Farmall Double Distributor Build! Electronic Ignition vs. Points & Condenser - "Preparation H" Ep.35

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/ @squatch253

[@jmailbell]

20 + years on the automotive side I’ve used the points electronic conversion, I’ve had one failure and it was intermitting not dead in the water. The poor quality of points and condensers now you are about forced to the conversion.

[@squatch253]

That's where I am with it too, I know several others that have switched to the electronic ignition and haven't looked back.

[@aserta]

@@squatch253 I've had luck with removing the worn points off old units and replacing them with ones from new old stock of higher quality. It's fiddly and you really need to know how to braze tiny things. I tried staking them in the hole, but they don't last. Usually the arm one falls off because the metal is too thin. Caveat: you have to have NOS parts on your shelf... so it ultimately depends on how many you can find in your area. I got lucky and an older gent i knew left me all his old bits and bobs and ~50 or so boxes with points for Skoda cars from the 1970's. Dunno about other brands, but Skoda made them a bit more ... let's say industrial. So they're good for older cars or tractors. The idea isn't mine, got it from a few posts i read about (desperate) people cutting the sections that hold the points and welding them with a spot welder and a point of TIG welding for the base. I don't have a spot welder, but i know how to braze, so it was a logical solution for me.

[@erik_dk842]

@@aserta Great. I actually got the same thought of transferring the wear-heavy items - the points themselves - from the new plastic fantastic to the old sturdy ones. What about the part in contact with the lobes? You couls also get the contact points from high amperage relays/contactors.

[@joncutt872]

I just upgraded, my 3-cylinder ford 2000, I'm much happier with it now

[@rpujol]

This lubrication holes of the distributors are made to lubricate the bushings and shafts. Even there's no direct hole thrugh the bushing, they are made from pourous sintered bronze that has microhole cavities in the bronze that allows the oil to go from the outside of the bushing to the inside to lubricate the shaft. They are also widely used in starter motors and generators. The oil keeps the bushing "wet" which allows the lubrication to be transfered via the microholes to the shaft inside. If you use regular bronze for this bushings the shaft will get sized with the time. Only pourous sintered bronze bushings should be used, and should be lubricated from time to time.

[@jakebronger3568]

yes!

[@SandBoxJohn]

When Toby began his discussion of the placement of the lubrication plugs that appeared to make no sense, I immediately paused the video knowing I would find this comment.

[@Mudgrove]

Sintered bushings will only let oil soak through them. Grease will not. It's also possible due to their age the bushes were replaced, minus a very small pilot hole from lube point to shaft. Worn bushes on this part will give erratic spark, like a miss. If the rotor wobbles , the worn shaft bushing(s) need to be replaced. Something I only used to diagnose when a points motor was hooked up to the goo ol' scope. The wiggly lines on the screen gave this fault away.

[@paulmartin8212]

I was going to guess at running temperature the grease would melt and find its way to where it needed to be.

[@TestECull]

11:21 It's not just the time it takes to fire the plug. It's also the time it takes for the combustion process inside the cylinder to occur. Ideally, we have peak pressure just as the piston rolls through its dwell period, and the faster the engine runs the more degrees of crankshaft rotation one will get between ignition and peak cylinder pressure. So, as RPMs increase, we advance timing to account for this. Of course this engine isn't exactly a rev factory, but still, 2,000-2,500RPM is fast enough to warrant mechanical advance like we see here. No vacuum advance on it, but it's a tractor engine so it doesn't really need it.

[@paulmanson253]

Same as a boat,aircraft or race car engine.

[@TestECull]

@@paulmanson253 Yep, though those engines have different demands and thus differences in ignition. Car engines will almost always have a vacuum advance as well as a mechanical advance to account for higher rev ranges and for sudden throttle applications that tractors don't encounter.

