ignition · FF-0070

What can happen if the distributor is installed wrong on a Ford Flathead?

Ed tells how he installed the distributor wrong on his first Flathead. Being towed to start, it backfired hard enough to break a valve, and the valve destroyed a piston and damaged the cylinder wall beyond repair.

Expert

Ed Smith

Evidence

expert attributed

Component

distributor timing

Applicable scope

Ed's first Ford Flathead, built when he was about 16