in advance!

[Kenth]

From 1959 Service Manual:

[25stevem]

Thanks!
Very interesting that they call for just a 20 weight!

So you would fill it to near the brim of that tube, but leave room for expansion and vehicle angle that might be encountered I guess!

[b-man]

1959 distributor.

[Formulajones]

I just give mine a couple squirts when I change the engine oil as part of regular maintenance. I use an old oil tin can that has the long steel nipple attached that squirts oil. Perfect for putting oil directly into that little tube without making a mess.

[25stevem]

I Had two at one time and I wish I still did.
These where solid as a Meteorite!

[lust4speed]

Was there any internal difference between the early units and the later ones where Pontiac dropped the oil tube? I'm wondering whether Pontiac finally decided that they would get oil regardless and they saved some money by eliminating the additional oiling.

[77 TRASHCAN]

What years had the oiling tube?

[25stevem]

Other then the far more stable cast iron body and the oil feed tube there is no difference.

In terms of how late they where used I can try and look up for you as I may have that info.

My wild guess is that they where used at least up to 62 because of the two I had, one came out of a 59 and the other out of a 62.

On my motors that I build since they both made use of oil pan baffling and tight fitting crank scraper’s I thought it a good idea to use the early Distributor that I could oil up.

[MarkS57]

Originally Posted by 25stevem

Other then the far more stable cast iron body and the oil feed tube there is no difference.

In terms of how late they where used I can try and look up for you as I may have that info.

My wild guess is that they where used at least up to 62 because of the two I had, one came out of a 59 and the other out of a 62..

My 62 didn't have the tube, could have been a mid year change.

[Kenth]

1961 was the last year for the oil tube distributor, later on they got the grease chamber under the nylon washer.

[elefantrider]

There was a guy who had some NOS on ebay many years back.
A very good distributor and core for an electronic conversion kit.

[tom s]

My original and numbers matching 62 GP engine does not have the oil tube.It was still used on the 62-63 SD dual point dizzy.Tom

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by elefantrider

There was a guy who had some NOS on ebay many years back.
A very good distributor and core for an electronic conversion kit.

They are the best PMD distributor. But do the electronic convertion if you want to ruin it.
The bast thing you can ever do to it is put a good set of points in it. Then run a CD ignition.
Points do not wear out. If the CD box fails, switch a few wires around and drive home.
HEIs and electronic conversions can and do fail.
Points triggered CD ignition in a cast iron distributor is a fantastic ignition system. Ran one for 30+ years and never failed. Changed the points 14 years ago, just because. They were fine.
It would be a good idea to find a good working MSD, Mallory or Crane CD box when they were made in America.
I run 7AL-2 and have a 6AL and a Crane HI6 as backups.

[lust4speed]

Points do wear out even when only triggering a box:
Rubbing block wears down and from the moment of installation timing is slightly changing over time
Spring tension weakens
Pivot post wear and/or come loose
Hardened contact points separating and falling off their mount
Dust, dirt, and odd pieces finding their way between contact points

Points are a mechanical device and mechanical devices fail. Most of the new sets start scattering spark about 4,600 RPM when tested on my distributor machine. This scatter shows up as the firing position of individual cylinders moving around, some simply go missing, and other additional trigger points are added in. When I had my first dyno session in 1985 the shop owner showed me where my Mallory X points were causing misfires and he had me purchase and install an electronic ignition unit. This was before internet boards and I didn't know that the newly introduced Unilite unit was likely to fail. It cleaned up the ignition problems and that same unit is still in my car almost 40 years later. I also have a Stinger and several other brands of electronic modules triggering boxes, and have two XRi modules triggering the coil directly. All have performed for years. Probably a half dozen friends running the MSD Ready-To-Run distributors with excellent results, and another dozen club members running Skip White large body HEI distributors that haven't had any problems. I do have one friend that triggers his MSD Digital 6AL box with points. When the car's performance drops off he digs out the spare points set and he's back in business after changing them out and re-timing the engine.