[@TestECull]

@@curtislowe4577 It takes a few milliseconds for the coil to saturate properly. that's why points systems have Dwell and why setting the dwell correctly is key for them to run. Want the points to dwell closed long enough for the magnetic fields to build up to full strength in the coil before opening them and causing discharge. It's only a few millionths of a second, but you'd be surprised how much of an effect insufficient dwell has on the engine. What really takes time isn't electrical. It's the speed at which the flame front travels through the combustion chamber. We advance spark timing because the speed at which the fuel burns is relatively constant, but the time in which the fuel has to burn changes based on RPM. Even in a fairly low RPM application like this tractor, if you time for TDC you'll be losing out on a ton of power and efficiency. Base timing a few degrees advance from TDC puts peak cylinder pressure right where we want it, and then advance weights in the distributor further nudge timing in as the RPM increases to ensure it stays there. The advance we need isn't very much because this engine only revs to something like 2,500RPM wide open, but we still end up putting 15-20 degrees of advance in it to keep peak cylinder pressure occurring when the conrod and crankpin are in the best position to take advantage of that pressure.

[@sidclark6322]

Hands on. No bullshit. That's what I like.

[@Drottninggatan2017]

Those bushings are sintered. Meaning they are porous and saturated with oil. Same thing as in the front of a starter motor. If you put in a new sintered bushing you place it on one of your fingers, fill it with oil, and then press down on the oil with your other finger. After a while the oil will come straight out of the side of the bushing. It is a good thing to have a reservoir of oil on the outside of it, so it doesn't risk running dry. Do not make any holes in the bushing, and do not use grease.

[@karlfischer1011]

interesting things happening in the timeline of Farmall and Deere Letter-series tractors and their contemporaries. Designed for a pre WWII world, fuel and supply chains. The war happens and engine and fuel technology comes a long way. We went from low grade fuels to medium and premium grade available cheaper and readily. Many early magnetoes did not have an advance mechanism like a distributor. The IH mag engines ran approximately 40 degrees advance at all engine RPM. better fuel led to mechanical rotating assembly improvements so overhauls increased compression and power, the distributor variable advance became necessary for smooth and non-destructive operation. IH even had changeover kits for distributor advance curves when upgrading the overhaul parts because there were detonation issues with original advance curve. Magnetoes were complex and expensive with simple performace that did not match the needs of the engine anymore, so Delco and other companies sold distributors that were simpler yet have flexible operation parameters. the Post war economy improved availability so a battery did not seem like a frivolous accessory of a tractor any more...etc. What's "original" on great grandpa's H may actually be original as remembered after a 1960 overhaul :)

[@Matthewbm80]

I put electronic ignition on a Lincoln SA200 with a 4 cylinder Continental engine and I love it. I won't be going back to points

[@ronsue1000]

Im glad you're going to do the experiment. Have yet to see or talked to someone who've done the test. Thank you.

[@bcbloc02]

If you lube that center cavity till it is full it is automaticly going to work its way thru the bushings in its efforts to escape.

[@garthsanders]

I believe These distibuters are meant to be filled with a 20 wt oil. The bronze bearing itself is open or "sintered" and allows oil to slowly work through. I have this delco vertical as a factory item on my allis chalmers d12.

[@bamadave6324]

The delco-remy distributor cavity with the screw is for SAE-20 oil every 750 hrs according to my Ferguson TO-35 manual. The bronze bushing is porous and the oil in the cavity seeps into the pores.

[@jacksonsmith4165]

You should do another 8n. I’d love to have this amount of information on one. You are very detailed

[@jmumbauer]

I wonder if the grease slowly penetrates an oil-lite sintered bronze bushing as a 'slow release' method? Just a guess. Keep up the great content!

[@DefaultName-vh3lo]

My thought as well.

[@mathuetax]

I was about to say the same thing before I saw that you'd said sintered bushing. :D

[@707061756c69]

What is grease? It is quite often soap emulsified with some kind of oil (mineral or vegetable oil). Grease in the cavity around the porous bronze bushing will release some oil when it is heated.

[@machinistbytrade]

That was exactly my thoughts as well

[@princepa123]

Excellent job as always Toby. There used to be an army of professional industrial trainers that were utilized in America's industrial age to train people (young budding men) on the science of automotive science. We need more people like you and your father augmenting the vacuum that currently exist WW in this much needed area. As a former professional trainer in computer engineering, you and Sr. do an impeccable job transferring knowledge. By far, my favorite channel on KZbin.

