Questions on 38 Terraplane Distributor

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in HUDSON
I have a model 81 Coupe with the 4104A Distributor. Pulled it to check the points and have come up with a few questions I hope the experts can help me with. First, the springs on the advance look like they are different thickness. Are they supposed to be? How freely should the weights move in the distributor? Second, the distributor has the external resistor. Is it really necessary? Also, I am not sure if I have it wired correctly. Is the condenser wired to the one side of the resistance so the current flows through the resistance coil to the points, or does the condenser attach directly to the threaded stud that holds the points in place and passes through the distributor body to the outside where the resistance is attached? Hope the questions are worded well enough to be understood.

Thanks for any assistance you can give me.

Paul Caldwell

Comments

  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    I can't intelligently answer your questions (have never attempted to deconstruct a Terraplane distributor) but I wonder: do you have a shop manual? My 34-39 manual has a whole section on electrics and shows the distributors. The Club Store has reprints of these I think, and it might behoove you to get one if you don't have one already.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    38T

    According to the book the springs on the advance have different tension with a flat auxiliary spring outside of one of the lugs holding the outer end of one of the governor weight springs.Maybe why they are different. Condenser is wired to the post that holds the points. If this is not confusing enough, I can send you copies of the pages I'm referring to. Section 6, pp 5 & 6 of Manual. Also these pages cover removal and inspection of the distributor.



    Gregg
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    The condenser should be connected in the standard way, meaning its lead wire should connect to the "distributor side" of the resistor. If you have a later type voltage regulator, with the voltage held to about 7.2v, leave the resistor off; or, if you want it to look original, put a jumper wire across it underneath, out of sight. The resistors were used with the original (on the Model 81), more primitive regulators, where the voltage was set to about 8v. With that higher voltage, the resistor was required to keep from burning the points. This higher voltage is also what spawned the practice of running with headlights on on a long trip, to avoid overcharging the battery. It was around the late thirties when the VR's got a bit more sophisticated and would hold the voltage at 7.2 max, so these earlier measures were no longer necessary.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Thanks for the explanation Park. If your reference to primitive regulators is what I call the generator "cutout", then unfortunately I have one, along with a two wire generator. Guess I should retain the resistor even though I seem to be getting some burning on my points. I appreciate your help.

    Paul
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Gregg,

    Thanks for the information. Wasn't sure if the previous owner might have jury-rigged something to make it work. I would appreciate receiving the two pages you referenced. If you can scan them in, my email is hetpaullkpt@aol.com (please delete the het). My regular mail address is Paul Caldwell, 10 Greenwich Drive, Carlisle, PA 17013. Thanks again for your assistance.

    Paul
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    Paul, the regulators up 'til the late thirties had two devices inside ... the cutout and a current limiter, and are square shaped. That's what would have been on your car originally. They were used with a "three brush" generator, where adjusting the position of the "third brush" dictates how much voltage it can put out. These were set at about 8 volts. The current limiter does exactly that ... as rpm goes up and generator output voltage rises, so does the current to the battery, etc. At the point where the current reaches the design limit ("rated" output current) of the generator, the current limiter comes into play and keeps it from going higher, to avoid overheating and damage. The later regulators, identified by their rectangular shape, have a third unit inside, which is the voltage regulator. It regulates the voltage at about 7.2 volts.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    38TplaneCoupe wrote:
    Gregg,

    Thanks for the information. Wasn't sure if the previous owner might have jury-rigged something to make it work. I would appreciate receiving the two pages you referenced. If you can scan them in, my email is hetpaullkpt@aol.com (please delete the het). My regular mail address is Paul Caldwell, 10 Greenwich Drive, Carlisle, PA 17013. Thanks again for your assistance.

    Paul

    Paul, I sent the 2 pages this morning. Good Luck



    Gregg
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