Delco-Remy distributor cap

[D S.]

What is the correct D-R cap for a 1970-1972 LS-5? D308R?

Thanks,
Scott

[Joe L.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

What is the correct D-R cap for a 1970-1972 LS-5? D308R?

Thanks,
Scott

Scott-----


Yes, D-308R is the one. However, there have been several different GM part numbers for this piece over the years and several very slightly different "versions" within these part numbers. Primarily, this involves script on the cap or lack-thereof on later (current) version.

[D S.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

Thanks, Joe. I noticed what you described and that is why I was asking...to confirm what I was seeing under the D308R guise. According to the JG it is supposed to be black in color and have Delco-Remy Patent Pending R wording in a circle pattern around the center. Then I saw D308Rs with those words plus a patent number and maybe one other version. Are the real-deal ones supposed to have copper contacts?

[Dave S.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

Scott,
The PATENT PENDING R Delco Remy (script) cap you need would have aluminun contacts. All those single window versions that fit a Chevrolet from 58-74 are D-308 which is a Delco number. The wording on the top is the evolution of the changes that Delco made to the internals of the D-308 cap but they are all configured the same.

[Grant M.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

Joe,

This string brought to light a question: what is the origin of "Remy" in Delco-Remy? I know that "Delco" stands for Dayton Electric Company, one of the firms that I believe Alfred P. Sloan acquired in establishing GM, but what's the "Remy" part mean (is it the name of a location, ala "Moraine" brakes)?

Thanks,

grant

[Jack H.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

The version of the D308R with the Patent Number vs. Pat Pending emboss is currently thought to be factory correct for '73-74 cars....

[Alan S.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

I have the original distributor cap from my engine. But, the little sliding door is very rusty. Can anyone offer any advice on getting it off to clean and replate it? Thanks!
Regards,
Alan

[Joe L.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

Joe,

This string brought to light a question: what is the origin of "Remy" in Delco-Remy? I know that "Delco" stands for Dayton Electric Company, one of the firms that I believe Alfred P. Sloan acquired in establishing GM, but what's the "Remy" part mean (is it the name of a location, ala "Moraine" brakes)?

Thanks,

grant

grant-----


I believe that Remy was a surname and the name of one of the companies that "merged" to form Delco-Remy.

It's come "full circle" now. The GM "spin-off" company that GM allowed to use the name Delco-Remy for several years has now become Remy International. They manufacture starters, alternators and other electrical parts. Some of their manufacturing is even done in Anderson, IN the one-time home of GM's Delco-Remy Division.

[Jack H.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

Look inside the dist cap at the sliding window. You'll see there's a tab on the lower edge that's bent upward and this is what catches to keep the window inside the cap.

GENTLY bend the tab down (if you're too aggressive, it'll fatigue fracture and fall off). Now, slide the window cover upward and it will wiggle free. The same advice goes for re-bending the retaining tab when you re-install the sliding window (fatigue fracture)....

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

Scott,
The PATENT PENDING R Delco Remy (script) cap you need would have aluminun contacts. All those single window versions that fit a Chevrolet from 58-74 are D-308 which is a Delco number. The wording on the top is the evolution of the changes that Delco made to the internals of the D-308 cap but they are all configured the same.

Dave:
From the documentation I have, the patent that was applied for in 1953 and granted somewhat late appears to be for the whole distributor not just the cap. I have copies of the original patent application which show and describe the distributor. My guess is that as changes to any part of the distributor or the cap were made a new patent was applied for (hence Patent Pending early and Patent Pending R later). The same patent number appears on the "R" cap indicating that a new patent was not granted. There are also 2 patents for this- one for the US and one for Canada. I believe the canadian patent has one less digit than the US.
Jeff

[Dick W.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

grant-----


I believe that Remy was a surname and the name of one of the companies that "merged" to form Delco-Remy.

It's come "full circle" now. The GM "spin-off" company that GM allowed to use the name Delco-Remy for several years has now become Remy International. They manufacture starters, alternators and other electrical parts. Some of their manufacturing is even done in Anderson, IN the one-time home of GM's Delco-Remy Division.

The Remy name came from Remy Electric and the brothers Frank and Perry Remy. They originally formed a residential wiring company, but Perry was experimenting with magnetos and by 1910 were producing 50,000 units a year. They sold out to a banker and in turn in 1916 General Motors purchased the company. The Dayton Electric Lighting (Delco) and the Remy Electric division were merged into one about 1918 or so.. And now you know more than you ever wanted to know about D-R

[Bob D.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

Dick

Thank you for that very informative history lesson. Always good to pick up a little more information that is good for use in the Automotive version of Trivial Pursuit!

[Jack H.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

Reading/interpreting patents is kind of a specialty area. I've filed MANY in my career as a design engineering manager. To read/interpret, forget about the abstract and skip directly to the claims section, that's where the 'meat' is.

You'll find independent and dependent claims listed. An independent claim reads along these lines: "A widget with this/that". A dependent claim reads this way: "The widget cited in Claim X further modied this way."

If I remember the gist of this patent, it includes four independent claims one of which is a distributor cap with a lift window for ignition points adjustment. So, not only is the distributor itself (overhead centrifical advance component, Etc.) patented but the companion distributor cap is also patented.

Now, what doesn't make sense to me and I've yet to hear from a cognizant GM intellectual property rights authority is this. Typically, US patents have to be submitted within 1-year of the first public disclosure of the invention. When they're actually granted is up to the US Patent Office and the overhead of its review process.

In the time interval prior to a patent's grant, the invention must be protected by a 'Patent Pending' disclosure to warn others who might be thinking of using the key elements of the invention in their own products. Once, a patent is granted, the burden of responsibility falls on the patent holder to re-label the invention citing its patent coverage portfolio (any/all US Patents as well as those of other nations).

Soooo, with the patent filed in 1953 and granted in 1956, why were distributor caps produced and shipped through 1972 in SUBSTANTIAL quantity labeled with 'Pat Pending' instead of the 'Patent XYZ' disclosure? About the time we at NCRS recognize the 'Patent XYZ' version of the cap ('73-74 era), the useful life of the patent was nearly over.... What's up with this apparent lack of due diligence on GM's part?????

[Terry M.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

As I read that patent I thought it also covered the moveable plate for the vacuum advance function. I didn't/don't have the background to sort through the different iterations, however.

[Alan S.]

Re: Delco-Remy distributor cap

Jack,
Thanks! I was concerned about exactly what you mentioned. I'll give it a careful try. It's a nice cap, and I'm not sure why the door got so very rusty.
Regards,
Alan