Geoff wrote, in part:
List,
<.... I noticed that one of the bob weight sets had 16 degrees marked on
them, and so I decided to throw that into the distributor I was putting
together with the thinking that more advance is good (my current dizzy
has the standard 13 degree weights).>
Geoff---More advance is not necessarily good if this extra bit gets you
into detonation (with your higher CR). What can happen as a result is
you'll then have to retard the timing to stay away from detonation, and
possibly lose some early timing at the bottom, when you could better use
it.
< I just want to ask you guys if I am missing the big picture somewhere.
Can I just throw this distributor in and expect more performance?>
It's really difficult to feel the difference in a few degrees of
performance by the seat-of-the-pants. Your best bet here is to use some
type of monitoring equipment, such as a vacuum gauge. Higher readings
may show up when the engine is happier. You'll have to (at least
temporarily) route a vacuum line and gauge into the cockpit to tell.
< Will I have to retard the whole unit just to stop the pinging which
may happen as a result of more advance?>
See above.
< Are there any other adjustments/concessions I have to make before
using this? Thanks in advance,>
Geoff
If you have two distributor bodies as spares, I'd use the unit with the
least amount of variation in the cam that opens the points, This can be
checked by clamping the dist. frame in a vise and mounting a dial
indicator against the points-opening cam. Turn the shaft by hand and
watch the dial. You are checking here for a bent shaft, or worn cam
lobes.
Next, try applying some side pressure to the cam as you turn the shaft,
the way the spring in the points would do in operation. This will make
play in the bushings show up.
Dick
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