351 c distributor bushing

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boilermaster

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
Messages
540
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157
Location
michigan
My Car
71 fastback
Hey folks,

Looking for info and where to find a distributor bushing for a duraspark distributor to be used in a Cleveland.

An oem unit would be from 351m 400 or 460.

I do not know if the stock point distributor that our cars came with use the same bushing or if they   use both an upper and lower bush.

Not really interested in the el cheapo  new units that come from offshore.

been searching for a while with little success.

I currently have 4 duraspark units and they all have sloppy bushings.

looking for a ford part number or aftermarket, or someone that makes them for a rebuilder

                              Boilermaster

 
Those bushings are about elusive as unicorn horns. I know they are out there for the re-manufactures, but parts sources for them are protected like the Crown Jewels. Your 351C should have a single upper bushing. Ford actually used upper and lower bushings through 1969. Ford said the lower bushing was not necessary, while others said it was just a cost saving move. With Ford's reman program in place, not a lot of the bushings were ever sold at the dealer/shop level. It was cheaper to install a rebuilt distributor with a better warranty than to incur the cost of shop labor plus the cost of the part. There were actually some 351 C's that received the "Breaker-less"  distributors late in the 1974 production run along with the  302, 400 and 460 engines.

The part you need is C5AZ-12120-A (Motorcraft MC-175) and is discontinued from Ford.

Not sure where in Michigan you are, but there is a dealer in Flint that may have a couple of the distributor bushings.

Randy Wise Auto Mall

4350 Lennon Rd

Flint Mi 48507  PH 810-230-2500  (810-230-9425...may be a parts direct line)

If they don't have let me know and I'll try to locate some at another location.

 
Those bushings are about elusive as unicorn horns. I know they are out there for the re-manufactures, but parts sources for them are protected like the Crown Jewels. Your 351C should have a single upper bushing. Ford actually used upper and lower bushings through 1969. Ford said the lower bushing was not necessary, while others said it was just a cost saving move. With Ford's reman program in place, not a lot of the bushings were ever sold at the dealer/shop level. It was cheaper to install a rebuilt distributor with a better warranty than to incur the cost of shop labor plus the cost of the part. There were actually some 351 C's that received the "Breaker-less"  distributors late in the 1974 production run along with the  302, 400 and 460 engines.

The part you need is C5AZ-12120-A (Motorcraft MC-175) and is discontinued from Ford.

Not sure where in Michigan you are, but there is a dealer in Flint that may have a couple of the distributor bushings.

Randy Wise Auto Mall

4350 Lennon Rd

Flint Mi 48507  PH 810-230-2500  (810-230-9425...may be a parts direct line)

If they don't have let me know and I'll try to locate some at another location.

Steve,

Randy wise auto mall does in fact have 2 of this bushing.

they have been paid for by a customer, but have not been picked up as of yet.
Click to expand...
they gave me another dealership who showed inventory and they did not have one.

working on my third dealership who showed they have one in stock.

waiting for call back.

                                 Boilermaster

 
Try contacting Tim O'Conner at this email [email protected]. His site says it is shut down but he may tell you where to get the bushings. Good Luck, Chuck
Click to expand...
Thanks fellas,

I do in fact have one on the way, the parts counter guy was good enough to eyeball it for me and checked dimensions with a dial caliper.

Still waiting for another call from an undisclosed dealership who says he has 3 in stock in his back warehouse (this sounds kind of promising )

Please be aware of the fact that motorcraft mc 175 is also some kind of wheel weight, that's why I had them eyeball the part.

when I receive an actual bushing , I will measure and post it's dimensions here (providing it gives satisfactory results, that way one could actually have one machined up.

That was going to be my next course of action.

                                 Boilermaster

 
I too am very interested in getting the bushing sizes and / or cross reference number. If there is a manufacturers number ( not the Ford #), it will likely cross reference to another brand. I'm sure these are NOT a special bushing made solely for this application.......... or not!

I would appreciate any info on this, thanks.

 Also, from what I remember, it may need a special tool to press out the bushing as without going into my freezing cold garage to look at one of my Motorcraft distributors, I think there are 3 grooves that are the only way to get at the bushing. A tool will need to go into those groves to contact the bushing. Am I correct?

Geoff.

 
boilermaster, first I'm glad you were able to get a hold of a dealer willing to actually look for an old part and measure it for you. Most of the new personal have no ideal what they are looking for and don't look very hard!

