I'd like to get a thread going with our history buffs on the changes in the front mount distributors over time. I have seen several with different mold lines and casting codes on them, and I have an aluminum one on the '39 (may not be original) and a cast iron one that I picked up off eBay. I bought the cast iron one because I assumed that it was correct for a '39, now I am not so sure that I do not have all this fouled up.

Comments, please. Thanks in advance.

Have you ever seen one with these little vents? This one is off my '40 and I have since made a tester out of it. THere is another vent on the bottom.

The distributor I took off my 1940 is aluminum but has two "breathers" the one a but back on it is aluminum but don't have the "breathers". I can send pics if you need them.

1950 front, aluminum

It may be coincidence but both 40s and my 43 all had aluminum on them, and both 8ns were cast iron.

I haven't noticed the differenced in the distributors but I have in other parts like the I beam radius rods and steering sectors. It might be that ford had more than one part supplier and or foundry. These variations might cross over years or even batches or part orders. To sort it all out might turn out to be a herculean task.I wonder if the cast distributor corresponds with the cast governor housings.

I have a 46 N and it came with an aluninum front mt dist. I don't know that it may or may not have been replaced over the years. Maybe Don b or someone can shed some light on which one is original.