Points setting
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,356
Likes: 6,332
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Re: Points setting (MWLockwood)
Mike -
Set the points using a dwell meter to 30-31 degrees dwell. If you don't have a dwell meter, set new points to a gap of .016". This will get you a dwell of about 28-29 degrees, which is just a touch short of optimum.
Set the points using a dwell meter to 30-31 degrees dwell. If you don't have a dwell meter, set new points to a gap of .016". This will get you a dwell of about 28-29 degrees, which is just a touch short of optimum.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,645
Likes: 11
From: Schaumburg IL
Re: Points setting (lars)
If you still have the points, get an inexpensive dwell/tach. Wal Mart is about $15 or at AutoZone.
Lars is correct, set for .016" to start and tune it in with the dwell meter tweaking the allen set screw adjustment. Afterwords, check your timing, maybe it got set with dwell of 25 or 35 degrees now it will off some at 30 degrees.
Plugs, use the right ones for your engine AC DELCO and gap at .035" with stock ignition. Should run well.
Lars is correct, set for .016" to start and tune it in with the dwell meter tweaking the allen set screw adjustment. Afterwords, check your timing, maybe it got set with dwell of 25 or 35 degrees now it will off some at 30 degrees.
Plugs, use the right ones for your engine AC DELCO and gap at .035" with stock ignition. Should run well.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,356
Likes: 6,332
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Re: Points setting (bigvette1)
Just to expand a little on what bigvette1 says:
First, I've had some really bad luck with cheap dwell meters. I bought a cheap analog one from Sears ("made in China" sticker on the back), checked it against my big calibrated Sun Engine Analyzer, and the Sears dwell meter was off by 8 degrees. That's enough to really affect engine performance. I then went over to Checker and bought a cheap digital. It was off by 5 degrees, so I took it back. It said "made in China" on the back. I finally bought a good, digital one from Sears for about $90. It calibrates out correctly, and has been reliable except when used in hot humid conditions: heat and humidity makes the digital screen go black (we were tuning Vettes out in Memphis, and had to keep taking the dwell meter in to the Hotel lobby to "clear it up.") So I'd recommend you spend the few extra dollars for a good quality unit, and the cheap ones will cause you more problems than they solve. Gap the points to .016, and then throw the dwell meter on the car. If the dwell is not in the area of 26-30 degrees with the .016" gap, chances are the meter is bad. With a good meter on it, set the dwell to 30-31. This is the high side of the tolerance, and gives you a little better coil saturation with the longer dwell.
Bigvette1 also touched on another issue: Once you set the dwell (or gap), make sure you re-time the car. Every degree change in dwell changes the timing one degree. If your dwell changes 5 degrees before and after your points change-out, your timing is going to be way off. You can observe this effect by changing the dwell with your allen wrench: as dwell decreases, timing advances. The engine will pick up rpm, and will appear to be running better with less and less dwell. In fact, you're actually just advancing the timing and decreasing coil saturation, making it appear that the engine is running better. So just nail it down at 30-31 degrees dwell and then set up your timing.
First, I've had some really bad luck with cheap dwell meters. I bought a cheap analog one from Sears ("made in China" sticker on the back), checked it against my big calibrated Sun Engine Analyzer, and the Sears dwell meter was off by 8 degrees. That's enough to really affect engine performance. I then went over to Checker and bought a cheap digital. It was off by 5 degrees, so I took it back. It said "made in China" on the back. I finally bought a good, digital one from Sears for about $90. It calibrates out correctly, and has been reliable except when used in hot humid conditions: heat and humidity makes the digital screen go black (we were tuning Vettes out in Memphis, and had to keep taking the dwell meter in to the Hotel lobby to "clear it up.") So I'd recommend you spend the few extra dollars for a good quality unit, and the cheap ones will cause you more problems than they solve. Gap the points to .016, and then throw the dwell meter on the car. If the dwell is not in the area of 26-30 degrees with the .016" gap, chances are the meter is bad. With a good meter on it, set the dwell to 30-31. This is the high side of the tolerance, and gives you a little better coil saturation with the longer dwell.
Bigvette1 also touched on another issue: Once you set the dwell (or gap), make sure you re-time the car. Every degree change in dwell changes the timing one degree. If your dwell changes 5 degrees before and after your points change-out, your timing is going to be way off. You can observe this effect by changing the dwell with your allen wrench: as dwell decreases, timing advances. The engine will pick up rpm, and will appear to be running better with less and less dwell. In fact, you're actually just advancing the timing and decreasing coil saturation, making it appear that the engine is running better. So just nail it down at 30-31 degrees dwell and then set up your timing.
