I have a 69 427/435, 4 speed. Just back on the road after frame off resto. To start the motor I used a distributor with a pertronix pick up in it, because I knew it was a good distributor. Everything ran good timing was at 36* @ 3000 rpms with vacuum advance disconnected. Idled at 750. I put 350 miles on the car like this with no problems. This weekend I put in the TI distributor. I can't get the initial timing under 30* with the vacuum advance disconnected, and the idle is about 1200 or it will stall. I tried different weights and spring combinations, pulled the distributor and moved the gear forward and backwards one tooth. Wasn't any better. Plenty of room to retard the timing without the vacuum can hitting anything, just stalls out. Any ideas?
Thanks

 

you sure you have the light connected to number 1, you rechecked everything, including bringing the engine to TDC #1 pulling the distributor and then dropping it in again with the rotor pointing to #1 in the cap?

 

I'm sure, but I'm going to start over tomorrow. Going to put back in the pertronix. Make sure everything runs right and then try the TI again.

 

Did you change any of the wiring on the TI harness and are you running the right coil?

 

I have a new harness, nothing changed. The coil, I can't find a part number on it. I bought the car in pieces and this coil was in the box with the TI system. The coil has a decal that says it's for the TI, but that doesn't mean much. Anyway to tell if it's a TI coil? Would the wrong coil make the timing advance?
I switched back to the pertronix today. Started right up and had the timing and idle set in 2 minutes.
I checked the winding in the TI distributor with a ohm meter. Set the meter on 2K and it read .609. I read somewhere it should be between 500 and 700.
Does the amp box control the timing some how?

 

Once I had the wrong (points) coil in use for a long time with my TI and didn´t noticed it. The difference is it will you may get missfire at 4500 rpm and higher.
The TI coil has a much lower resistance on the primary side (0,3ohms)

The transistor box has only 3 transistors in it, and it has no influence on the timing. They do nothing else then switching when the magnet in the distributor influences a current into the coil in the dizzy.
So you found out that the system work so far.

Btw: the TI works even with the coil connected with the wires + and - on the wrong side.
But it is important to know that the TI has the coil permament on ground with the negative connection. This is different to the points and pertronix system!
Make sure you have all wires connected to the right connections. There aren´t so many should be no problem.

What im curious about is that the engine will stall unter 1200 - if this is an issue of the ignition, how do you get the engine started?

Oh and btw: I found that the springs in the TI distributor are a bit stronger than those you can buy to adjust a HEI type. But this should not have such a big effect that you can never retard it under 30°.
I could imagine you have 2 plugwires mixed up or are measuring on cylinder 8 or 2 and your timing is way out of the normal value. This would explain why the engine dies under 1200rpm. But this would be easy to find out by turning the dizzy and try to lower the idle speed.

 

Thanks for the info. Do you think it would hurt to run another ground off the negative side of the coil? I have the ground hooked up from the TI harness. The plug wires can't be wrong, I'm using the same cap with both distributors. I'm not even removing the wires to pull the distributor, just moving the cap out of the way. Yes very hard to start with the TI in. It sounds like it has to be in the mechanical advance. I might install it tomorrow with no weights on the mechanical advance, just to see if it changes.

 

IS the 12v+ wire from the starter connected to the coil? Not getting the full 12v could have an effect. Just like points. Below is a link to the '69 wiring diagram- same TI system. Scroll down to the TI diagram.

 

The 12V wire from the starter is only needed to get it started with low battery power. You don´t need it if the battery is good. I made some tests, and the TI works still with only ~4Volts!

Oh I remember, once I couldn´t get the engine started, got no spark at all. Reason was the insulation of the harness was damaged inside. There was a short where the white resistorwire is connected to the pink wire with a crimp connection.

You better take only out the springs of the distributor if you want to test it with a fixed timing. If you take the weights out the timing can fluctuate.

 

I have 12 volts and fully charged battery. That is the same wiring diagram I'm using, but I still double checked it.
I pulled the coil out of my El camino and put it in the vette. It ran better, 950 rpm at idle. I ran another ground from negative side of the coil, but didn't help. I'm going to order a new coil tonight.
The weights in the distributor were getting on top of the piece in the center and going all the way out until they hit the bottom rim of the rotor. Never seen that before. I made brass washers to fit between the weights and the springs. This got the initial timing down to 20*. Hopefully the new coil fixes it. Please send any more ideas.
Thanks

 

pic of mine:



Your inital timing: is this what happens when you set the total timing to 36° or why can you say you get only 20°?

If this rubber bushing is worn you will get a wider mech. adnvance range:


But anyway you should be able to turn the dizzy until you get ~16 initial. And the engine should run even with only 10° but you may need more throttle opening to keep it alive.
Anyway, you should set it to 36° total, and it should come down to ~16 at idle.

Btw: a correct TI coil ist expensive, I remember around $100 for it.
Don´t mix them up with those tuning-coils from MSD and so on, they have 1,5ohms primary and are not as strong as a TI coil!
(The get only strong when used with the MSD-Box that applies 150-200V to the primary side)

 

I have the total set at 36*, but the initial is still 20* with vacuum advance unhooked. Can't get it below that without it stalling. I replaced the bushing with a bronze bushing. I'm hoping the new coil makes a difference. Order the coil today from Paragon. I like the advance stop you have on the vacuum advance. I'm going to have to make one of them. Thanks for the pictures.