VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 54 distributor

The distributor in my 54 standard engine is from a powerglide (1112396). Is this an update or common change and are there any benefits from having that distributor or should I look for the correct one?

I can't find the advance curve to compare a stick to a PG distributor but would guess they are the same as all related parts, weights, springs, etc. are the same. The difference is all P had a castiron dist. gear and camshaft and most sticks had a steel camshaft and dist. gear. What material is the new cam you are installing and does your 1954 stick block have the early small diameter cam journals or the late large journals? There was supposed to be a mid year change on the 1954 stick engines.

As Gene has already stated, the moving parts of both distributors are the same EXCEPT for a steel gear on the stick and a cast gear on the P.G.
I did not think the two interchanged on the same engine.

Well, the new cam is cast so it looks like I am all set. Someone advised all the new replacement cams are cast. Finally one error in my favor.

You have to win one once in a while

The new cam is cast and large journal. The engine is a June 29 of 54 build.

Then it would have had a cast cam from the factory and a PG dist. with the cast gear.

Time to put a note in my 29-55 parts manual as it does not indicate so. There's probably a bulletin and since I just got some for 53-54 from Backroads I will try reading them. Never know what I will learn. I reviewed the "service news" and did find a reference in the July 54 regarding replacement engines and camshaft changes and engines were being shipped with two gears and the one wired to the engine was the correct one for that engine and the one in the loose parts kit should be discarded.

The correction never appeared in the parts book.

in the later years they sold only the cast dist. gear for 1937 and up. Also sold the 1955 distributor for 1940 and up.
I never heard of it damaging the gear. Go figure.

Steve,

If possible, could you please tell me the casting number on your block? I have an earlier '54 235 solid lifter engine with the small-journal forged cam. I'm very curious as to whether the same casting was used for both engines, just with larger bores to accept the larger diameter cam bearings, or if a different casting was created, having more "meat" to accommodate the larger bearings.

Thanks,

Scott,
Here's a handy casting list from Inliners, where you may find YOUR block casting, then compare it to Steve's casting.

http://www.inliners.org/casting/numbers.html

The block is at the machine shop right now and I don't expect it back for three weeks. Hopefully the reference posted by Bob will help you. I do remember the casting date which is F294.

the 1957 parts book shows two different casting numbers for 1954 235 engines. 3835911 and 3733949. The PG block is drilled for hydraulic lifters and all had the larger cam journals.
They may have used the same casting (numbers) for early and late sticks and just bored out the cam joumnal openings an extra 1/8" or used thinner cam bearings.

The 1954 partss book gives 3701481 for sticks and doesn't list a PG number.

Gene your posting jogged my (poor) memory. My block number is 3835911. I remembered it being close to the number for the head which is 3835913. My book from Patricks shows six different 54 block numbers and I am guessing that some are truck only. They list 3701481-3733949-3835363-3835911-3835949-and 3843363.

It gets confusing because some numbers are for later replacement blocks that had casting changes. They were made so the blocks would cover a mulititude of applications.

Steve,

I've been preoccupied the past two weeks, so I only just noticed your reply. My block has the casting number 3835913 as well, so it appears that this casting was used with both the small- and large-journal camshafts. That's very good news for me, indeed! At least now, if the camshaft and/or lifters check out poorly, I know have other avenues available to me since there is enough material to allow for resizing the cam bores.

Thanks,

Scott, the 3835913 is the HEAD casting. The block is 3835911.