64 FI distributor cap with R

[Dan H.]

What is the physical difference between a distributor cap with an 'R' and without it? Would the old style D409 rotor work in either?
Dan

[John D.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

Dan, No physical difference. Get the "R" zipped off and save yourself a couple of hundred bucks.
Send the cap to Paul Mazut or Andy Cannizzo as I know for a fact they both do a great job of removing the "R"
I don't know the answer to your second question.
Congratulations on the Duntov award for your 64 FI car. Well deserved. JD

[Mike M.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

if you have a dremel tool, simple use progressivly finer sand paper to remove the R. finish up with progressivly finer rubbing compund.regards,mike

[John D.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

Dr. Mike, Where can one procure the rubbing compund from?
Meanwhile here is one for you. One time a certain friend sent me 4 of supposedly NOS D310 caps with no R. Well two of the caps were dull and very original looking.
The other two caps were very shiny and under close scrutiny with a typical office magnifying light I could clearly see "evidence" of cheating. Yeah the two shiny caps were fakes I say. R was dremeled and the cap was buffed with progressivly finer rubbing compund.
So if you are judging and see nice high gloss distributor cap you know it was massaged.

[Mike M.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

dear john: what makes you believe i would know a source for the rubbing compund? i was simply passing along buffing info i received from the king of modifications---howard kirsch. he emails me periodicaly. he's in the same wing in heaven occupid by don blatchley. les bieri is next door.regards,mike

[Dan H.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

Thanks Mike and John, my 'R' has already gone to heaven! I guess what I was wondering about is what did that 'R' signify? Replacement? Resistor? Mike, you have good friends up above with those guys! Was the R cap any different from the non R cap in function. Kind of a Bill Clupper type question, I guess? Thanks,
Dan

[Terry M.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

Some of us think it means R = Registered (as in trademark). I have no answer as to why it would be there with a patent number, however.

[John D.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

Now you are confusing me which doesn't take much. I thought the R on the cap meant "Resistor"???

[John D.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

dear john: what makes you believe i would know a source for the rubbing compund? i was simply passing along buffing info i received from the king of modifications---howard kirsch. he emails me periodicaly. he's in the same wing in heaven occupid by don blatchley. les bieri is next door.regards,mike

Old Howard may have been the king of mods but I am sure you remember when he fried the engine in his motor home at the NCRS national in Warren in early 90's. Didn't have any oil in it. You Doc were on the ground helping them put a crate engine in.
Yeah a lot of good guys are gone.

[Jack H.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

How about a registered trademark for the name 'Delco Remy' that appears on the part?

[Terry M.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

Now you are confusing me which doesn't take much. I thought the R on the cap meant "Resistor"???

I am still looking for someone to show me the resistor in the cap JD. There ain't one. And how is that cap different than one without the R, or Pat. Pend. different from one with the patent number? Only the lettering on the top is different. The caps are the same -- except some have copper inserts and some aluminum, and that has nothing to do with the R.

But hey, I know a lot of people for whom I have great respect, who have a different take on this issue. It is all OK, because, as far as I know, none of us can prove our point. So it is all opinion, and you know the rest of that stinky story.

[Michael M.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

Dan like the other post said, no difference in the caps. The only difference is the "R". The answer to the second question is yes the D-409 rotor will work in both caps.

[John D.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

I am still looking for someone to show me the resistor in the cap JD. There ain't one. And how is that cap different than one without the R, or Pat. Pend. different from one with the patent number? Only the lettering on the top is different. The caps are the same -- except some have copper inserts and some aluminum, and that has nothing to do with the R.

But hey, I know a lot of people for whom I have great respect, who have a different take on this issue. It is all OK, because, as far as I know, none of us can prove our point. So it is all opinion, and you know the rest of that stinky story.

Terry, I agree there is no resistor in the cap. SO basically then I don't know what the R stands for except for this. It stands for a major deduct when having your car- 63 etc judged.
JD

[Jack H.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

Yes, and I've physically measured the resistance across the cap's carbon pile center terminal without seeing any meaningful difference between R and non-R versions. That's why I tend to think the 'R' might have come about as a means to designate Registered Trademark for the Delco Remy brand name. BUT, that's a wild arse guess!

This change WAS in the era when mfgrs in the Far East were seeing profit potentials in tooling parts for American cars/trucks (read that as 'rip off' the design)...

[William C.]

Re: 64 FI distributor cap with R

My vote is with Jack as the the significance of the "R", but I have no more actual knowledge of this than any of those who have posted.