[@prestonmiller9552]

In many cases, small changes were made to various parts and pieces and sometimes the parts manuals did not get updated at the very same time. So, it is possible to have a parts manual that may be meant for your model tractor but updates to the parts have not yet been included in the manual you have. It could be that at some point along the line they realized that lubricant option was not needed. However, I am not sure why they would eliminate an overflow hole on the opposite side and still keep the larger hole on the other side if it was not doing anything, unless they had so many distributor bodies made like that and they wanted to use them up before they switched over. I'm not sure that makes any sense, but it was after all, shortly after the war and maybe they were still in conservation mode as many folks of that era were.

[@brianrvd]

Delco Remy recommended SAE 20 oil, not grease, and it soaks through the porous bushing.

[@squatch253]

That would make sense, I'll fill them up with a proper grade of oil then - it certainly can't hurt 👍

[@589193fz]

Thanks for the video - finally a well explained and described video on basic farmall distributors!!

[@ericpage2884]

Hey Squatch, I have used the electronic ignition module to replace the points in my classic car. I had the same experience with the lack of quality in points and constantly was having issues. Replacing the point with the electronic module took all them away. It has been installed for 6 years with zero issues. Their flame thrower coils produce a hotter spark which is also an improvement on igniting the fuel and burning cleaner. Thanks for all your content. Haven't missed an episode in 6 years.

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Considering going to electronic ignition with the car in my profile picture. My late father's 1958 Plymouth Suburban.

[@hairy-one]

Yes! Even in the days of leaded gas, the plugs would last quite a bit longer with electronic ignition. Better spark that can tolerate the plug gap eroding wider.

[@karlfischer1011]

put the electronic ignition on our Farmall 656 10 years ago, been good. Cut thousands of acres with a discbine behind. Used the stock coil and still using copper wires, although it is not recommended... The tractor is factory 12v alternator.

[@clydeschwartz]

Excellent video I believe that the bushing was meant to be drilled out so grease could make it to the shaft on the original design then they came to realize that they would get greased excessively and it would gunk up the advance system on upper end of the disturbutor. John Deere 2 cylinder tractor engine uses a similar delco Remy disturbutor but the grease can get to the bushings. Keep up the great videos

[@notajp]

The electronic ignition conversion I did on my old Ford 4000 backhoe was the single best thing I ever did for it. Been on there for several years now and been flawless. Got tired of having to fight with crappy points every time I went to use it. Didn’t matter what brand points, even NAPA were junk.

[@jakobrebeki]

I have just paused the video to tell you that I have just fitted an electronic ign to my 1972 T120R 650cc Triumph Bonnieville twin and it has totally changed the bike. It starts first time kick and never spits or misses. The spark is a lot stronger and cold starting is now an easy task and not a mission. One of the best conversions I ever did to it....

[@hairy-one]

get rid of that Lucas junk - designed in the atomic age for WW1.

[@jakobrebeki]

@@hairy-oneI DID....I fitted it with a Boyer Branson kit. Best thing I ever did to it....Did they have Nukes during WW1 (19014-1918) 🤣....

[@angrybobking5083]

@@jakobrebeki Madam Curie received her Nobel Prize for discovering Radium and Plutonium in 1903

[@jakobrebeki]

@@angrybobking5083But did it go bang?....

[@Sundancer268]

I would paint the distributor and then apply the tag with a bead of silicon caulk or grease behind the tag to keep the dirt out and then re-attach the tag. The paint is on so the silicone can't hurt the paint job and the caulk keeps the Distributor-Tag interface clean.

[@danflemmer1999]

Porous bushings aside, I drilled a 1/16 th hole in mine and only gave each fitting enough lube to make sure some got all the way around the shallow groove that was apparent on the outside middle of the bushings. It is a small chore to remove the plugs, lube and replace the plugs so I left the zerks in place. My two cents. .

[@danwhiting4399]

Man I love the history. If tractors could talk comes to life.

[@davidpierce3386]

I think i saw a special sight in the Video! I saw a Squatch253 without a hat on! May have happened before but i just never noticed. On the distributor....ditto as the rest have said about the oilite bushings.

