Re: Mallory Distributors

[<hofs@domain.elided>]

>Steve Stegman wrote:
>>The Mallory should cost only about $150.  If you get one of the new ones=
>
>be sure to tell them what kind of dist you now have as it makes a
>difference how the gear fits the shaft.  You will use your old gear.<
>
>Steve,
>
>  My understanding is they only make one size of shaft for their IH
>distributor, it's .491" diameter.   You have to have a gear that came off=
>
>of an IH dist with a .491" shaft.  My spare distributor has a  .491" shaf=
>t,
>so that's the gear  I'll use.
>
>Doug  (still waiting for my Mallory)

I wrote a piece on this for the FAQ, but Bill made the decision that I 
should enter it myself and I've not gotten around to it. At least one 
Mallory distributor for IH didn't have a .491 shaft as you indicate. With 
my recent Mallory Unilite I had to modify the gear that came off my 
Prestolite by reaming the gear out to .497. I found a reamer in my junk 
that may at one time have been .500, but with wear it was exactly right. 
I have reason to believe that the shaft of a Holley distributor is a bit 
larger in diameter than the shaft on the Prestolite. I reamed out my 
Prestolite gear to fit the Mallory, and then gave the Prestolite 
distributor to a friend of my sons who had to sleeve the gear from his 
Holley to fit on the Prestolite. It would be nice, and it may be so, that 
the gear from the Holley fits the Mallory without modification, but if 
your .491 is correct, than the Holley won't fit the Mallory either.
I remember Steve Stegmann had to have his gear or his Mallory points 
distributor shaft modified, but I don't remember what way it went. How 
about it, Steve? 
I have a hunch that all the Mallorys have shafts of .497 rather than the 
.491. Maybe I'll call Mallory tomorrow just to find out for us all.
John

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