Also wanted to clarify the MC-175 part number. According to my master price file info, the MC-175 number was assigned ONLY to the C5AZ-12120-A bushing. Ford wheel weights had a "1040" basic number and never had a Motorcraft number assigned. In the late seventies to early eighty's Ford parts dropped them and transferred them to  Rotunda which is the equipment, shop supply division of Ford.

Some confusion can also be attributed to the "New" inexperienced employee who would sometimes inadvertently  just stick a part back in a wrong box just to get it out of the way.

Good luck on your search.

 
boilermaster, first I'm glad you were able to get a hold of a dealer willing to actually look for an old part and measure it for you. Most of the new personal have no ideal what they are looking for and don't look very hard!

Also wanted to clarify the MC-175 part number. According to my master price file info, the MC-175 number was assigned ONLY to the C5AZ-12120-A bushing. Ford wheel weights had a "1040" basic number and never had a Motorcraft number assigned. In the late seventies to early eighty's Ford parts dropped them and transferred them to  Rotunda which is the equipment, shop supply division of Ford.

Some confusion can also be attributed to the "New" inexperienced employee who would sometimes inadvertently  just stick a part back in a wrong box just to get it out of the way.

Good luck on your search.
Click to expand...
secluff,

Two different dealerships came up with the wheel weight thing that is also somewhat scarce.

will pass along any other info I gather.

Boilermaster

 
I too am very interested in getting the bushing sizes and / or cross reference number. If there is a manufacturers number ( not the Ford #), it will likely cross reference to another brand. I'm sure these are NOT a special bushing made solely for this application.......... or not!

I would appreciate any info on this, thanks.

 Also, from what I remember, it may need a special tool to press out the bushing as without going into my freezing cold garage to look at one of my Motorcraft distributors, I think there are 3 grooves that are the only way to get at the bushing. A tool will need to go into those groves to contact the bushing. Am I correct?

Geoff.
Click to expand...
Stanglover,

Can't be too hard to remove bushing, I have a housing with one removed in my hand.

I do not remember how I removed it but I don't have a special tool.

The bushing has to be installed from the top of housing, as there is a stop on the bottom side.

I am thinking threaded rod some jamb nuts & washers, throw in a pulling bearing and a heat gun

and it should pull in there easy.

1972 service manual shows the gear location as 4.031'' to 4.038'' from bottom of mounting flange to the bottom of the gear.

Distributor end play is listed @ 0.024'' to 0.035'' with the distributer removed.

Definitely going to take some measurements before and after, to see if the bushing is properly seated.

No need to ruin any related parts cause of improper installation.

Will also be checking bottom of gear to block with the distributor installed (camshaft removed)

once I find a spec for that.

There was a pretty good article somewhere on the web about a guys cleveland that was eating distributor gears and I think there may be a spec for that measurement there.

Some Cleveland distributor gears are not very happy with high volume oil pumps was what the article boiled down to.

 Boilermaster

 
I too am very interested in getting the bushing sizes and / or cross reference number. If there is a manufacturers number ( not the Ford #), it will likely cross reference to another brand. I'm sure these are NOT a special bushing made solely for this application.......... or not!

I would appreciate any info on this, thanks.

 Also, from what I remember, it may need a special tool to press out the bushing as without going into my freezing cold garage to look at one of my Motorcraft distributors, I think there are 3 grooves that are the only way to get at the bushing. A tool will need to go into those groves to contact the bushing. Am I correct?

Geoff.
Click to expand...
Stanglover,

Can't be too hard to remove bushing, I have a housing with one removed in my hand.

I do not remember how I removed it but I don't have a special tool.

The bushing has to be installed from the top of housing, as there is a stop on the bottom side.

I am thinking threaded rod some jamb nuts & washers, throw in a pulling bearing and a heat gun

and it should pull in there easy.

1972 service manual shows the gear location as 4.031'' to 4.038'' from bottom of mounting flange to the bottom of the gear.

Distributor end play is listed @ 0.024'' to 0.035'' with the distributer removed.

Definitely going to take some measurements before and after, to see if the bushing is properly seated.

No need to ruin any related parts cause of improper installation.

Will also be checking bottom of gear to block with the distributor installed (camshaft removed)

once I find a spec for that.

There was a pretty good article somewhere on the web about a guys cleveland that was eating distributor gears and I think there may be a spec for that measurement there.

