Civilian vs Military 230

[chicklin]

What are the differences between the civvy and military 230's? Are there any? I know the distributor is different, but outside of the accessories, is the core engine different? Thanks!

[refit1701]

Oil pump drive to distributor is different.
Oil fill tube is press in on civie and bolt on with Military engines.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

[Nickathome]

Can't comment on the civy engine but my military industrial engine has a few differences from the stock military engine. One being the pressed in dip stick tube, the other being the lobe on the cam that drives the fuel pump is in a rearward location almost too close to the down tube of the exhaust. My engine has two ports with the front one closed off with a cap, no lobe on the cam in that location. weird.

[W_A_Watson_II]

OK, question. the distributor on the left came out of my M's 230, and the one on the right is out of my PW's 230. I didn't see what I expected to see on the M's distributor tang, as I see no offset? Am I missing something?

[Nickathome]

Looking straight down at the tang(as in holding the dist upside down) it should not dissect the shaft through the center but should be offset. Supposedly a civy dist will have this tang dead center in the shaft (think of it cutting through the center like the slot in a slotted head screw does). Yours from your M should be offset as it appears identical to mine and the tang on mine is offset.

[MSeriesRebuild]

The military ones are all off center tangs; unless the shaft has been replaced with a civilian shaft, which will fit. This is most often done when the oil pump gets replaced with a parts house civilian model (Melling #M37) which has the centered slot. You would be surprised how often this actually happens because people assume finding the correct mil spec parts is impossible. Many mechanics will trash the military distributor ASAP, they simply don't know what to do with it, it looks wierd.

[W_A_Watson_II]

OK, took a look, and I now see the slight offset. The tang is also thinner.

An interesting thing though, I looked at my PW 12 volt distributor, and noticed it's a sealed unit, no way to access any points or condenser. anyone with details on what is, or how it works, a "Chrysler Corporation Solar Spark Ignition"? Part Number 930366, Auto-Lite # AD-4039-1

Thanks,
Will

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[MSeriesRebuild]

Never saw one that was sealed. That wouldn't be possible as we all know points & condenser have to be renewed periodically. Are you looking at the plastic cover that is right under the rotor? Some have that & it simply slips off after removing the rotor, or there could have been some type of electronic assy installed, seen that a time or 2.

[W_A_Watson_II]

Well here it is. Actually the metal cover is indeed removable, it's a snug fit, but very clean on the inside.

[MSeriesRebuild]

Well here it is. Actually the metal cover is indeed removable, it's a snug fit, but very clean on the inside.

That's what I was speaking of, it slips upward after rotor removal, many civilian ones are like this. This type is very popular & typical with older gas powered farm & industrial equipment.