Distributor Cap

[Tutosnake]

Hello all.

I have a MSD Pro-Billet distributor with a red cap that was painted black by the engine builder for period correct purposes.

Any ideas how to replace it with a true black cap? The current cap has the "male" contact points on it, and the wires carry the "female" ends.

A friend suggested a GM part (Pertronix) and when I went to hook it up, I realized this new cap had "female" contact towers, which will not work with my wires.

I could replace my wires with ones with the "male" points on them, and use this GM part, but this sounds more expensive/complicated.

Thanks for your input

Hector

[kevins2]

Hi Hector,

MSD makes black caps as well. Do a Google search and you will get lots of hits, including for the Pro-Billet distributor. I've ordered my MSD with a black cap and the engine builder indicated no problem. Let me know if you find it is more complicated than that.

Regards,

Kevin

[dcdoug]

What model do you have? Do either of these work?

MSD Extra Duty Distributor Caps 84313 - SummitRacing.com

MSD Extra Duty Distributor Caps 84333 - SummitRacing.com (EDIT: from what FatBoy posted, it looks like this cap will fit fine)

I'd keep your red one for a spare in the car so when the distributor cap button fails you can change the cap and keep going. Lots of threads on this problem.

Now if you don't want that problem and really want to go original, you can go to an old skool FoMoCo distributor.

[patrickt]

Only a moron would paint their distributor cap. But, if you read through this thread, A Better Looking MSD Distributor Cap you'll find references to exactly what you're looking for.

[Tutosnake]

Kevin, Doug and Patrick: thank you for your quick replies.
Patrick, I found your reference thread extremely helpful. After I read all of it, and laughed my a%$ off, I ordered the cap from the local AutoZone (will get here tomorrow).

BTW That was so easy! Did you ever think about asking your peers first? (I'm so sorry, I know we haven't officially met, but could not fight the urge)

I am SOOO thankful for guys like you (resourceful), that can do the trial and error for guys like me (clueless).

May I throw another two at you guys?

1- Has anyone sprayed Rhino Lining (or the equivalent) on the wheel wells of his car (to reduce noise and damage)?

2- Does anyone know what kind of screws can be used for fastening the SAI CSX number plaque to the dashboard/transmission tunnel?

(Now, I am not completely sold on using the plaque in my car, but if i do, I want to be ready)

I have tons of questions, but i will proceed slowly

Hector

[kevins2]

Hi Hector,

I'm still a month out from getting my car in kit form, but I can tell you that I've read all the available threads on undercoating on this forum as well as several others (including Google searches). The more you read on the subject, the more opinions you'll collect so in the end you'll just have to decide what sounds best for you and go with it. Not only are there opinions on different brands, but opinions on truck liner vs. rubberized undercoating. I eventually corresponded privately with a poster who used 3m undercoating and, after 5 years, told me it still looks new, so that's what I'm planning.

As for your question about mounting the plaque, have you considered rivets?

Regards,

Kevin

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by Tutosnake

May I throw another two at you guys?

1- Has anyone sprayed Rhino Lining (or the equivalent) on the wheel wells of his car (to reduce noise and damage)?

2- Does anyone know what kind of screws can be used for fastening the SAI CSX number plaque to the dashboard/transmission tunnel?

(Now, I am not completely sold on using the plaque in my car, but if i do, I want to be ready)

Hector

1 - Your wheel wells should be lined with aluminum, right? They protect the underside of the wheel wells and you shouldn't need Rhino lining. HOWEVER, if you haven't already put the clear adhesive spats on the outside of the wheel wells in the area near the door opening to protect against stones thrown by the front wheels, now is a good time. You can't really do it when the paint is no longer smooth (wish I had known that).

2 - I used two sided trim adhesive to stick my plaque to the dash so I could remove it if I wanted to without putting holes in the dash. I filled the holes with rivets that don't extend deeper than the plaque so it looks attached. If you want to screw it to the dash or tranny tunnel, small sheet metal screws will work fine.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Tutosnake

BTW That was so easy! Did you ever think about asking your peers first? (I'm so sorry, I know we haven't officially met, but could not fight the urge)

No, Hector. Fortunately, I am blessed to already know the answer to every question, on every subject, under the sun. There is never a need for me to ask first. Especially on really simple questions, like this one.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by patrickt

No, Hector. Fortunately, I am blessed to already know the answer to every question, on every subject, under the sun. There is never a need for me to ask first. Especially on really simple questions, like this one.

OK - Since I already know the meaning of life... can you answer these for me please?

How come packages via car are called "ship-ments" and packages on a ship are called "car-go"?

How come you drive through a "park-way" and can only park in a "drive-way"?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Dimis

OK - Since I already the meaning of life... can you answer these for me please?

How come packages via car are called "ship-ments" and packages on a ship are called "car-go"?

How come you drive through a "park-way" and can only park in a "drive-way"?

For the same reason your feet smell, and your nose runs.

