VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Oil distributor for 1931 Chev Question

I have a 1931 Chevrolet 5 window coupe. My father, who bought the car, restored the body completely in the mid eighties. As an expert in bodywork and interiors, subjects that he taught at the original WyoTech Wyoming, he left me an exquisite vehicle to enjoy.
I have determined that the engine in the car is indeed a 1931 engine and have confirmed this by the numbers stamped onto the engine block just above the gas pump on the right side of the engine.
I have the published manual for the car.
The manual shows a drawing for the oil distributor, which is on the left side of the engine block which is NOT what is installed on my car. The distributor that is on my car has a bulbous base, with the end cap on the left; from this section, the pipe to the oil pressure gauge is attached. From the bulb, there is a central section that rises up and from the top of this the feed to the tappets is connected. Attached to the upper part is a rod, on the right side to which the two springs that control the throttle levers are attached.
My concern is that, if I take out the spring and low pressure relief assembly from behind the end cap, the order in which the units are placed … which is the order indicated in the manual - with the low pressure unit nested inside the main relief spring, then when I start the car, there is no oil pressure indicated by the gauge.
If I place the low pressure assembly into the unit first so that it rests on the flange inside the lower section and is housed inside the bulb to the right of the unit, and then place the main spring and washers into the unit with the end-cap then tightened to hold the main string in place, then when I start the engine, I have pressure on the gauge.
Nowhere have I found a detailed drawing of the oil distributor that I have on my car. I am concerned that the unit I have may require that the parts inside the oil distributor need to be put in a different configuration.
Any ideas?
I have photos of the unit that I can send electronically if that will help

Hello Lawrence,
I had a problem with my oil distributor not being flat and had to true up the mating surface. I took pictures of mine and posted them in the member's area. My car is also a 31' and thought you could compare my distributor to yours. I also thought I read info somewhere about how the distributor goes together. I will try and look to see if I can find it again. I'm sure the JYD or Chipper can tell you how it's supposed to go back. The link to my photos is: https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/galleries/327918/My_31%27_Special_Sedan_#11,_Oil_#comments

Ted

Thanks for posting. Unfortunately this is NOT the same as what is in my car.

The most obvious difference is the rod on the side to which the springs are attached. Also, the connector to the oil pressure gauge in your unit comes out of the end-cap. Mine feeds from a port in the side of the unit at the bottom of the unit. . On yours the feed to the tappets comes out of the side to wards the top. Mine comes out of the top of the structure.

It is of note that neither of these units conform to what is in the part book! That unit has four holes. Our units have only three.

This is all very confusing.

I checked out the photos that you emailed to me and it appears that someone in the past has changed the original updraft manifolds on your engine to later downdraft manifolds so that a downdraft carburetor could be installed. Your car originally had an updraft carburetor, not a downdraft carburetor.

In changing the manifolds, they also changed the oil distributor to a much later oil distributor because of the rod on the side of the oil distributor for the two throttle springs. Since the throttle springs were used on the linkage for the later downdraft carburetor the oil distributor had to be changed to allow the two throttle springs for the downdraft carburetor linkage to be installed on the rod. In doing so it was possible for the later downdraft carburetor and linkage to be utilized on your engine.

Because you have a later type of oil distributor, you will have to install the valve assembly and etc. in the correct order so that you will have oil pressure at your oil gauge.

If you post the engine block casting number and casting date, along with the manifold casting numbers and casting dates, we can verify that you do have a 1931 engine and we should be able to confirm what year the manifolds are on your engine as well.

To keep your car original you will have to locate the correct oil distributor, the correct Carter updraft carburetor, the correct updraft manifold assembly and the correct accelerator rod and pedal.

Thank you so much for the information. I will put together the numbers so that we can determine the situation with the engine. Is there any way to determine which model my oil distributor is?