Okay, good to know. I do have an owner's manual and located the diagram of the switch connections. In further testing today I found that at the lowest setting, the parking/fender lights come on, moving it up an inch turns everything off, another inch up turns just the low beams on, then all the way up will turn on just the high beams. I also tested the tail light and found I had power there as well.

Yes, that is a possibility. I was thinking that perhaps a key can be reversed engineered to work. I was thinking of getting a blank, using the existing key to cut spare and seeing if a key with sharper edges cures the problem. The key I have is a Briggs and Stratton key and looks correct when compared to the few images available online.

I suppose another solution could be buying a two pole ignition switch -- something that looks decent and fits -- and wiring it to a new coil to function.

This one is easy -- Anyone have a suggestion as to modern spark plugs for the car? Car currently has 8 "Rentz" spark plugs which look period correct. I'm concerned though that the metallurgy of antiquated spark plugs won't work well with heat temperatures of modern fuels. I need plugs with threaded screw tops posts. Any have experience with the best plugs to use and a vendor who currently sells?

Thanks!

Light circuits: I decided to start circuit testing. Car was rewired with a Harnesses Unlimited loom 30 years ago, which is in perfectly fine shape. I didn't want to find out I had an electrical problem after hooking up 700 cold cranking amps to the system, so I hooked a 6v lantern battery to the battery contacts and use a multimeter on the various circuits to detect for voltage. It's simple: when circuit is closed volts are good, when circuit is open, no volts are good.

None of the lights are hooked up, I just have loose wires at this stage. I got good volts for the regular and high beam light circuits. However, when the light switch is completely off (lowest setting) I'm getting a smallish amount of volts for the "parking" light circuit. What exactly is this circuit -- would it be for fog/auxillary lights? There is a separate circuit for the fender lights which I have not yet tested. Is the "parking" light circuit contained in the headlight assembly?

Obviously though, detection of volts in the circuit when the switch is in the off position is troubling, and I take it something is touching either in the steering wheel lever or in the switch box at the base of the steering box. Any advice on where to focus my efforts?

I'm soldiering on towards the starting the 826. Some more quandaries:

After getting the distributor situated, I went to look at the coil/ignition system. Oops, the key didn't work. Won't turn a bit. So, I pulled the coil assembly out to get an education in early 30's theft deterrent devices. I pulled the coil out, took the key mechanism off, and noted the brass cams that rotate on the base of the coil that apparently activate the coil. I decided to soak the key mechanism in PB Blaster in the hopes that the tumblers in the lock cylinders need to be loosened after not being touched for 34 years. Maybe there is corrosion between the lock cylinder and pot metal housing. A guy can hope after all....

Shockingly, ignition parts for a 90 year old car aren't readily available at Pep Boys. I'm thinking of one of three solutions: 1. fashion a copper disk to fit at the base of the coil, sandwiched between the contacts on the coil and the brass cams to essentially override the key, but use the existing Northeast coil 2. Independently mount another 6v coil, effectively rendering the entire NE part ineffective 3. buying a Atwater Kent replacement. Any suggestions, or anyone with a part you'd be will to sell?

Many thanks to all; Last weekend I pulled the distributor, converted to a single point conversion system, lubed/greased everything, cleaned all the rotor and distributor contacts, got the rotor snug, checked the advance mechanism, set point gap, then got the timing down just right at least according to the factory manual. While at it, I cleaned all the old dry grease off the starter bendix and re-greased. Saw the solder failed on one of the joints of the oil filter return line, so I pulled off and re-soldered.

Gents -- Thanks very much for the input and suggestions. Stay healthy!

Howdy Folks - I"m getting ready to start a 31 Standard 8 for the first time in 30 years, and I'd like to pull the distributor out to do a single points conversion. I wanted to find out if there is any special guidance before doing so. I've got cylinder 1 at TDC, and I've got the rotor pointed to the number 1 plug wire. To remove, do I just need to remove/loosen the distributor clamp? Also, I notice the rotor sits on the shaft and is noticeably loose. This perplexes me, as it seems the rotor would jump all over the place during operation. Should it be like that, or should it be on there tight? Anyone know if Northeast made two different size rotors and I happen to have the larger size? I don't know the model number of the distributor as the tag was replaced. Lastly what is the large chrome adjustment knob do - is that for micro timing adjustments?

I can't tell you how happy I am that this is freed up, and I don't have to pull the whole thing apart.

Success! After filling the engine with 2 gallons of a 50/50 mixture of diesel and ATF and waiting two weeks, the engine rotates without any problems. Whew! Now I just need to pull the manifolds to remove the excess mixture, but that is an easy job.