Some Cleveland distributor gears are not very happy with high volume oil pumps was what the article boiled down to.

 Boilermaster
Click to expand...
  Boilermaster, thanks for your reply post. I have not actually tried to remove one of the bushings, but good to know I don't need to go make a special tool. It just looked that it might need such a tool. There's always more than one way to skin a cat, so I'll take another look at later.

As for specs on position and end play, that would be good to know as well.

One thing I would say is to mark the gear and shaft so that the roll pin will go back in the same side. I have noticed that the drilling is not always dead centered. As for high volume oil pumps, they are not needed on a standard rebuild. The installation of one cost the shop that did my motor a warranty rebuild as it took out the cam and main bearings. Enough on that for now.

Geoff.

 
I too am very interested in getting the bushing sizes and / or cross reference number. If there is a manufacturers number ( not the Ford #), it will likely cross reference to another brand. I'm sure these are NOT a special bushing made solely for this application.......... or not!

I would appreciate any info on this, thanks.

 Also, from what I remember, it may need a special tool to press out the bushing as without going into my freezing cold garage to look at one of my Motorcraft distributors, I think there are 3 grooves that are the only way to get at the bushing. A tool will need to go into those groves to contact the bushing. Am I correct?

Geoff.
Click to expand...
Geoff,

MC-175

C5AZ-12120-A bushing

OAL= 1.748''

DO= 0.766''

ID= 0.532''

One might think that this bushing would be made of brass or iolite, but it is steel

I was very fortunate to receive a bushing today, it required lots of digging.

it is as rare as a unicorn horn.

Boilermaster

 
I too am very interested in getting the bushing sizes and / or cross reference number. If there is a manufacturers number ( not the Ford #), it will likely cross reference to another brand. I'm sure these are NOT a special bushing made solely for this application.......... or not!

I would appreciate any info on this, thanks.

 Also, from what I remember, it may need a special tool to press out the bushing as without going into my freezing cold garage to look at one of my Motorcraft distributors, I think there are 3 grooves that are the only way to get at the bushing. A tool will need to go into those groves to contact the bushing. Am I correct?

Geoff.
Click to expand...
Geoff,

MC-175

C5AZ-12120-A bushing

OAL= 1.748''

DO= 0.766''

ID= 0.532''

One might think that this bushing would be made of brass or iolite, but it is steel

I was very fortunate to receive a bushing today, it required lots of digging.

it is as rare as a unicorn horn.

Boilermaster
Click to expand...
 Boilermaster, That's awesome info, thanks. Soooooo, it looks like hypothesis is wrong, these ARE a special item. Good for you to find one. I bet Cordone would NOT tell you where they get theirs from, I think they still do reman Motorcraft Dizzy's.

Geoff.

 
Geoff,

Just keep in mind that if one has a bushing made up that the overall length will have to be exact.

If not, or bushing not installed till it bottoms, Your installed length and distributor end play are going to be wrong as well.

Guessing that some company's that manufacture aftermarket gears do not have the roll pin hole drilled for this reason.

in the pdf that was posted in this thread, the moco recommends that the gear be installed 90 degrees from the original drilling.

I do remember in my early days, reinstalling an original gear and having it 180 degrees off, (the holes are not going to line up.

Now I use my trusty triangle file to mark collar, gear and shaft.

Boilermaster

 
Geoff,

Just keep in mind that if one has a bushing made up that the overall length will have to be exact.

If not, or bushing not installed till it bottoms, Your installed length and distributor end play are going to be wrong as well.

Guessing that some company's that manufacture aftermarket gears do not have the roll pin hole drilled for this reason.

in the pdf that was posted in this thread, the moco recommends that the gear be installed 90 degrees from the original drilling.

I do remember in my early days, reinstalling an original gear and having it 180 degrees off, (the holes are not going to line up.

Now I use my trusty triangle file to mark collar, gear and shaft.

Boilermaster
Click to expand...
 Yes, absolutely. That is typical machine practice. In my earlier post here, I did mention to mark the gear and shaft. I had one shaft where the hole was off center by about .020", so I doubt they get center drilled before final drilling as a machinist would do. They would just be drilled as a unit wherever the drill started.

As for the material, I'm thinking it could be sintered steel rather than solid steel. We machined a lot of bearings for emissions controls components from this material. If I were to find the correct material, I could go to my old shop and have a couple run up on the CNC.......... if I couldn't buy one that is.

Geoff.

 

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