15° Retarded
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,525
Likes: 2
From: Houston TX
15° Retarded
About a month ago when I was changing the cap and rotor on my 65K mile '88 coupe, I noticed that you could rotate the distributor rotor a considerable amount. Figuring it was not a worn cam gear or distributor gear, I ordered the shim kit from Jeg's.
Today I pulled the distributor, noting the placement of the housing and the placement of the rotor. Sure enough, there was considerable vertical distributor shaft play. Measured out at 0.050" vertical play. I added two 0.020" shims, lubed, verified movement as 0.008" (probably a bit more once everything seats). Reinstalled everything and verified that I was now 30° clockwise from the original location. I tightened everything down and fired the car up, though it was a bit hard to start.
Readjusted the timing (put it down to 10° BTDC). Car runs good! Has more umph than before.
Maybe others have noticed the same issue. Job took less than 45 mins total. Shims were like $5. Easy job, low cost!
Aaron
Today I pulled the distributor, noting the placement of the housing and the placement of the rotor. Sure enough, there was considerable vertical distributor shaft play. Measured out at 0.050" vertical play. I added two 0.020" shims, lubed, verified movement as 0.008" (probably a bit more once everything seats). Reinstalled everything and verified that I was now 30° clockwise from the original location. I tightened everything down and fired the car up, though it was a bit hard to start.
Readjusted the timing (put it down to 10° BTDC). Car runs good! Has more umph than before.
Maybe others have noticed the same issue. Job took less than 45 mins total. Shims were like $5. Easy job, low cost!
Aaron
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 476
Likes: 0
From: Tucson, AZ. L98-85 AUTO COUPE: 120k MILES: daily driver. SOUND OFF IF YOU'VE BEEN THERE. Ex-Jumpin' Junky-82nd Airborne-2/505 PIR: 1st ID-1/16th Inf: Recon Marine Retread. GOD BLESS GRUNTS.
i wanna hear about this one.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,130
Likes: 2
From: seattle WA
Glad the shimming worked good for you 
there was a post about that awhile ago. I had two 350's where I had to have the bushings replaced, and I can tell you that made a hellava lot of difference...good that is. 
there was a post about that awhile ago. I had two 350's where I had to have the bushings replaced, and I can tell you that made a hellava lot of difference...good that is.