[@coleenlofgren6385]

Toby take a sintered bronze bushing and set it upright on a steel plate with a gasket in between and clamp it to the table with two vise grips, then fill it with fuel oil and you will see how fast the fuel oil migrates thru the sides. Wipe the outside off and it will become wet in a few saconds. This would be a good demo for the channel ! Your friend from up north Mark

[@rickbrandt9559]

oil lite bushings seep oil/lube in because of porosity !

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

Oilite bearings.. are sintered metal, compressed powder, then heated to fuse into a solid. At a microscopic level the bearings are filled with voids that 'slowly' allow oil to creep, and lube the face.

[@survivingmaineona20acrefar77]

I believe that on that style that the oil hole is to be filled yearly with light oil and it will work through the bushing, i think that is a sintered bronze.

[@squatch253]

Yep that's what a couple others have said too, one guy quoted an old Delco-Remy book that recommended a 20WT oil in those compartments because the bushings were the sintered bronze type and it would slowly soak through - so that's what I'm gonna do :-)

[@michaelscriffiano9267]

Thank you as always

[@robertkidder174]

I have been using electronic ignition on a delco distributor for about 15 years now and have had no issues, as long as you use suggested spark plug wires and coil without the external resister, another words follow the directions which you are very good at.

[@squatch253]

Yep, I’ve got the recommended “hot” coil and proper plug wires as well 👍

[@woodsontr]

Electronic ignition!😀👍

[@laddlll]

I used electronic ignition on my 1950 olds 88, I loved it.

[@sailinwrench]

I sold hundreds of point sets during my years with NAPA in the 70s and 80s. Their Echlin brand was the premium product in that Era, but has gone downhill to compete with the discount junk stores. I, for one, agree with the theory and reason for conversion. Get er done Toby!

[@lapoint7603]

You will be very satisfied with the Pertronix electronic ignition system. A couple of years ago I replaced a troublesome magneto ignition on a C Allis Chalmers with a distributor ignition using the Pertronix set-up. Miller Repair in Willmar, MN recommended it. The electronic ignition is less sensitive to humidity and produces a much stronger spark at low RPM. I know you believe it's sacrilege but I also replaced the inop 6V generator with a 12V-1W alternator. Prior to doing this the electrical system was a total loss system. This tractor had previously been heavily butchered by some other hack. This Allis is used to mow their horse pasture and other rough mowing chores. Keep up the good work!!

[@richardwalrod7490]

How is your eye doing? I hope it's getting better. Thank you you do beautiful work very inspirational. Please make up some T-shirts so we can help support your Channel all the way from California

[@Vic-td7hp]

50 years ago I replaced the points in my Chervy van with a pointless ignition. I also put in a better coil and changed my plug gap to .055". The improvement was amazing! Benefits: timing and dwell never change and don't need parts replacement, idled at 400 rpm, started instantly, mileage went from 13.5 to 17 mpg ( and 23 later when I put in manual overdrive and 3.07 rear axle). 200,000 miles later it still starts instantly (the coil and bigger plug gap were important). In the 70's GM was running .080" plug gaps in some engines with an HEI distributor.

[@dieselsforlife3847]

I have put an electronic ignition on my td14. And absolutely love it! They work great! Or they don’t. Haven’t had a problem with mine. As for the distributor lub. The old ones was grease lubed. The new or aftermarket ones you took plug out and but oil in them then but plug back in. Thats why they have a spiral cut in them. Kind like an oil pump if you will. Hopefully it helps. I could be wrong. But pretty sure that’s correct. Been a bit sense I have messed with them.

[@skipcashdollar]

I have been pulling wrenches professionally now for 55 years. Just finished an H out of frame overhaul yesterday and the customer wanted a Pertronics installed . I told him you buy it and you put in in when you get the tractor back. I will not put it in. In the last two years I have removed two electronic units and put points and condensers back in. One was a 730 Case that actually caught the wiring insulation on fire out of the distributor . Lucky it put itself out and did not burn the tractor down in the field . The second one was a Ford 8N that did the same thing when the owner first started it in his garage , side distributor model and he put it out with an extinguisher , lucky. Yes I agree that it is hard to find quality in new points and condensers but the problems more than most are tractors that sit a lot and not run much , ( trailer queens). Once you do get a good condenser leave it alone! Change out the points if needed but when you get a good condenser let it be. I have been having the best luck with Standard brand ignition parts. That's my two cents from experience.

