C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Vaccum Cans

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 10:04 AM
  #21  
Eddie 70's Avatar
Eddie 70
Thread Starter
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime Gold
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default

I was afraid of that Gordon. Hopefully I can fix it with some bushings.

I wish I would have known this while I had it all apart changing the intake out. I set the endplay on the distributor to around .007" and was tickled with the outcome. I wanted to get it to .005. Not enough correct shims. I could have done something about the weights too.

I am sure I could buy replacement weights. I am guessing the combination of worn weights and plate are adding up to give me the 9 degrees instead of 18 degrees.

Last edited by Eddie 70; Jan 2, 2006 at 10:07 AM.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 10:11 AM
  #22  
Gordonm's Avatar
Gordonm
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Default

It is not the weights that give you the amount of advance it is the plate and the pin that goes into the plate. It is like a slot and the slot gets elongated and allows the pin to travel further therefore giving you more advance. the weights and springs just tailer how fast it comes in. Once you see it apart you will see exactly how it works. A picture is worth a thousand words as they say.

To do it right you have to pull the dist and pull the shaft out. Not really a big deal. I pull mine it seems like about 4 times a year. It is much easier to work on it out of the car.

Last edited by Gordonm; Jan 2, 2006 at 10:13 AM.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 11:47 AM
  #23  
goinbroke's Avatar
goinbroke
Burning Brakes
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 837
Likes: 3
From: Texas
Default

Eddie, here's a pic of the pin and elongated hole. Note this is from an HEI.



I'm still not totally persuaded that this is your problem.....

Last edited by goinbroke; Jan 2, 2006 at 11:55 AM.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 12:38 PM
  #24  
PRNDL's Avatar
PRNDL
Team Owner
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
Default

Eddie, You need to attend (or arrange) a Larsfest! He had my distributor out, and lubed and bushing replaced and vac can replaced and timed in about 10 minutes flat! (OK, maybe it was 30 minutes, but it was just a blur). Would have been the best $200 I ever spent on my car and my education, but it worked out to about $50 a piece!
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 12:39 PM
  #25  
Eddie 70's Avatar
Eddie 70
Thread Starter
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime Gold
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default

If I were a tooth off would that cause this problem. I am sure I am a tooth off right now also.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 01:07 PM
  #26  
Gordonm's Avatar
Gordonm
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Default

Originally Posted by Eddie 70
If I were a tooth off would that cause this problem. I am sure I am a tooth off right now also.
It would show up in your timing. It would be quite a bit off if you were a tooth off. You could rotate the dist if space allowed to get the timing back on.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 01:31 PM
  #27  
lars's Avatar
lars
Tech Contributor
Supporting Lifetime Gold
25 Year Member
Conversation Starter
Photogenic
Top Answer: 3
 
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,375
Likes: 6,375
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Default

Eddie -
If you're runing 9 degrees initial timing with 36 total, you are missing the advance stop bushing in your distrubutor. This causes the curve to go long. Pick up Mr Gasket part number 927 or 928. Either one of these kits will have a little brass stop bushing in them. You will need to pull your distrubutor, disassemble it, and press the brass bushing onto your stop pin. This will shorten your curve and get you more initial timing while maintaining the 36 total. DO NOT use the weights in the Mr Gasket kit as they will really screw up your advance curve.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 01:55 PM
  #28  
Eddie 70's Avatar
Eddie 70
Thread Starter
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime Gold
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default

Originally Posted by lars
Eddie -
If you're runing 9 degrees initial timing with 36 total, you are missing the advance stop bushing in your distrubutor. This causes the curve to go long. Pick up Mr Gasket part number 927 or 928. Either one of these kits will have a little brass stop bushing in them. You will need to pull your distrubutor, disassemble it, and press the brass bushing onto your stop pin. This will shorten your curve and get you more initial timing while maintaining the 36 total. DO NOT use the weights in the Mr Gasket kit as they will really screw up your advance curve.

Just came in from the garage and you are correct as usual Lars. I pulled the distributor and the hole is not worn nor is the pin for the advance plate. The rubber bushing is worn into where it contacts the hole. I pulled the rubber bushing out. My distributor is tach drive any precautions I need to take before pulling it apart to install the bushing you are talking about? I have had it apart before and thought nothing of the tach drive and it still works. I may have just got lucky once. Twice, I may not be so lucky.
I do have an HEI kit for the springs but it has some plastic bushings in it. Are these what I need to limit the advance plate travel?
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-1

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-3

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-7

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-8

10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

 Michael S. Palmer
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 02:55 PM
  #29  
Eddie 70's Avatar
Eddie 70
Thread Starter
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime Gold
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default

The bushing in my kit are all .250 diameter on the outside. I know there is no chance of getting one of those Mr. Gasket Kits locally. The brass bushings are an interference fit correct. I have one of the bushings from my kit on the stud(???) and it was a nice tight fit also. I think it will do the job. Tell me if I am ok to go like this.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 03:23 PM
  #30  
Gordonm's Avatar
Gordonm
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Default

At least you found the problem. Now getting the right part is the next thing to get. Should be back running in no time.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 04:14 PM
  #31  
Eddie 70's Avatar
Eddie 70
Thread Starter
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime Gold
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default

Summit carries the kit and it is only $7.25. Handling is $9.50. That is the BS.

