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Would someone confirm or deny whether the 8 cyl distributor will apply, fit, or otherwise work from 56 back to the 40's.

V-8 distributors will not fit the straight-8 engines without extensive modification. I do not think anyone has done this.

(o{I}o)

On the V8 engines the camshaft drives a gear on the distributor which in turn drives the oil pump. The 257, 282, 288, 327 and 359 L-8 engines are just the opposite, and the Senior L-8 engines yet different again.

The AutoLite and Delco units used in the flathead 8s are very excellent and readily available distributors, why would you want to change?

Not looking to change. I am aquainted with an individual locally here who has a 1946 Clipper and he is having a problem with a bad distributor(his comment, not mine). He also said that some xref that he looked said that the distributors were the same from the end of the war until the end of Packard. I wanted to verify that because if true I have a distributor for him, if not true, then I would have to look elsewhere for him. what would be a valid xref for him to use, any straight-8 distributor or only certain C.I. ones or ?????????

Not a lot to go on, I guess since you asked about a V8 distributor the car isn't a Clipper Six, but is it a 282 or a 356? Delco or AutoLite equipped? I wouldn't say compatible distributors are as common as fleas, but you certainly see them for sale frequently. Assuming you got one that mated correctly with the oil pump drive and was for the right # of cylinders, most any would perform the very basic operation but you'd really want one from the correct engine to get appropriate vacuum and centrifugal advance without having to get access to a distributor machine to rework the curves. Give a bit more information and I'll check further for you.

But since he already has (presumably) the correct but "bad" distributor, why not just repair it. Generally pretty damn simple if all the parts are there. Even if it needs rebushing, that's only a 45 minute job.

I have no idea about the repair. I expect to be talking to him this weekend and hopefully I will get more info.