Distributor oil

[Gerry]

What kind of oil do you use to oil the felt inside the distributor?
Thanks

[M37UK]

I used a light machine oil.

Cheers

[m37jarhead]

My wife and I frequent a restaurant that has a knowledgeable Chef. The Chef is a gorgious woman with a very
friendly demeanor, a Hollywood starletts figure and is built like a brick... well you know the rest. I posed the question to her about the oil for the felt in the distributor shaft. She recommended olive oil, specifically extra virgin olive oil,
although I don't think she has a clue about the virgin part. So you might consider using EVOO as this expert chef recommends.

Seriously though, I think the TM simply says to use engine oil... a few drops at a time.

[Gerry]

Thanks guys and thanks for the laugh!!!

[cuz]

The olive oil is only used when you are dipping your wick.

Actually the TM 9-8030 lube chart spells out the task and describes the lubes which are not engine oil or olive oil but preservative oil PL (MIL-PRF-3150D) on the wick (after you remove the wick and clean it) fill hole with GAA (MIL-G-10924) and re-insert oil soaked wick. Lightly wipe GAA on breaker cam and 1 or 2 drops of preservative oil on breaker pivot.

[Gerry]

I dont know why but I never thought to look at lube chart.
Thanks Wes

[N1VSM]

What is the wick made of?

[MSeriesRebuild]

The wick is made of felt.

Do yourself a favor and just forget about checking the lube order as better products exist these days.

Before anyone goes off the rails; the chart does state what cuz has posted above, but they were speaking of the products that were available for use 60 years ago. The far advanced lubricants of today, (if you use premium quality products) will do a much better job. Soaking the wick in high grade engine oil that has an additive package that tenaciously adheres to metal surfaces is way better than grease. The good stuff today will stay where it needs too doing a superior job of lubrication much longer. 60 years ago, the oil in grease would bleed out keeping the wick saturated. Today's high tech greases bleed very little. That makes them a bad choice for this type application; therefore the best way to approach distributor top bushing lube these days is to soak the wick, install it into the housing followed by the elbow using thread sealer. Then fill the elbow with the same high quality oil and install the plug. Remove the plug and refill the elbow at each service interval using a pump oiler. We have had great results with long lasting bushing life using this method. If you are using a low grade oil, obviously it will not do the job as well, and will require more frequent service intervals, and will never lubricate and preserve as well. Without question, choosing a high quality lube oil for this application as well as in the crankcase is simply just a smart move.

[cuz]

One can understand your attraction to the new market lubes but I would never suggest everyone ignore the lube order. It has more functions then just ID'g each lubricant. Not all the folks on this web site are technicians or shop managers. The chart still provides them with more than adequate guidance on how to properly lube their trucks.
If anyone can suggest and substantiate a newer lubricant or lubricating method that works better then the current lube chart then certainly offer that advice but unless they are publishing a complete new lubrication guide for the M37 they should not tell the folks to ignore the current guide completely.

[MSeriesRebuild]

I never suggested ignoring the whole lube chart completely, just the info in relation to packing grease in the afore mentioned area of the distributor housing. Servicing any other components was not mentioned at all. While all lubricants have greatly changed from the ones suggested 60 years ago on the chart, methods of doing things still remains mostly relevant. The distributor is however an exception to the general rule in that respect.

[cuz]

I agree new is often great but I also realize that what worked and lasted 10 or 20 years in the old system will if replicated today last 10 or 20 years as well. Especially where the vehicle usage doesn't come close to the mileage accrued at the beginning of the vehicle's life. It is all opinions and the final choice will always remain with the owner.

[Tuko]

I saw this thread while flipping through the old posts while bored at work and figured it was going to be a joke like adding blinker fluid or greasing the muffler bearing or something but legit eh? I took a glance at the distributor and see what I think would hold the wick on the backside towards the firewall. a tube with a plug in the top AM I correct there?


2nd, I see this quote mentioned:

Lightly wipe GAA on breaker cam and 1 or 2 drops of preservative oil on breaker pivot.

Anyone care to expand on this? Breaker? (a pic would be worth a thousand words!!!)

Thanks AGAIN,
tuko

[MSeriesRebuild]

I saw this thread while flipping through the old posts while bored at work and figured it was going to be a joke like adding blinker fluid or greasing the muffler bearing or something but legit eh? I took a glance at the distributor and see what I think would hold the wick on the backside towards the firewall. a tube with a plug in the top AM I correct there?


2nd, I see this quote mentioned:

Lightly wipe GAA on breaker cam and 1 or 2 drops of preservative oil on breaker pivot.

Anyone care to expand on this? Breaker? (a pic would be worth a thousand words!!!)

Thanks AGAIN
tuko

The wick that gets oil to the top bushing is in a housing bore. The elbow with the plug is filled with oil that is gradually absorbed by the wick. The top bushing has a notch cut into the side near the top edge so the wick is allowed to contact the shaft transfering oil directly to the shaft where it trickles downward oiling the bushing. The bottom bushing oils from the engine. The plug should be removed periodically to refill the elbow with new oil; this can be done at oil change intervals as part of the routine service.

The breaker cam is on the top end of the shaft just beneath the rotor, it is the hex that opens the points or "breaker". It should have a very small amount of the correct type of grease to hold down wear on the points arm and the cam itself.

The breaker pivot pin they refer to is on the backing plate where the points pivot slips onto that allows it to work or move freely like a hinge for example. It needs a drop of oil ocassionally to prevent accelerated wear and seizure.

[Tuko]

thanks for chiming in Charles, great explanation

tuko

[MSeriesRebuild]

thanks for chiming in Charles, great explanation

tuko

By the way, the correct oil to use on the wick is the same as the engine oil, this is because as the oil from the wick trickles downward, it eventually finds its way into the oil pan.