How to connect dwell meter?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 878
Likes: 60
From: Minneapolis, MN USA
How to connect dwell meter?
Hi all - most of U know I have been struggling to get my car running. With Ur help, it is now running! 
One of the things I did was replace the points. Evidently I was successful in replacing the points, and making the initial crude adjustment because the car is running. But now I need to fine tune it.
I just got a dwell meter yesterday. My Haynes manual tells me pretty clearly how to adjust the dwell...but one step says "connect the dwell meter per the meter's directions" or something like that. The meter I got is like a digital multimeter that can do dwell, volts, tach, etc...and of course it came with virtually no directions. So, I have a positive lead and a "negative" lead that plug into my meter...but where to I put these leads on the car?
Second - what should the dwell be? For most of the engines in the Haynes manual, it seems to list a range of 27-33 degrees or so...but for my engine/year (1970, 350hp/350), it just has a dash mark???
Thanks again!!!
One of the things I did was replace the points. Evidently I was successful in replacing the points, and making the initial crude adjustment because the car is running. But now I need to fine tune it.
I just got a dwell meter yesterday. My Haynes manual tells me pretty clearly how to adjust the dwell...but one step says "connect the dwell meter per the meter's directions" or something like that. The meter I got is like a digital multimeter that can do dwell, volts, tach, etc...and of course it came with virtually no directions. So, I have a positive lead and a "negative" lead that plug into my meter...but where to I put these leads on the car?
Second - what should the dwell be? For most of the engines in the Haynes manual, it seems to list a range of 27-33 degrees or so...but for my engine/year (1970, 350hp/350), it just has a dash mark???
Thanks again!!!
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,102
Likes: 0
From: spring city pa
Ground the negative lead and connect the positive lead to the negative teminal of the coil [ the small wire that goes from the coil to the distributor ] ,,,,,,,,,, Happy tuning !
geo
PS dwell should 28/32 deg ,,,,,,,,, it is advisable to set the dwell to the low number as the rubbing block wears the dwell number will rise
geo
PS dwell should 28/32 deg ,,,,,,,,, it is advisable to set the dwell to the low number as the rubbing block wears the dwell number will rise
Last edited by ram82fire; Jul 20, 2004 at 06:09 PM.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Denver Colorado
My meter has 3 leads red black and green. Red and black go to the battery, the green lead goes to the wire from the coil to the distributor.
As for what dwell to set it at, 32 is a good place to start, that seems to be where most small block chevys get set.
As for what dwell to set it at, 32 is a good place to start, that seems to be where most small block chevys get set.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 929
Likes: 5
From: Marietta GA
Originally Posted by ram82fire
Ground the negative lead and connect the positive lead to the negative teminal of the coil [ the small wire that goes from the coil to the distributor ] ,,,,,,,,,, Happy tuning !
geo
PS dwell should 28/32 deg ,,,,,,,,, it is advisable to set the dwell to the low number as the rubbing block wears the dwell number will rise
geo
PS dwell should 28/32 deg ,,,,,,,,, it is advisable to set the dwell to the low number as the rubbing block wears the dwell number will rise
C6 the C5 of tomorrow
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,665
Likes: 2
From: Twin Cities Minnesota
Originally Posted by Mpls Funk
Hi all - most of U know I have been struggling to get my car running. With Ur help, it is now running!
One of the things I did was replace the points. Evidently I was successful in replacing the points, and making the initial crude adjustment because the car is running. But now I need to fine tune it.
I just got a dwell meter yesterday. My Haynes manual tells me pretty clearly how to adjust the dwell...but one step says "connect the dwell meter per the meter's directions" or something like that. The meter I got is like a digital multimeter that can do dwell, volts, tach, etc...and of course it came with virtually no directions. So, I have a positive lead and a "negative" lead that plug into my meter...but where to I put these leads on the car?
Second - what should the dwell be? For most of the engines in the Haynes manual, it seems to list a range of 27-33 degrees or so...but for my engine/year (1970, 350hp/350), it just has a dash mark???
Thanks again!!!
One of the things I did was replace the points. Evidently I was successful in replacing the points, and making the initial crude adjustment because the car is running. But now I need to fine tune it.
I just got a dwell meter yesterday. My Haynes manual tells me pretty clearly how to adjust the dwell...but one step says "connect the dwell meter per the meter's directions" or something like that. The meter I got is like a digital multimeter that can do dwell, volts, tach, etc...and of course it came with virtually no directions. So, I have a positive lead and a "negative" lead that plug into my meter...but where to I put these leads on the car?
Second - what should the dwell be? For most of the engines in the Haynes manual, it seems to list a range of 27-33 degrees or so...but for my engine/year (1970, 350hp/350), it just has a dash mark???
Thanks again!!!
I'm the northern burbs and could possibly help out.
but the advice above is pretty dead on.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,102
Likes: 0
From: spring city pa
Originally Posted by BB68Vett
It has been a little while since I have set the dwell on my car (I converted to electronic ignition), but it would seem intuitive that as the rubbing block wears the dwell will decrease and not increase. Dwell, I think, is a measurement of how long the points stay open measured in degrees of crankshaft rotation. If the rubbbing block wears the points should be opening less, because the distributor won't be able to "lift" or "separate" the points contacts as far as when the rubbing block was new. Just a thought. I just used to set the dwell dead on at 30 degrees and check it once a month.
Dwell is a measurement of the time the points are closed , setting the dwell at the high spec [ 32 deg ] is counterproductive .
gman
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 878
Likes: 60
From: Minneapolis, MN USA
Originally Posted by 427V8
Where in Mpls are you?
I'm the northern burbs and could possibly help out.
but the advice above is pretty dead on.
I'm the northern burbs and could possibly help out.
but the advice above is pretty dead on.
Thanks again!
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