Finally Getting Around To Ignition Upgrade

Hello everyone,
I've been away for a spell, life intervenes. Since I took care of that stuck engine valve and 'Black Betty' is running back to normal I've been kind of itching to give the Team Rush thing a go. I'm taking this one step at a time as funds and time allow.
Normally I've favored Standard/Blue Streak Caps and Rotors, as well as other products by them, but, for better or worse I've been following Jeep hammers' threads and took the leap for a Cap-a-dapt kit 8414 by MSD. I found it kind of odd that while all of the wire terminals are brass the coil connector appears to be bi-metal aluminum. Some of the photos swimming in the web show all terminals in brass, but there must be some logical explanation for this.
I cleaned up the distributor with some CRC Lectra-Motive and I'm working on the alignment tab that is lacking. While the pics in JH's threads show a Motorcraft distribotor mine appears to be AMC as there is no Motorcraft logo on the side. It does however have the notch and threaded screw hole for the Alignment Tab itself.


After scouring the wrecking yards locally, i found that while they're will to sell me and entire distributor they will not part one out and their lot now seems to be more populated with foreign cars.
So I set out to make my own and while dubious of JH's claim one can be made out of pop can aluminum I gave it a shot.





The trouble was in drilling the hole for the set screw the gauge of this aluminum was such that it twisted up after my thrid bit increment and was destroyed.
My next attempt is made from a soup can being of slightly thicker gauge and I got it cut and bent up and rather than drilling I think I'll try punching through with my center punch and then following through with a needle reamer.
I've another being made of a 3/8 cable clamp but its gauge may be too thick when I measured the gap at the notch with Adapter mounted to the top of the distributor.



I took careful measurements using a flaky set of calipers my friend gave me that I believe come from Harbor Freight, but better than nothing. I used those measuements to calculate where to bend that custom tab and when to punch the set screw hole.

 

It may not be pretty but with my fumbling fingers, this is what I came up with;








...if I'm not too burnt out from work, I may test fit this dingus tonight.

 

For the life of me, I don't recall having the alignment tab on my distributor when I went to the Ford TFI coil, cap and rotor.
Anyways looks good.

 

I did the same thing for the parts store distributor I put in my CJ-6. I used a piece of G10 board. Only the AMC V8 Motorcraft distributor has that tab, and the rebuilder (A1-Cardone) removes it for some reason.

 

I test fit the dingus and those measurements translated well;





It's not perfectly plumb, maybe someday I'll tweak it, but it holds fast horizontally and it's rock solid stable. It wasn't easy as the distributor was installed and I had to work over the stinger bumper, luckily I have these oranguatan arms...

 

Thanks Focker, I'm an old Neil young fan too.

Hey Tim, what is G10 board?

 

Phenolic fiberglass reinforced circuit board. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013HQ73S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

BTW my tracker software blocks jeepz.com
If I allow content but not cookies, I can see your images. Otherwise, not.

 

BTW you need a punch if you work with thin steel like can metal. I have one like this and use it all the time ...
https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-02612A...F8&qid=1523976294&sr=8-3&keywords=Metal+punch

There are several brands out there. They are all copies of the original maker ... whose name escapes me at the moment.

That cable clamp is a lot sturdier material than plated can steel. The punch above will punch it too.

 

I too had to make an alignment tab, can't remember what I made it out of. I also used the MSD "Big" cap thing. And MSD wires.. I swapped all my stuff in when I added TBI and the ignition that came with it.

 

Sorry Tim, it became nesessary for me to use my images from Jeepz, on account of security protocols here at the dock where I have my computer hooked up to the companies' high speed. I once swore by flickr, but that site is no longer available on accont of these reasons. Also I like that I can provide large, detailed photos for the close up work that I sometimes do, but if I'm running the risk of being banned, I'll desist.

 

The punch I used was an old ticket punch that had a shape of an asterisks (*) then I just remed it out with the tail of one of my files that had a handle removed. What with the diminutive size of that tab, despite being made out of an aluminum can, seems to be sturdier than I originally thought.

I have some Accell HEI wire left over from a project I was doing in the '80's I think they're 8.8 mm but I may be missing some on account that I remember using some of the strands on my bike, a Kaw Z1R turbo years ago.

 

Not a problem for me ... just interesting that my tracking blocker stops everything from that domain. It used to stop beamingpix too (Focker's server), and I white-listed it for this site.

 

Ahh Okay Tim, one odd thing about this Cap-a-dapt is the Coil terminal on the Cap itself, I wonder if MSD changed their design of the 8414?

 

Hooly Schneiglies, I was checking out Plug Wires and dayum $90?!? I lucked into some on EBay for $68 but I can't remember when I spent so much for spark plug wires.

 

I have two sets of these, one on my CJ and one on the J20 (both with TFI parts) https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-g826/overview/

IIRC sure Jegs has a similar set if you prefer yellow.

 

Tim- Whitney punch. These were my Uncle's. The one on the left is probably 80 years old. The one on the right probably 60.

 

I'm running Acell yellow 7mm wires now, but I'm not picky about the color. I think I'd need to go to 8mm at a minimum for this upgrade. Also I'd like to take advantage of the nipple top HEI that'll lock in to the top of that MSD Distributor cap. I'll have to accumulate some more funds before I go on to the Coil and MSD 6a box though.

 

Well it looks as though this long upgrade will be even longer. I hurt my back at work again on Friday so I'm moving very slow. The wires are due this friday, I hope I'm better by then.

 

Man I hate it when my back says "Unt-uh" I do have a great chiropractor though.. But it still sucks..