[@stevea6722]

Agree, really dislike the Pertronix electronic conversion kits.

[@larrydavidson3402]

You'll never regret putting in the electronic ignition.

[@bhinkle530]

Suggestion, maybe get an adjustable monitor for your camera so you can easily check to see that what your working on is in focus rather than the background? Noticed that happening in the last few videos. But otherwise another great video! Looking forward to the next, regardless of the focal point.

[@squatch253]

What you’re seeing is the main downfall of GoPro cameras, in that they have zero zoom capability and poor focus at close ranges. The only way to remedy that is another camera, but with the recent computer system and editing software upgrades I’ve just done I’m not ready to buy another camera yet lol 😂

[@bhinkle530]

Ahh, I see. (Pun intended) I suppose we'll just have to use our imaginations to unblurrify it, like with the "special" cable tv channels back in the olden days. At least until a more capable camera falls into your hands. Oh well, c'est la vie. By the way, will you be getting to the wooden D2 cab any time soon? I thought I heard you mention it would be a winter project and this year's winter is coming to a close. Not criticizing, just curious. Looking forward to more content, blurry close ups or not. Thanks again.

[@gregoryschmitz2131]

When I first starting working on HVAC equipment, motors had flush through setup, grease until it came out the opposite plug, then run motor till the grease quit running out the relief plug (heated up) then plug back in. In 1990 when I Baldor Motors in a new facility, we had issues. No flush through. Bearings would go. Pull apart and there was a shield on the bearing on the grease pocket side. No grease could get in. I just replaced with a double sealed bearing, good for 10 years continuous or better. Reliance (bought out by Baldor!) of that era has real grease setup. Baldor the grease actually pushed the shield against the bearing. Truly nuts but there it is.

[@TMxl-w5t]

Harley Davidson owners, went through these questions 30/40 years ago, some bought brand new bikes, removed the ''electronic ignition'' and the new fangled ''belt drive'' and replaced them with points and chain drive, why?? so they could fiddle with points on the side of the road, but in reality the electrics never failed.. or need adjusting.😊😊👍

[@N57RU]

If that is a Sintered Bronze bushing, the grease will go through the bushing wall. From your shots I can't tell if it is or is not. Maybe it originally was Sintered, if not now.

[@TheChance170]

Dad did electronic ignition to his 8N way back when. Super reliable. To my knowledge he has never serviced it. 30+ years later still going strong with 12V alternator, and 6V starter. Those starters are BEASTS .

[@911rsq]

20:10 "I'm kind of excited to try the electronic ignition" - Grandpa Squatch 😂

[@GrantJohnston-dr9rt]

Always informative and to the points! Sorry, couldn't resistor!

[@ram50v8]

Toby, my experience with the lubrication question is periodically a few drops of oil gets added during service (oil change) The oil wicks thru the sintered bronze bushing keeping it happy. As for the electronic conversion, you'll find spark plugs last longer (electrode wear) Cylinder timing variation will be eliminated since you are no longer relying on lobes. Starting tends to be easier with a hotter spark kernel also. However, I have found that most people who dislike the electronic conversion also did not take the time and address the distributor wear (bushings, advance mechanism etc.)

[@squatch253]

Another variable that I commonly see is dubious wiring - or in other words people installing the electronic kit onto an old electrical system that is in poor condition and has multiple other issues - corroded circuits with high resistance/voltage drop, intermittent shorts, weak battery with undersized or poorly connected cables, etc. Just like when building a house, if the foundation isn't properly done the rest of the structure will also suffer.

[@ram50v8]

@@squatch253 Yes, sketchy wiring is often the reason some attempt the conversion, not realizing they have an electrical problem. I used to run into a lot of shops and mechanics years ago that would remove an electronic ign. system and put a Kettering (DELCO points) system in it's place. A bit of irony there since you're converting a Kettering system to electronic!!

