Moparts

Date coded distributor

Posted By: moparpollack

Date coded distributor - 07/16/11 02:29 PM


My 68 Roadrunner's original distributor is long gone. Where do I look to find the date code for a replacement so it will time match the car? Would it be the engine block date or the fender tag date?
Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/16/11 06:11 PM

Engine block assembly date of course .
Posted By: moparpollack

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/16/11 06:19 PM



Sorry John I'm not a numbers guy like you.

But really the carb is correct I have no I idea about the date coding.
Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/16/11 06:40 PM

What are the numbers on the carb ? There is a letter and a number before the part number , that is the date , example A8 , the distributor will have a 2 or 3 digit code , week of the year built and the year .
Posted By: blkbee6pack

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/17/11 02:35 PM

Was the distributor put on the engine at the block assembly date? How would they know which one as to which transmission was to be put in? If SBD on fender tag is after block assyembly date.
Posted By: gtx6970

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/17/11 02:45 PM

Just to give some time line reference as is for example only.
this is a 1969 B-body 440 automatic.

July 3rd 1969 scheduled build date

Attached picture 6733347-2.16.6.JPG
Posted By: moparpollack

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/17/11 03:04 PM

Quote:

Was the distributor put on the engine at the block assembly date? How would they know which one as to which transmission was to be put in? If SBD on fender tag is after block assyembly date.



This is why I asked. But wouldn't the 4 speed cars have the cranks drilled for the input shaft? They must of had a method for automatic transmission and standard transmission motors.

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/17/11 04:11 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Was the distributor put on the engine at the block assembly date? How would they know which one as to which transmission was to be put in? If SBD on fender tag is after block assyembly date.



This is why I asked. But wouldn't the 4 speed cars have the cranks drilled for the input shaft? They must of had a method for automatic transmission and standard transmission motors.





John Kunkel posted a picture showing the engine assembly line with engine blocks being assembled that had bellhousings bolted on empty blocks, machining the bellhousing casting was part of the engine machining so they already knew what engines were 4 speeds and what engines were not BEFORE the engine had the first part installed.

The distributor will OBVIOUSLY be assembled in advance of the engine assembly , how long ?

Also from another thread there seems to be just a few date codes as if these were done in large batches ? Bill Rolick sells repopped tags and I think there are only certian dates ???
Posted By: ScottSmith_Harms

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/17/11 05:19 PM

IN GENERAL there was a wide range of acceptable dates, as mentioned most distributors were built in batches. The date that is critical is that the distributor date preceeded the engine assembly date. With shipping time a consideration I would think the closest to the engines assembly date you will likely see a distributor assembly date would be around 2 weeks prior, but most I've seen were a month or 3 earlier. When going the other direction, I have seen A LOT of distributors assembled over a year prior to engine assembly dates (for instance it's common for 71 Hemi's to have 1969 dated distributors).

Posted By: cbusters

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/17/11 05:33 PM

Engine build date is 60 days prior to car assembly date, and the distributor is 30 days before car assembly date, according to reference material. I think the engine may have the distributor installed while it is waiting for its car to be built, so probably 30 days prior to engine assembly date would be more accurate. Unless the distributor is installed when the car is assembled. You can get dizzy with the calculations. I will add that the dates are approximate. We can't have an assembly line shut down just because an engine has separation anxiety from its builder!
Posted By: ScottSmith_Harms

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/17/11 05:36 PM

Actually you can leave the cars SPD out of the math picture, the distributor was in the engine before the engine was installed into the car.
Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/17/11 06:24 PM

Quote:

Engine build date is 60 days prior to car assembly date,




Did you type that with a straight face ??? I have rarely found that to be the case on muscle era mopars, actually only seen it once .
Posted By: 68RRFlyer

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/19/11 06:00 PM

My 69 Charger RT/SE was built 12-12, and my engine date on the pad is 12-9. 3 days prior. Date on the intake is 12-2. Numbers matching, with the VIN on the pan rail, and I know the history of the car back to day 1, so I know it's all original in there. Carb is out at Scott's getting rebuilt, but I am missing my original distributor so I'm on the hunt for a correct one as well (440, auto, non A/C if anyone cares...hint hint )

Cheers
Posted By: Morty426

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/19/11 07:39 PM

Quote:

My 69 Charger RT/SE was built 12-12, and my engine date on the pad is 12-9. 3 days prior. Date on the intake is 12-2. Numbers matching, with the VIN on the pan rail, and I know the history of the car back to day 1, so I know it's all original in there. Carb is out at Scott's getting rebuilt, but I am missing my original distributor so I'm on the hunt for a correct one as well (440, auto, non A/C if anyone cares...hint hint )

Cheers



You mean like the one 6970gtx has pictured above
Posted By: 68RRFlyer

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/19/11 10:06 PM

Would be perfect for my app, but the date is off.
Posted By: Morty426

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/19/11 11:07 PM

Quote:

Would be perfect for my app, but the date is off.



I think you can get Bill Rolik to make you a tag
Posted By: BTTG

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/20/11 12:16 PM

The distributor bodies themselves are not stamped.....only the tag contains the part # and date code??

If so is buying a remanafactured points distributor a good option? they are cheap <$40 and add a tag for $25(the repro tag does look different than the one in GTX6970s picture)?

http://www.billrolikenterprises.com/proddetail.asp?prod=2875758
Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/20/11 01:34 PM

Quote:

The distributor bodies themselves are not stamped.....only the tag contains the part # and date code??

If so is buying a remanafactured points distributor a good option? they are cheap <$40 and add a tag for $25(the repro tag does look different than the one in GTX6970s picture)?

http://www.billrolikenterprises.com/proddetail.asp?prod=2875758



That would be FRAUD , passing off something that it is NOT ...

But some bodies are stamped .
Posted By: Morty426

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/20/11 04:39 PM

Quote:

Quote:

The distributor bodies themselves are not stamped.....only the tag contains the part # and date code??

If so is buying a remanafactured points distributor a good option? they are cheap <$40 and add a tag for $25(the repro tag does look different than the one in GTX6970s picture)?

http://www.billrolikenterprises.com/proddetail.asp?prod=2875758



That would be FRAUD , passing of something that it is NOT ...

But some bodies are stamped .



Yeah I think it's the 68 and olders that are stamped on the body
Posted By: 69CoronetRT

Re: Date coded distributor - 07/21/11 06:24 AM

Quote:

But some bodies are stamped .





Early November '68 build date.

Attached picture 6739682-distributor_date_code_550.jpg
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