Electrical: Interchangeability of 170 Champion Autolite distributors?

[Lothar]

According to my parts book, 170 c.i. Champion engines (6G to 14G model cars) used Autolite distributor models IGC 4805 (6G to 9G), IAT 4001 (later 9G) and IAT 4010 (10G to 14G). Are these distributors interchangeable in any Champion engine of that era? Does one model have advantages over another? I have an opportunity to acquire a Autolite IAT 4201 distributor. Is it interchangeable as well? Was it set up differently in some way that it can't be interchanged? I couldn't find information about the original application of this specific model (IAT 4201) distributor. Any advice is appreciated, as always.

[RadioRoy]

They should interchange. You will have to get the correct cap and rotor to match the distributor.

[Lothar]

Thanks, Roy!

[Hallabutt]

Is there an easy way of determining which of the three rotors is supposed to be used in the 50 Starlight coupe that we have. The rotor went missing, must have just walked away. I thought it would be easy to replace until I realized that there were more then one used in 1950! What can I use to reference the right part?

[Lothar]

Does your distributor have a tag on the side with the model #?

[TWChamp]

I just went out to look at the distributor on my 50 Champion, and I don't see any tag.
Next spring I'll have to clean it off a little and see if it's got the holes for the tag.

[Lothar]

I stopped by the garage where I store my Champion, and I TRIED to take a picture of the model tag on my distributor, but, try as I might, I couldn't get my phonecam far enough down and get an angle to see it. I know its there because I removed the distributor to clean it years ago. In the following picture (looking at the distributor from the back side by the starter) you can just barely see the edge of what I think is the tag on the bottom of the distributor, to the right of the black wire:

[Sam Ensley]

I had this problem with my '41 Champion. I ordered a rotor cap and distributor cap from SIL, but they wouldn't work. Finally, crawled underneath, which is the only way to do it if the car won't run, and got the information from the plate on the side of the distributor. I called SIL with the information I'd gotten. It turns out that the distributor in my car was originally built for'51 and up cars. They sent me a new rotor button and distributor cap. Works fine now.