[@brycewiborg8095]

I would say 100% it had a magneto. The farmers of that era didn't trust batteries. My Father having farmed through the late depression installed a magneto on a tractor he bought with a distributor. He ordered a H in 1948 with a magneto. In the winter batteries were on a board in the basement. Thanks.

[@brokenwrench1]

those grease or oil plugs are for preventing water condensation, we used lower end marine waterproof grease it is white thin and oily. or lubri-plate, ...

[@trailrider0194]

Best description of how the distributor advance works I’ve heard yet. Thanks!

[@matthewmann5938]

Love your Bethlehem Steel hoodie. The furnace is now referred to as the "Steel Stacks" and is host to the annual MusikFest in Bethlehem, Pa which I attend every year. Cool to see a Minnesota guy wearing it.

[@sixtoes2313]

Back in my younger days. We kept an extra set of points in the glove box.

[@maddog2771]

So many other channels have bin created just because of you and your inspiration, you are like the Donald Trump of KZbin tractors

[@blueboatone5653]

I put the electronics in the distributor of my John Deere G shortly after they became available. I'm guessing 25 to 30 years ago. The tractor was easier to start and the plugs last dramatically longer. It's still got the same unit it today with absolutely no trouble. I actually farmed with this tractor and the unit has quite a few hours on it.

[@brianlubeck4184]

I own 2 Farmall H's one from 1941, the other from 1952. The 1941 has the Delco upright on it. My 1952 also had a Delco when I first got it, I changed to a Factory IH distributor and it seems to run better on that one. Also, the Delco can be used on any tractor that has a #2 mag mount on it. Including Case and Allis Chalmers tractors

[@jimcaro7819]

One of my biggest ocd pet peeves is I can't stand a Delco distributor on a Farmall I change them first thing when I bring one home you are for sure a bigger man than me lol

[@mineown1861]

Though the original distributor and points is an EMP proof control mechanism , so it's good for post apocalyptic farming .

[@geraldherring3827]

Where I work at had 2 8n ford I put electronic ingtion on and it work very good

[@elevator9592]

Squatch if I had to guess the bushings have been changed to self lubricating oil light bushings. That’s the only determination I can make. Typical bronze bushings with no lubrication grooves would probably fail shortly.

[@josephwarner8349]

You made some good points, it sparked my interest! Could not help the puns. Great and interesting content! Glad to see you back in the shop and that your eye is doing well.

[@jamesacuff-oz4ph]

Sure would love to see you replace the points and condenser on your ford 8n particularly if yours is a side post distributor. There are many videos of the front distributor, but none of the side distributor. My 8n is a 1952 with the tachometer.

[@squatch253]

Our 8N is the earlier front mount distributor, but yes it's getting about ready for another tune-up in there :-)

[@burgo0019]

Are they Sintered bronze bearings? They are generally ideal self-lubricating . Sintered bronze bearings are made of porous bronze and are usually filled with oil. That may explain the lube oil and no other hole in the distributor shaft bushings. Just a idea Cheer from Australia.

[@stevew270]

With the suction I heard when you pulled the distributor out I don't think anything was getting in there. 🙂 I love this series, It'll be sad when it ends.

[@pipikr]

Maybee de bushings were sintered and let the oil slowly set throgh it? A direkt lube hole, may cause to mutch oil/grease in the distributor and cause ingnite errors, or the simply deactivate this feature, because it was cheaper and last as long as with the maintainment.

[@rhekman]

10:49 One slight clarification on ignition advance. While it does take some milliseconds for the points to trigger and discharge the coil through the distributor and out to the plugs, the main reason for the change in timing is piston speed vs. the flame front in the combustion chamber. In an H engine at idle, the piston is going to be pausing at TDC and then accelerating up to 4 miles per hour. However at 1700 RPM, that top speed is up around 14 mph. In order to build up enough pressure in the combustion chamber in time to actually do work on the quickly accelerating piston, the fuel/air mix must be ignited sooner. Since we're burning the mix, not detonating it, the flame front actually does take some time to cross the combustion chamber while the piston is finishing its compression stroke. If we didn't advance the timing, the spark would hit too late, and the piston would already be moving down the bore on the power stroke. Without the advance, we're wasting power and producing less torque at the crank.