There really isn't a difference in reliability between the electronic module and electronic box. Kind of unfair to say that the electronics will fail in a module and not in the box. Both will last a really long time as long as some massive voltage spike isn't introduced to cause a meltdown, and then either one can bite the dust.

Now I have absolutely no love for Pertronix and have seen many I, II, and III units not make it through the first week, and have seen other long term failures of the brand. I suspect that much of the aversion to electronic ignition modules has roots with them.

Here is a photo of a new set of points on the machine 4,000 - at 5,000 - and at 6,000. This set is one of the worse which is why I took photos. Every once in awhile I get in a set of points that are perfect and go to the machine max without a problem, but those are few and far between.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by lust4speed

Points do wear out even when only triggering a box:
Rubbing block wears down and from the moment of installation timing is slightly changing over time
Spring tension weakens
Pivot post wear and/or come loose
Hardened contact points separating and falling off their mount
Dust, dirt, and odd pieces finding their way between contact points

Points are a mechanical device and mechanical devices fail. Most of the new sets start scattering spark about 4,600 RPM when tested on my distributor machine. This scatter shows up as the firing position of individual cylinders moving around, some simply go missing, and other additional trigger points are added in. When I had my first dyno session in 1985 the shop owner showed me where my Mallory X points were causing misfires and he had me purchase and install an electronic ignition unit. This was before internet boards and I didn't know that the newly introduced Unilite unit was likely to fail. It cleaned up the ignition problems and that same unit is still in my car almost 40 years later. I also have a Stinger and several other brands of electronic modules triggering boxes, and have two XRi modules triggering the coil directly. All have performed for years. Probably a half dozen friends running the MSD Ready-To-Run distributors with excellent results, and another dozen club members running Skip White large body HEI distributors that haven't had any problems. I do have one friend that triggers his MSD Digital 6AL box with points. When the car's performance drops off he digs out the spare points set and he's back in business after changing them out and re-timing the engine.

There really isn't a difference in reliability between the electronic module and electronic box. Kind of unfair to say that the electronics will fail in a module and not in the box. Both will last a really long time as long as some massive voltage spike isn't introduced to cause a meltdown, and then either one can bite the dust.

Now I have absolutely no love for Pertronix and have seen many I, II, and III units not make it through the first week, and have seen other long term failures of the brand. I suspect that much of the aversion to electronic ignition modules has roots with them.

Here is a photo of a new set of points on the machine 4,000 - at 5,000 - and at 6,000. This set is one of the worse which is why I took photos. Every once in awhile I get in a set of points that are perfect and go to the machine max without a problem, but those are few and far between.

I used a machine like yours when I originally set up the distributor. Ran the Accel 8000RPM points and never had a miss-fire.
I understand there is some wear and periodic adjustments are a maintenance item. Toyota used points triggered CD ignition for years. Its just the points do not burn up with CD ignition since there is no current draw across them.
The MSD distributors work well for a lot of folks. But you can spend less with a PMD distributor, points and CD box.
I picked up a iron distributor in perfect shape ready to go for 120$. Just got a complete BOP sideways distributor set up that I do not know what to do with.
Lots of ways to set up a ignition system. Not any real power difference in any way you want to do it short of a crank trigger that will get you 5-7 more HP.
The guy I got the BOP front mount set up from just put a HEI in it and ran it. Same ETs, nothing changed.

[elefantrider]

Some engines don't gain anything by hotter sparks. I have one like that. Doing great on points vs HEI previously. No change.

Yes, I mean using points to trigger the box would be a good setup.. I too am not a fan of Petronix.
I guess that leaves MSD boxes as the only option. Anything else out there these days?

They also made these cast iron distributors as super duty dual point units in 61-63.

[25stevem]

Blue Phoenix plasma ignition system has shown a 10 hp gain.

[421mike]

But does it last for many, many miles and years?

[elefantrider]

It looks like in addition to Pertronix, Crane and Mallory make pick ups also.