GT40 distributor

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   Just diagnosed our GT40 having a bad pickup in the distributor causing a no crank.  The PIP magnet was sitting on top of pickup ring a long with a lot of other debris.  Got pretty lucky to see that!  Anyway, need to replace the whole unit.  Looking at auto parts units they do not have good reviews.  NP has an OEM and an aftermarket.  Does anyone know if the aftermarket one is the standard auto parts store model?  Does anyone have a good condition used one laying around?

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gcam4 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: March-21-2017 Location: Charlotte, NC Status: Offline Points: 57	Post Options Post Reply Quote gcam4 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: GT40 distributor Posted: June-23-2024 at 9:39am
	Just diagnosed our GT40 having a bad pickup in the distributor causing a no crank. The PIP magnet was sitting on top of pickup ring a long with a lot of other debris. Got pretty lucky to see that! Anyway, need to replace the whole unit. Looking at auto parts units they do not have good reviews. NP has an OEM and an aftermarket. Does anyone know if the aftermarket one is the standard auto parts store model? Does anyone have a good condition used one laying around?

KENO Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: June-06-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 11053	Post Options Post Reply Quote KENO Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-23-2024 at 12:53pm
	I'm not sure why you need to replace the whole unit but I'd figure that any aftermarket distributor these days comes from "outside our borders" regardless of what the company name on the box is. The original Ford distributor probably wasn't made here either. You've done quite a bit of more involved stuff on your boat than doing something like disassembling your distributor and replacing the PIP assembly (AKA Pickup coil). You could get a Motorcraft DU50 or something that cross references to it and do the replacement. There are plenty of YouTube videos on disassembly and reassembly of an EEC4 Ford distributor. It's not that hard and you'd be surprised how few parts are in there. You have to press the gear off or use a gear puller and when reinstalling it, you press it on or stick the gear in the oven or your grill till it's around 500 degrees or so and it goes on easily. Stopping at the right spot to have the holes lined up is the hardest part. This way you have the same gear that you originally had and don't have to worry about whether the new gear is cast iron or not. Those "outside our borders" cast iron gears can look a little funny Otherwise, I'd say call NP and see what they tell you about the 2 distributors

gcam4 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: March-21-2017 Location: Charlotte, NC Status: Offline Points: 57	Post Options Post Reply Quote gcam4 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-23-2024 at 1:41pm
	Thanks Keno! I think I also need a stator ring as well and not just the DU50. There is a lot of wear on the stator and metal shavings everywhere. The magnet was hitting the ring and probably wore 0.01"-0.015" of material away. I'll see if I can find one. I will also reach out to NP tomorrow and see what they say.

KENO Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: June-06-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 11053	Post Options Post Reply Quote KENO Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-23-2024 at 3:15pm
	Well, there's another choice.....let somebody else rebuild it for you. Do a search for Cardone 30-2891. It's a rebuilt Ford EEC4 distributor with a cast iron gear. Reuse your rotor and "marine cap" that you have now Available at lots of places, lots of prices, like your local parts store, Summit, Amazon, Ebay, Ebay, Ebay. Not so subliminal suggestion there An easy way to tell an original or rebuilt original from the aftermarket stuff is by looking at the picture below. The Red arrow points to the collar on the Ford distributor, it's a lot longer than the aftermarket stuff like the one on the left. The original also has a rougher casting and looks uglier too.

gcam4 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: March-21-2017 Location: Charlotte, NC Status: Offline Points: 57	Post Options Post Reply Quote gcam4 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-23-2024 at 6:39pm
	Keno, thanks for the picture, that helps a lot! I'm fully capable of rebuilding the existing distributor and have thought about that for sure. I do live in the Mooresville, NC region for a reason! I just need to source all of the parts for a rebuild which I haven't done yet. The sensors seem straightforward, but the ring is another story. So far, I cannot find it anywhere.

KENO Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: June-06-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 11053	Post Options Post Reply Quote KENO Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-23-2024 at 8:03pm
	Is this what you're looking for? I'll bet Mooresville has some junkyards or a place or 3 that screw around with 5.0 Mustangs or 5.8 Ford pickups from the late 80's to mid 90's that would have an old EEC4 distributor or parts hanging around that you could get cheap. Those year ranges aren't exact but pretty much any of the EEC4 8 cylinder distributors will have that wheel Like other things under your cap (pickup coil gets called the PIP) they seem to be called different things like shutter wheel, reluctor wheel, stator ring, funny round metal piece etc. and they're hard to find new at a decent price. I agree, go for it, do it yourself

gcam4 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: March-21-2017 Location: Charlotte, NC Status: Offline Points: 57	Post Options Post Reply Quote gcam4 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-23-2024 at 10:47pm
	Yes sir, that does look like what I am after. This is what mine looks like currently.

Jonny Quest Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: August-20-2013 Location: Utah--via Texas Status: Offline Points: 2957	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jonny Quest Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-24-2024 at 12:55am
	Manicure Ken? Nice looking thumbnail.
	Current 2003 Ski Nautique 206 Limited Previous 2001 Ski Nautique Open Bow 1994 Ski Nautique Open Bow Aqua skiing, ergo sum

KENO Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: June-06-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 11053	Post Options Post Reply Quote KENO Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-24-2024 at 7:49am
	That one next to the finely manicured thumbnail (mine, not yours that looks about the same) is one of a few extras that I have. If you're going the "do it myself route", send me a PM with your address and it'll be on the way to your house no charge.

gcam4 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: March-21-2017 Location: Charlotte, NC Status: Offline Points: 57	Post Options Post Reply Quote gcam4 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-25-2024 at 9:12am
	Thanks Keno! I ended up going to NAPA and getting a rebuilt OEM one. I do plan to rebuild the old one though. I just really wanted to ski and didn't want to take the extra time right now. Installed it last night and all is well.

KENO Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: June-06-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 11053	Post Options Post Reply Quote KENO Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-25-2024 at 7:00pm

GT40 distributor

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