I guess I can look around and find me about $100 worth of stuff I would like to have and then place the order.

I did put the plastic busing on the distributor and it was a tight fit. I am going to use it till I get the kit in. Not like I am going to be driving it everyday.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 05:14 PM
  #32  
goinbroke's Avatar
goinbroke
Burning Brakes
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 837
Likes: 3
From: Texas
Default

Eddie...that brass bushing in the Mr Gasket kit measures .265" OD X .186" ID if it's any help. There's at least two auto parts stores in this dinky town that stocks that 927-928 kit. It's easy to find.
I think after reading this post I may pull mine again and install that bushing.......wish I had thought about it when shimming the endplay. I'm showing a low initial timing (about the same as yours) but am having no problems with the way it runs anywhere in the rpm range. I'm just wondering if I might be able to improve it a bit more.
Good luck with it Eddie

Rip
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 05:33 PM
  #33  
goinbroke's Avatar
goinbroke
Burning Brakes
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 837
Likes: 3
From: Texas
Default

One other thing Eddie.......I'll be glad to pick up a Mr gasket #928 and drop it in the mail to you if you want. Lots cheaper that the $9.50 handling. Let me know.........
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 05:49 PM
  #34  
lars's Avatar
lars
Tech Contributor
Supporting Lifetime Gold
25 Year Member
Conversation Starter
Photogenic
Top Answer: 3
 
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,375
Likes: 6,375
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Default

Eddie -
If you have a snug-fitting 1/4" diameter bushing you can slip on the pin, just use it. Anything to increase the stop pin diameter will help limit your curve and get you a bit more initial advance.

No trick to pulling things apart. With the distributor out, pull the tach drive crossgear out first. With that out, knock the roll pin out of the distributor gear and slide the whole mainshaft out of the housing. Once out, you can slide the cam plate off the shaft, and then access the pin for installation of the bushing. Be sure it fits very snug, or it can fall off and short your points out. I like to give the bushing a little hit with a hammer to make it out-of-round for a tight fit, but then I like any excuse to tune using a hammer.

Lube things up prior to re-assembly. Install the gear with the dimple pointing the same direction as the firing tab on the rotor. Good luck!

Lars
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2006 | 09:11 PM
  #35  
Eddie 70's Avatar
Eddie 70
Thread Starter
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime Gold
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default

Lube things up prior to re-assembly. Install the gear with the dimple pointing the same direction as the firing tab on the rotor. Good luck!
Lars
I was wondering about this. I don't exactly know how I got it installed. I guess the distributor will come back out again to double check. No big deal. I am getting pretty darn good at it now. I talked with one of my buddies and he can get me the correct Mr. Gasket 928G kit the next day for the same $7.50 in Summit. I am going to call him tomorrow and have him order it for me.
Thanks for all of the help guys. I believe I am back in business. Just have to wait on the kit to arrive.
Reply
Old Jan 3, 2006 | 06:39 PM
  #36  
Eddie 70's Avatar
Eddie 70
Thread Starter
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime Gold
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default

As it turns out, I did have my distributor gear installed incorrectly. 50/50 chance and I lost. I also looked up the kit Lars recommended and it is back ordered at Summit. So I called one of my buddies and he was going to have one shipped to his store, guess what he cannot get it either. Oh well, my car is not going to be running anywhere too far anyway.

I just wanted to add that before this post I did not really understand the whole timing scheme. I have learned a lot from this post and enjoyed the heck out of it. There is really not all that much too it once someone points you in the right direction. Thanks for all of the help guys. That is what this place is about.

Last edited by Eddie 70; Jan 3, 2006 at 08:46 PM.
Reply
Old Jan 3, 2006 | 08:52 PM
  #37  
Eddie 70's Avatar
Eddie 70
Thread Starter
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime Gold
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default

Just wanted to add a few photos that I took while doing this job.

This is the top of the distributor with the springs removed and one weight remived. My distributor was a greasy mess. It has now been cleaned up somewhat using MEK.


This is the slot that the advance plate moves about in. You can see there is no wear on the ends of the slot.


This is the pin that rides in the advance plate. There is supposed to be a bushing on the end of this pin that sets the amount of advance you have at idle. Mine had a rubber bushing when I took the distributor apart and was worn through. It was allowing the distributor to fall back to 9 degrees at idle when it should have been quite a bit higher.
Reply
Old Jan 3, 2006 | 09:24 PM
  #38  
Gordonm's Avatar
Gordonm
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Default

Your slot there looks fine. Mine was elongated quite a bit. Everything else looks good in there. Just put the bushing on and you should be good to go.
Reply
Old Jan 4, 2006 | 06:29 AM
  #39  
Eddie 70's Avatar
Eddie 70
Thread Starter
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime Gold
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default

Bushing should be here Friday. Jegs has the kits in stock.
Reply




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:38 AM.

story-0
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-2
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-9
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE