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i have no idea about the rotor...if it works...it works..if not..i have no idea what to do because that is the only rotor i know of. the slim one you are talking about i think is for autolite. maybe i'm wrong.

i can make the spark plug wires myself, but the 135 degree boots i found are for 8mm wire, not 7mm. so i'm worried about water leaking in if i use them.

i could use 8mm wire, but then they wouldn't fit in the holder right and they woudln't say Packard 440.

lots of different ways to go about it.

steele rubber has the correct boot for the wires, but they look straight and i thought they were supposed to be angled at 135 degree. plus they are 42.50 for the set. my old ones are angled and look just like the steele reproduction ones.

kinda burnt out on the electrics right now and getting frustrated.

thanks for the nice words guys.

Hank

mounted up the vacuum advance. as you can see...i don't see the point of the seal...just look at that gap to the body of the distributor. oh well.

i ordered straight boots, i'm not spending a ton of money on correct boots. i'm on a budget even more now, so....sorry guys.

you can see the 90 degree boots wont really work unless i'm in a pinch and need a spare.

got a new coil bracket coming in the mail as well.

everything you see on the wires is a mockup only so i know what wire goes were on the cap. which was a PITA if you have never done that before. i plan on labeling the wires when i make them.

lets hope the vacuum advance works as well.

started cleaning up the fuel pump parts for rebuilding.

built a coil wire since i had those parts laying around. didn't actually plan on the 440 lettering ending up there, but i liked it.

also got a correct radiator cap, it was cheap enough i could go original on that. well..original part number, but not dated obviously. its an ACDelco 13lb RC6 cap, not a chinese repop.

Hank

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Though I'd prefer the correct 135 deg. spark plug ends, I have 90 deg. ones on the 56 Carib and no problems with interference, I just made the leads long enough to align the plug boots horizontally where there is plenty of clearance.

The vacuum advance gasket is just a dirt/dust seal.

well aren't you the smart one. lol. never thought to turn them horizontal. dang. oh well parts are ordered now and i'll have enough to make a set to go in the trunk one day.

doesn't look like my seal is going to keep out much dirt with that gap, but oh well. its almost like the curve of the VA doesn't fit the distributor. weird.

i can get 135 degree in 8mm, but i was worried about fitment on the 7mm wire. asked a vendor that has them, but they wouldn't disclose where they got them. i'm going to assume they just use the 8mm version on 7mm wire and there are no problems. after days of googling i cannot find 135 degree in 7mm...period.

thanks for the tip on the plug boots.

Hank

One thing maybe worth trying on 7mm if boot is too loose is a short length of heat shrink on the wire under the boot.

or just over the top to seal it off. taht was my thought, but i gave up out of frustration.

what i want to know is why steele rubber has them, but they are straight and not 135 degree??? whats the point of making them if you don't make them right.

after all the money i have in messing around with the wires i coulda just bought Dwight's and been done already. geesh.

i'm already a wreck thinking this thing wont run right. its also very stressful trying to get all these details just right, but i don't even know why i care at this point, its not to the tee now anyways. so, why i give a crap about the boots is beyond me. maybe i'm worried someone will flame me over it.

Hank

If mine, I'd go under so it would be hidden or just barely visible under the top edge of boot and you can still slide the boot if necessary.

One thing I've noticed about Steele is they take some liberties with what is and isn't correct.

If it fits or is called for one year they sometimes assume it carried forward. If they have a known different piece to make molds from, then they list it. Other times when something did carry forward, they only list it for the year they know to be correct. The angles on heater hose grommet mentioned in another post is another example of the incorrect part for year listed.

Packard had boots on 54 engines but don't remember if straight or 90's. If straight then Steele probably assumed again.

after all the money i have in messing around with the wires i coulda just bought Dwight's and been done already. geesh

Most recent news I have is that are no longer available from Dwight, but you might want to check and verify that.

my last week news from him is that they are 70 bucks for the set. i know he doesn't have the fatory styled boots, but i think he has the newer 135 degree boots. so idk.

I'll mess up your blog with a couple of nerd questions, Henry.

First, when did you drop the engine ini the frame? And isn't that a firewall I see in the background? (that counts as one question).

Second, there are all these mentions of "Salado" all over the forum as if everyone knows what that is. I'm assuming you know as you have it as a goal to be there. But so far I don't know where it is or when it is. Maybe I can shoot for it, too. Given the chanc, I'm willing to drive my '54 anywhere in the Continental United States. Road trip!