If you read my earlier post today, you heard about the death of my old crusty ignition points. I changed them tonight, adjusted them to .014 (my book says .012-.016) and put on a new cap. (Plugs were changed the other day; the new rotor I bought did not fit properly, so I need to swap it out.)

When I turned the key, for the first time since I've owned this car, the engine started immediately. Like instead of: wirr wirr wirr wirr wirr wirr wirr wirr putt wirr wirr putt putt wirr wirr wirr wirr putt pu-putt putt, it was just wirr wi-VROOM. Dead cold, too, with about 20 degrees F ambient temperature. Awesome.

I drove it around a while to get the engine warmed up (the thermostat still needs replacing, as it runs cold), and I can tell it's still not really dialed in properly yet -- still needs a new wireset, new rotor, new condenser (didn't have a short enough screwdriver to get the old condenser off) -- but it's way better.

The old points, by the way, were just gone. The stationary point was literally non-existent...just a hole where it had been. Amazing it had run at all.

By the way, when I was poking around in there, I discovered what appears to be a ground strap of some sort, attached from inside the distributor wall to the breaker plate. But it wasn't attached! I could see that it had been soldered to the plate before, so I fetched a solder gun and put it back in place. What is that thing, exactly? Anybody?

Hope to swap out the wires, condenser and rotor tomorrow. Engine runs stronger now, but still hesitates sporadically when running at speed. Little jerky tugging sensations as I zip along. I'll post again when I finish the ignition side of the tune-up. Oh, and the positive battery cable still needs replacing. I did the negative already...but it's been miserably cold lately and it's kept me from really digging in on the car.

All advice, opinion, conjecture, encouragement and commiseration welcome.

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Carmody
Wichita, Kansas USA
Air Capital of the World


1968 220 (my first MB!)