[Tutosnake]

okay, Siri (Patrick), tell me this: my wife wants to drive my car, but she's having trouble reaching for the pedals, especially the clutch. How do I fix that? Is there a different length track available?

Let me challenge you further: what are the paint codes for Shelby's Rosso F1 red, Wimbledon white, and Navy blue? I already have some scratches on the paint and will need to touch them up.

Cheers!

H

[dcdoug]

Here are the paint codes, but as I have found out, you need to get a body shop to do an exact match as there are a few different shades for each ppg code.

HST Colors

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Tutosnake

...my wife wants to drive my car, but she's having trouble reaching for the pedals, especially the clutch. How do I fix that?

1) Get a new wife;
2) Put her on HGH;
3) Continue to promise to fix it, but never do.

Seriously, I had the elves at ERA actually measure me and set my car up so it fit me perfectly, but nothing is adjustable. This was great for me, but for the final "sort out" drives, they had to fashion a separate hard foam "seat within a seat" because they were all much shorter than I. It worked fine. I would do that before I would monkey with your pedals -- you can easily move her a good six to eight inches closer to the wheel.

[dcdoug]

Your seat is adjustable though, right? I always have mine all the way back, but it will move forward.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by dcdoug

Your seat is adjustable though, right? I always have mine all the way back, but it will move forward.

Mine isn't. It is bolted directly to the floor, positioned back, with the front slightly shimmed up. The passenger side is done the same way, so as to match the look. Dispensing with the seat tracks gets you about 3/4", as I recall. But for all the tall guys reading this thread, it is imperative that you get measured, because everyone's height is not in the same place, and it is not the same when you are seated (ie, your "butt padding" becomes a factor).

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Mine isn't.

That's because you only have an ERA.

Hector's car should have adjustable driver and passenger seats and I guess he could re-position the seat track so the adjustment will accommodate both him and his wife, depending on the height disparity. I am 6'2" and fit fine with the seat all the way back, although frankly the limit is more the seat hitting the cowl behind the seat than seat track adjustment.

One thing to consider is whether you really want to adjust the seat track and drill another set of holes in your floorboards.... I think I'd just tell my wife the seat won't adjust any more than it does now and find a good seat pad for her...

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by dcdoug

That's because you only have an ERA. ...
I am 6'2" and fit fine with the seat all the way back, although frankly the limit is more the seat hitting the cowl behind the seat than seat track adjustment.

If you were as tall, and as good looking, as I, then you, too, would have your seat bolted directly to the floor, and carefully shimmed to seating perfection, even in your CSX car, which, as I recall, currently has no engine, transmission, nor rear.

[ACademic]

Good thing that patrickt chose a car without a roof, as he would never be able to fit his head inside.

Thank you to dcdoug for posting the references for the black caps from Summit.

[Tutosnake]

Doug, thank you for the color codes. I don't necessarily want a trailer queen, but unfortunately the car came to me with some small areas of paint damage particularly around the engine bay (which I suspect happened as the hood was taken off and put on when being finished). Nothing big, it annoys the &^%$ out of me.
Also the other day I drove to Starburcks and scraped the bottom of the front end under the oil cooler area with the curbside. That included the whiteblue stripes. Can you say ROOOOOOOOOOKIE!!!

The car does have aluminum walls inside the wheel wells. I was just wondering if spraying some of they rubbery stuff on the aluminum itself would make any difference.

The car also comes with adjustable seats, but they do not adjust forward enough for my wife to completely engage the clutch pedal. She really want to drive the car, and I want to make it possible. Any ideas where to look for a foam seat?

Patrick, considering she is a divorce lawyer, getting rid of my wife is not a wise choice for me. Plus, she's pretty hot... (and let me buy the car in the first place) I have a better chance at making empty promises ("I'm working on it, honey, I promise!") since she would claim I've been doing that all my life

All right, I guess I will use the holiday to search for a "seat within a seat" solution.

Cheers!

Hector

[kevins2]

Hector,

Since you're collecting ideas here is another one if it fits your needs. I met a Cobra owner at a car show with the same exact problem. In his case he drove the car with the seat just a bit forward of all the way back. With the seat all the way forward on the tracks his wife could still not reach the pedals comfortably. Moving her further forward with a seat cushion would have put her uncomfortably close to the steering wheel. The pedals were already adjusted forward as much as possible. So, he took the pedals off the shafts and used the mount points as a template to fabricate brackets for the clutch and brake pedals. The brackets attached to the pedal face and to the shafts and serve as a spacer that moved the pedal faces forward about 1 1/2 inches and maintained the same movement and feel. For the gas pedal, he fabricated a spacer out of wood with the same countour as the pedal. He indicated the feel is exactly the same as before, just with the pedals a bit closer to the driver. He now drives with the seat all the way back and his wife can reach the pedals with it forward on the tracks.

Just an idea.

Regards,

Kevin