[@gregoryschmitz2131]

I had an old style Bronco that the replacement points went fast, terrible quality material. Replaced with an electronic trigger, I had a failure on it but its replacement lasted until we sold the Bronco 10 years latter. Loved it.

[@CantKillMe]

I agree with you. Going with electronic way our modern day and age. It's going these old school points condenses in carburation or get a hidden mist if I need parts to keep them running. Even far as goes that lubrication home. I think there should be a pinhole in the bushing on the OEM one

[@AndyFromm]

I have installed the pertronix on a 4 cylinder motorcycle that kept having points issues and a inboard 302 ford boat, both worked great after

[@AB-nu5we]

I had a couple Harvester 345 truck's with points in them. One of them, no matter how much electrical work we did, kept burning out the points. At the time, I had to replace the entire distributor and chose an electronic one as there wasn't a points-to-electronic conversion kit back then. The replacement, turned out to be a Crane racing distributor (and really reasonably priced to my happy surprise). The change in engine performance was amazing. I was filling up the truck four times a week with gas before the change. After, filled up only on Fridays. Money very well spent. Hope you have a good experience with your conversion.

[@user-ij3op9dw3u]

There was Farmer near Tescott Kansas,that had a 915 combine with a 392,his gas man hated to see it leave the area

[@richardmead9225]

The automotive electric guy told me I needed to go to an alternator to make electronic ignition work on my 1961 Studebaker Pickup.

[@smaggies]

1st thought of those holes that have no axis to the Bushing, maybe some time ago the Bushing had holes to allow oil to lube the Disturber Shaft. Or crazing thought to assets cooling the Bushings Ha Ha

[@raincoast9010]

Thanks.

[@justinblain928]

My cousin put a grease zerk in his and gives it 3 pumps every spring before planting his beans. He’s done that since 1963. Same distributor he has on his 39 H Farmall. Swears it’s helped make it last longer. Not sure it has but maybe a food for thought

[@bobuk5722]

Never dealt with a distributor on any tractor but I remember when the 'new fangled' electronic ignition systems started to be used. There were many Electronic magazines that published DIY build circuits such was the initial cost and scarcity of ready built units. They were amongst the first electronic units incorporated into any type of motor vehicle. Now microprocessors proliferate through most types of vehicles - including, I imagine, tractors!

[@aserta]

0:09 And think about what you've done! I got my first electric shock from a tractor distributor. Was trying to pick up a leaf and touched a frayed wire. I think i must've jumped out of my body. :))

[@Zimmerdf]

I have installed 5 or 6 electronic ignition kits over the years and have never had one fail. Oldest one must be 20+ years old and still going strong. I bet once you try it you will never go back.

[@vonRow]

Not all Delco bodies need grease ports. Those were put on soooo many different engines, that they just mass produced them. If you find an engine that needed a lube port, you simply had to drill out the relief ports with a very small drill bit, and install the port/zirk on the service side. *making sure to drill through the bushing too when or if you ever needed to change it. I've rebuilt a few over the years on different machines. Some I had to do this exact thing with, others just needed new ports drilled out when I replaced the bushing. You could make this mod with your Delco units, or leave them as they are. (It really would not hurt in the long run to do so) It's the same thing with the IH bodies. Not all of them were tapped or finished with grease fittings and weep ports. It IS advised by the manual I have on my old M and 400 to make the mods whenever you have the unit torn down for a rebuild -as you have here.

[@archbuilder71]

I have two pertronics ignitions. One on the strait 6 Chevy 250 in my boat. The other is the Buick 225 V6 (yes it was factory) in my 67 CJ-5. I have been really happy with both.

