Dual point distributor?

Originally Posted by davids2toys

Where are the springs and weights, I see nothing. Is 22 deg initial advance bad or good? Should plugs have a diiferent gap now that it is electronic? Any preventive maintenance I should be doing?

Regards...Dave

You would have to know the vendor (abd type) of the conversion kit to determine what you are asking. A digital timing light will tell you how much total advance you have. 22 BTDC sounds like a competition only setting.

Originally Posted by KULTULZ

You would have to know the vendor (abd type) of the conversion kit to determine what you are asking. A digital timing light will tell you how much total advance you have. 22 BTDC sounds like a competition only setting.

Interesting, I did not see a name on anything inside at all. I thought maybe the weights or mechanism may be under the base plate.
As far as the timing, the 22 deg is the initial, at idle, done with an old school strobe type timing light . So if that was the initial and the mechaniocal brings in another lets say 20 deg at higher RPM's, that does not seem bad does it?

If you take the 2 screws out of the base plate you will see the advance mechanism with weights and springs. There are two slots in the cam and they are stamped with a number that is degrees advance at the cam so multiply by 2 and you have it. No way you should have 22 degrees intial with todays gas. 10-12 MAYBE 14 but I run 10-12 degrees intial at the crankshaft with 93 octane and a fairly aggressive cam. I never ran a 428 with that much inital. Maybe 34-36 total at @ 3000 rpm. Good luck.

Originally Posted by ranchero67

If you take the 2 screws out of the base plate you will see the advance mechanism with weights and springs. There are two slots in the cam and they are stamped with a number that is degrees advance at the cam so multiply by 2 and you have it. No way you should have 22 degrees intial with todays gas. 10-12 MAYBE 14 but I run 10-12 degrees intial at the crankshaft with 93 octane and a fairly aggressive cam. I never ran a 428 with that much inital. Maybe 34-36 total at @ 3000 rpm. Good luck.

I would agree with you, maybe the tape is wrong on the balancer is the only thing i can think of. Car runs real strong and does NOT ping at all. I run 93 , no additive!
Could the advance be adjusted so as only 14 deg was coming on as the rpm's increased?
Would the cam have anything to do with it, all I know about that is hydraulic 314 dur and 513 lift.

I kind of go along with what David just mentioned. For if the ring on the vibration dampener slips on the rubber any, it tends to go to retarded. The pull of the components via their Vee belts will make it go south a bit at a time. An thus when using a flash-flash timing light, the engine will only run good in a far advanced indicated state. If put onto the correct timing marks it is then running actually too retarded. Thus to run OK at all, teh owner needs the indicated 22 degrees advance.

My thought here is that the vibration dampener is pooping out, needs to be replaced, and then timing can be stated and adjusted again. How about wining up the engine and then having the seven pound ring fly around inside for a few seconds. "Oh, the alt. light came on. Wonder why?"


Wm.

Originally Posted by coosbaylumber

I kind of go along with what David just mentioned. For if the ring on the vibration dampener slips on the rubber any, it tends to go to retarded. The pull of the components via their Vee belts will make it go south a bit at a time. An thus when using a flash-flash timing light, the engine will only run good in a far advanced indicated state. If put onto the correct timing marks it is then running actually too retarded. Thus to run OK at all, teh owner needs the indicated 22 degrees advance.

My thought here is that the vibration dampener is pooping out, needs to be replaced, and then timing can be stated and adjusted again. How about wining up the engine and then having the seven pound ring fly around inside for a few seconds. "Oh, the alt. light came on. Wonder why?"

Wm.

Just inspected the dampener, looks great, no dry rot in the rubber at all!
Maybe they set it up to have 22 initial and only have 14 deg mechanically bought in with rpms...could this be possible?

Have you checked the advance plate under the base plate to see what slot is used and what the number is stamped near it? I have never seen one set with only a 7 stamped. That would mean 7 x 2 or 14 at the crankshaft. Usually this is a 13 or a 15. If there is NO SOUND OF PINGING and the plugs are clean of aluminum deposits, then you will have to find TDC and see if that checks with what the damper shows for TDC.
If someone modified the advance then they would usually fill the slot on the advance mechanism (braze or weld) to limit it.

I underrstand,
No, I have never looked under there at all, don't know anytrhing about these distributors, it runs decent, I am afraid to start screwing around. I was from the GM world, and this distributor looks totally foreign to me! I would not even know how to get at this plate you describe!

David.....

As to Oct. 4th.

I think doubtfull. An engine with 22 degrees of initial advance ought to be hard to turn over with starter. The engine can usually take up to about 12 to 16 at static, but doubtfull that it will take 22.

My thought is that something slipped. Had a friend with a T-bird that he had to add in whole bunch of advance. It was because his air conditioning pump must have locked up one day, and twisted the front pulley (and keyway) like 1/4 turn.


Wm.

Originally Posted by coosbaylumber

David.....

As to Oct. 4th.

I think doubtfull. An engine with 22 degrees of initial advance ought to be hard to turn over with starter. The engine can usually take up to about 12 to 16 at static, but doubtfull that it will take 22.

My thought is that something slipped. Had a friend with a T-bird that he had to add in whole bunch of advance. It was because his air conditioning pump must have locked up one day, and twisted the front pulley (and keyway) like 1/4 turn.
Wm.

Actually, every once in a while it is very hard to turn over, like I have a dying battery, but it is only once in a while!
I have NO accessaries at all, water pump, thats it.