The distributor I have on my 23 4 cyl. Durant has 12 teeth on the gear at the bottom that engages the camshaft gear. The mechanic says that it should have more teeth because the timing gets off when trying to crank the engine.
Frank says he has heard that later model Durant and Star distributors have been used probably up to 1926. Has anyone tried a later 4 cyl. dist. on a early Durant??
Kick this around and give me your opinion and ideas....

Yates

Where Are You From? Four Oaks ,NC

Do You own a car built by Durant? 23 Durant Touring

Howdy Yates,

My 1923 Durant A-22 parts book shows that gear to be a 13 tooth gear.

Where Are You From? Leavenworth, WA

Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes

Yates
Does your car still have a Auto-lite unit or are you running a Delco unit (Chevy)?

Where Are You From? Tucson

Do You own a car built by Durant? a couple

Thanks Bob and Bill,
Bob my distributor is cast aluminum that was in the car when I bought it.
Do you have any idea of what Delco Remy distributor I could use as a replacement?
Bill did you have to change the camshaft gear to match your Remy distributor
gear?
Thanks for your help....

Yates

Where Are You From? Four Oaks ,NC

Do You own a car built by Durant? 23 Durant Touring

Hello Yates
I feel like I'm on the edge of a 35 year mystery, I hear the door creaking.
The distributor I have is from a 1928? chevy..Delco 635B. But I'm assuming the gear at the bottom was replaced with the proper Auto-Lite/Durant gear.
I did check an old A-22 distributor and the gear is 13 tooth. The other gear that it matches is on the end of the shaft going through the generator.
I see these matched gears for sale often on ebay, I'm sure Frank has a lead as to where to to purchase a set.

You may only need the distributor gear but I think I would get the set, who knows what is on the end of the generator.

Where Are You From? Tucson

Do You own a car built by Durant? a couple

Hi Bill and Bob,
Bill, You're right there are 13teeth on the gear. The mechanic had my parts book. My distributor was homemade and cast in aluminum. The brass gear at the bottom had 12 teeth. Think this might have been my problem with getting it to run. Thanks for checking.
Bob, Thanks for the help. I will be on the lookout for a Delco 635B distributor. The mechanic says the camshaft gear is in great shape. I need the 13 tooth gear at the bottom of the distributor. I have seen the sets on eBay but didn't realize at that time that I needed one. Doubt if the eBay seller would brake the set.
Thanks again you two for it is members like you that make this such a great club.

Yates

Where Are You From? Four Oaks ,NC

Do You own a car built by Durant? 23 Durant Touring

Yates,

I also have an early Reamy dist. (Delco haden't yet merged with Reamy), model # 3660 (the 0 could be a G or C) with manual advance, it was in or with my car car when I purchaced it....The drive gear behind the generator is a worm gear and is a specialty Durant item and don't think yours would have been replaced with anything inferior...If you go to our links page Larrys has new brass 13 tooth drive gears with pins for the bottom of the Distributor, this may be all you would need....I think Gorden referbish one of the aluminum distributor housings reciently, possiably he could be of more help.

Where Are You From? Leavenworth, WA

Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes

Hi Yates:
I bought one of those replacement end plates and housings that John Baraldi had made up. Everything worked fine, except that we had problems getting the right size clips to hold the distributor cap on. Still haven't quite solved that. We had a new gear (13 tooth) so that was no problem. Right now, we are having problems with oil pressure. Seems that the oil pickup tube was too short (looks like someone in the past shortened it) and also the pan insert was missing and someone brazed troughs in the pan so the dippers would pick up oil. We have a line on a parts chassis, and we are going to see just what that motor has in it.
We did have our motor running, until we ran out of oil pressure. Seemed to be OK, but we didn't have it running long enough to really gauge how good it was ( is)
I think Larry bought all the extra gears etc that John had made up. You should have no problem when you get a new gear.
Gord

Where Are You From? Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 Frontenac

Hi All,
Thanks a million for your help. Talked to Larry this AM and he does have the gears. I feel this should solve the problem.
Gord, I also have one of the back plates that John Baraldi made. We had to machine the plate so the distributor gear would be closer to the camshaft gear.
Talked to John this week and he said that the holding bracket had springs to allow the distributor to rotate. I'm not sure where the springs would go as mine did not come with springs.
Still plan to be on the look out for the Delco and Remy that Bill and Bob mentioned earlier.
HAPPY LABOR DAY........

Yates

Where Are You From? Four Oaks, NC

Do You own a car built by Durant? 23Durant A22 Touring