progress report...how set points gap?

[ggenovez]

Hey t walgamuth,

Not sure what you mean by setting the points with a dwell meter, but the meter is used to see what the dwell is.

Dwell is the lenght of time the points are open while the engine is running.

This is done by trial and error until you get it just right. It's taken me anywhere from 2-45 minutes.

New points should be set to the maximum range so they last the longest. In your case 41'

[Arthur Dalton]

Originally Posted by ggenovez

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New points should be set to the maximum range so they last the longest. In your case 41'

>>>

Dwell is the amount of degrees the distributor shaft/cam turns while the points are CLOSED. Which is why it is called "Dwell Angle"..


Points should be set at the min. dwell angle spec.. b/c as the gap decreases, the dwell angle increases ..so, as the points cam block wears , the points gap will decrease..

[ggenovez]

I stand corrected. Thanks Arthur,

It's the gap should be set to the max so the dwell is the lowest.

[Arthur Dalton]

Correct....

[t walgamuth]

now i know.

thanks arthur.

tom w

[Neubie]

Well I got lucky, no feeler guages, so I just set them by trial and error and checked with the dwell meter, got them right the first time! nice to see something go right! Will add the oil to the rotor today.

Oddly enough when I hooked up the timing light (Positive lead to battery, black to ground, and clamp part to spark plug wire 1 as per directions) I got nothing out of the light itself. Broken right out of the box or did I miss something? Its a craftsman inductive timing light, basic model, figured it should work...

Thanks for the help!

[ggenovez]

Some models require you hold the trigger, some have a sequence. press the trigger several times with a 5 second delay in between. Also some have trouble running at high speed.

Any of those don't work bring it back