Lubricating distributer

I've got one of the old distributers that you are supposed to add 3 to 5 drops every 2,000 miles, but I'm not putting that many miles on so how often should I lube it??

What I do is use the dipstick to add the drops. If it sits most of the time, just check the oil and add the drops each month or before you start it.

The little cup feeds oil to the shaft bushing, not the points...


There is also a small chunk of stuff under the rotor. You are supposed to lightly oil this at each tuneup.
It lubricates the inner and outer shaft area, for the advance.
Chevys aren't set up this way, just Fords and Mopars.

Thanks, guys

From P-15 D-24 forum (46-48 Mopar flatheads)
http://www.merc583.addr.com/mopar/framesets/maintframeset.html

10,000 mi. or 1 year
Distributor
5 to 10 drops in oil cup, 2 -3 drop in oil wick under rotor.

I have (3) 318's and only one has the oil cup. It came out of a '67 campwagon that my nephew found me for parts to fix the '68 camper van.

roughly the same amount that service the advance weights and pins on a chevy distributor!

It's another thing that modern tech has done; most people don't lube the zerks, lube door hinges and latches, lube the window regulators, clean electrical connectors, aim headlights, polish the chrome, wax the paint or a bunch of other things that keep vehicles alive for a long time. Garages don't rebuild starters and alternators, many don't rebuild carbs. It's cheaper and faster to swap them out. Even the scopes of the 60s, 70s and 80s have been replaced with the scan tool. If we vanners want to keep old stuff alive, we have to be able to find a shop that can perform the old tasks or do it ourselves.

Arm yourself with a factory manual, some tools and connect with others that share your love for simpler but more labor-intensive vehicles!

Simpler yes!!!! Let them try and turn our vans off with ON STAR. I'm just waiting for a hacker to shut them all off. One good thing about having a van up is there is less roof to wax.

just finished waxing mine this weekend. first show next weekend for the old heap in moncton new brunswick. it goes inside ( the arena ) thursday and i won't get back till saturday, i'm a hundred miles away. i'll have a buddy check on it friday for me. i can almost guarntee it will be the only early among everything else. pics to follow next sunday late.

anything stuck in the engine causing the dist problem???

Walked away from the van last night to see what ideas you guys would have today, and took the frustartions out on 3 cords of wood. Have enough for next winter, so now it is time to start hauling in and stock piling for 2012. One of things I thought of is that my timing cover was cracked so I replaced it with my spare, but timing marks are cast into this one and on the L/S, my old one had a bolt on timing marker attached to the water pump with the tab on the R/S. I need to check the marks on both balancers and make sure that they are the same before I try to fire it up.

Early is right side marks, late is left.
Damper marks will not be the same. Best to get the timing tape from Mopar and set TDC correctly....

Made some headway, and a few steps back too. Pulled the distributor, NO washer and currently straight across the back of the engine instead of oriented toward the front intake bolt. Put #1 back to TDC and my balancer lines up with 0 if I put the bolt on timing tab back on. (gonna confuse the next guy). So to get the oil pump shaft and gear slot to face the front intake bolt I need to measure how deep it is now, pick it up and turn it to where I need it, drop it back in and make sure it engages and is at the same depth as it was??
The fuel pump felt right when I took it out so I will check the essentric when I open it up again.
That's the good news....
#1 After looking at the parts figures in my service manual I realized that there was NO oil slinger on the crank when I took it apart to do the timing chain. Is the timing chain the only thing that the slinger is supposed to oil?? Good reason why the timing chain was bad, Now I have to get an oil slinger/gasket set and pull the timing cover again.
#2 The bottom radiator neck is leaking so I have to pull it and take it to the shop and hope they can solder it.
Quit for tonight, have to call napa in the morning and see about parts.
thanks for the help.

So long as the pulleys line up, don't bother with the slinger. It's there to sling oil away from the front seal only. It often rubs against the front cover or chain, causing noise and metal in the engine. Newer seals can handle the increasd oil, so if you put things together right, it should be fine.