[@robertkavich7426]

I am one of those people who likes the Pertronic ignition system . I used a Pertronic system in my 1953 M37 military vehicle and going on 10 or so years and never had a but of trouble., It has a 230 flathead engine and you could balance a quarter on edge when it's running . Love the video's BTW I am also into John Deere's , but I also like red , LOL I am located in WNY , south of lake Ontario and it was Deere country for sure . Be safe be well

[@stephenstrohacker7863]

I used the pertronix electronic ignition in my 1940 O-4. Mine is 12v and i did put an alternator on it as well. Seems to me it was a tiny Mitsubishi Alternator that was under 4" in diameter. I would have preferred keeping it 6v but the Delco Remy vertical distributor was on the tractor when I got it 20+ years ago. My reasoning for 12v system and Pertronix Ignition was simply wear and tear. I didnt want to be opening the bat wings on the Orchard tractor every year or less with faulty points and condenser. My Pertronix set has been on the tractor for 10 years or better and it hasn't failed me yet. It will be interesting to see how it reacts after hibernation for the last 7 years or so. So far though, I'll never do points and condenser again.

[@jankotze1959]

Awesome Tobie

[@wayneb2490]

Enjoyed this episode very much

[@willardway3037]

From my time on the farm, I think there should be a grease groove on the outside of the bushing. Like what is on a kingpin. If not their would be one on it when I reassembled it. Or drill a hole in the bushing. Is the bushing a "oil impregnated"?

[@RobertBrothersJr-dc7nr]

Toby, I agree with you about the quality of the new points and condencers. I put a new set in my 8N Ford and the new condencer was no good so I had to use the old one. I can’t wait to see how the electronic ignition works for you. I have been thinking about changing the 8N over to the electronic ignition. Thanks for another great video. I look forward to seeing your next one.

[@Denis-tu1pd]

One awesome video. Love that detail. Denis from Santa Rosa CA. I am watching your videos on TV and comments on the phone

[@bigal4502]

Hey Toby Off topic but Area Diesel Service put out a call for suggested collaborators for injector service they have done a lot with other tractor/equipment chanels. May be a way to get your injectors rebuit and tested.

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Would definitely be interesting!!

[@ivoryjohnson4662]

Thank you for producing this video

[@mitchs323]

Back in the early 80s, we had a couple of Internationals that would go through points frequently. we tried the Pertronix kits and had great success with them. Only one failure that was caused by a bad pole on the cam replacement that resulted in an engine miss. Changed the cam piece and problem solved. Overall a great replacement and less maintainence to boot.

[@halsnyder296]

Really enjoying the “true color”! Looks great.

[@jimamundsen7029]

Good stuff as usual, Toby. Looking forward to the conversion!

[@daviddobson1113]

I love the conversion never had any problems with it.

[@richardw.foxhall3392]

Of the electronic conversions done on my equipment, reliability went way up. One or two pulls in cold weather, one good crank and the fire was delivered to start easily. If you are looking to hit it to git it on a not so regular basis these are bees knees. I highly recommend the up grade. Also, since most of it will be contained in the distibutor, if you don't mind it is your tractor. So it starts every time reliably, where is the problem?

[@fredkaminski3668]

Someone has replaced the bushing and didn’t drill a hole for the lube to reach the shaft!

[@leecarroll1817]

In my humble opinion I believe once you see the ease of starting, how much better perf you have you will ask yourself how have I done without this all these yrs. I've seen similar results on Ford 8n, 9n and it's remarkable.

[@geneguenther4325]

Thanks for the video Toby! Always interesting to see how everything works. I’ll be interested to see how the electronic ignition will work and hold up. Yeah that oil passage is definitely a head scratcher why it’s there with no relief holes in the bushings to lubricate. Can’t wait for the next video!

[@adrianorourke2893]

I agree with you trying the electronic ignition as it should give you more reliably and everything still looks original from the outside. I have only used it on an old 5hp Briggs and Stratton and it made it much more reliable..

[@jtelliso]

4:44 - That grease ASMR.

[@paulmanson253]

Squatch,with your miscellany of spare parts,if you possess a 3rd distributor body,try an experiment with SAE 20 oil and see if it works through the existing Oilite bushing. My one reservation would be,is there a difference between a new bushing porosity and a very old one that for all practical purposes has the contact surface polished closed ? I guess it depends on your level of curiosity,it is after a simple experiment,quick to make up. All the best.

[@davidcraven277]

I have installed plenty per lux ign kits they are the way to go