Distributor Question

[DougT]

One for the Brains Trust, I was sorting through my spare grey motor distributors in order to refurbish one for my rebuilt J series engine only to become rather confused when I found different breaker plates fitted to my two U-VJU 6 BR 54 distributors. See images below.



As far as I am aware the breaker plate on the right is the one used for all U-VJU 6 BR 30 to 54 distributors. Given that the breaker plate on the left fits into the U-VJU 6 BR 54 housing could it be from a FX or FJ dissy? There were a couple of other anomalies with that dissy which leads me to believe it was rebuilt using odd bits and pieces. Any ideas as to the origin of the breaker plate would be appreciated. Doug

[DougT]

I also noted that there are at least three different vacuum advance assemblies. I have one with a downward facing tube, I assume for EJ, one the same shape as the EJ but no tube, I assume FB or EK, and remainder are more bulbous and are for 132 motors. Can anyone shed any light on which distributors had which? Doug

[ardiesse]

Doug,

The breaker plate on the left, I'm guessing, would be very late.  The pin for the vacuum advance pullrod is staked onto the breaker plate in this one, whereas in all other Holden distributors I've seen, the vacuum advance pullrod is held in place by an anchor bracket.  I don't know where the earth braid would attach on this breaker plate.

Hmm.  The breaker plate on the right has an oval slot, which looks like it might have been for the point-gap-adjusting eccentric (which got deleted around EK time, I think).  Maybe the breaker plate on the right is from an earlier distributor.

Vacuum advance assemblies: there are only two grey motor Bosch vacuum advance units.  The late FX - EK type has the threaded fitting to take the vacuum advance pipe.  The EJ type has the short hex nut and downward-facing tube.  Apart from those differences, the units are identical and will interchange.

Post photos of the different parts.

Rob

[DougT]

Thanks Rob for your comments, I went back to take photos of the vac adv assys and identified another style of breaker plate, see image below, it is similar to the one on the right in the original post but lacks the points adjusting knobs, yet another twist.


These are the three different vac adv assys I have, the one on the left I assume is from an EJ, the middle one possibly FB or EK and the one on the right FX through to FC.
, ,

[ardiesse]

Doug,

Looking at my menagerie of distributors -

The breaker plate without the points adjusting "knobs" is the early type, from late FX to FB (?).  These used an eccentric to adjust the points, and the points themselves had an extended arm on the stationary contact to engage with the eccentric.  I'm guessing that at EK, the points changed to the later style, with the smaller stationary contact.

Of your vacuum advance units, the one on the left is EJ.  The one on the right is late FX - EK.  The one in the middle is (guess) late EK.  It's got the EJ-style shells, but the pipe fitting.

Rob

[DougT]

Rob,

Thanks for the insight about the breaker plates.

I have had a think about the vac adv units, could the one in the centre have been supplied with the German imported "Black" distributors?

Doug

[ardiesse]

Doug,

I don't think so.  FX-FJ Bosch distributor bodies were painted Bosch orange.  FE-FC were black, and FB-EJ were blue.  Local manufacture started in 1960-ish.  And your middle vac-adv unit is the first I've seen in that shape.

Rob