Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I have a delco from a 288 too if you need pics, but he specified he has an autolite.

First, I find that I don't have an original Dist.

MGL 6003 5D


Now to get this one working properly while I locate and rebuild the right one.

Thanks for all the help.

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I don't see that MGL listed in Motors, Chilton or Hollander as used on a car. All Autolites listed for vehicles are in the I series. Your unit and the attachment does appear to be similar to that shown in the 48-54 parts manual so between Guschas drawing and what the parts plate shows for pieces, perhaps you can get an idea of the hookup. Note the sequence in his drawing.


From your pict dist 1, if the brown item under screw head is a washer, I don't believe it is in the right place. It looks as if the arm from advance is not riding on the screw shoulder directly under the head so it can be free to move and pivot but rather a washer is there instead. Also, that square piece with the double tabs looks turned 90 degrees, and per Guschas drawing not in the proper sequence. I think it needs to be between the arm from vacuum diaphragm and the slot on distributor to keep the arm level. Do you have the smaller square threaded piece with a single tab to provide the threads or nut for the screw? If not and the double tab piece has the threads, you may be missing a bushing to provide some spacing for the movement for the arm as well as a washer and nut under all to lock the tabbed piece solidly to the slotted piece.

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that plate is awful new looking, i be it is the right dist and the plate is aftermarket with the wrong numbers.

That looks like my delco for sure, only the vacuum diaphragm arm shouldn't overlap the part with the ticks on the body it rides over. The screw with the pointer should be going through the arm at the end, you would accomplish that by rotating the dist away from the diaphragm some and then assembling. A good estimate is that the screw goes through the end of the vacuum arm, and then adjust so that the pointer is in the center of the gauge marks scribed on the part connected to the dist body. Every time i've done that, timing has been damn close.

Then when in the car and doing timing, loosen the screw and move rotate the dist along the gauge scribe marks and then tighten that screw again...the vacuum motor is what holds the dist in time, not the bolts on the base like most distributors. Without that vacuum can hooked up, it should be able to rotate rather freely.

The more i look at it, the more i swear that's my dist and you have the vacuum can too close to where the arm lands on that scribed bracket.

Also, pay attention to how the two plates on the bottom go together, you have to slide the one with the hole and the vacuum can up the shaft, then slide the horseshoe one in from the side into the groove, then insert the screw to hold them together. If you hold the bracket at this point the dist should rotate. Then assemble the pointer assembly through the scribed bracket and through the last and farthest hole in the vaccuum can arm. If you hold it by the bracket now, it won't rotate unless you loosen that screw, and when you do the pointer slides inside the scribed bracket and points to different marks.

I'm not aware of any Auto Lite distributor, even going back to their earliest days, that began with an "M" prefix. And the font doesn't look correct and the tag looks very new. My guess is that it's a repro tag with a pot-luck #.

Also, the tag is bent slightly at one end to get the new rivets to line up in the old holes...when i used the same ebay repop tag i had to redrill a new hole at one end so that it could lay flat. I'd ignore that number completely.

Also again, there should be no other screw and bracket in that dist arm up near the vacuum can, remove that. There shouldn't be other holes either, but oh well. Just use the hole at the end.