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Posted by: bbrock Sep 4 2021, 08:09 PM

Quick background. Engine is a rebuilt 2L with Elgin cam and Weber 40IDFs. I bought a Pertronix Ignitor 3 to avoid having to mess with points but I could only get it to work well with a NOS Bosch 050 distributor. It runs rough with a brand new Bosch clone SVDA and the OE dizzy. However, the engine runs best with the OE DVDA distributor so I'm running that with points.

The problem is that I've had to adjust dwell and timing 3 times in only 1,000 miles of driving. Each time the dwell creeps up until the engine starts spitting and farting and is a bit hard to start when warm. Readjusting the dwell and timing gets it running like a top again. So Only thing I can think is that the phenolic block on the points is wearing crazy fast. I lubed the cam and block with high temp slicone grease and I can feel it is still on there. Did I just get a shitty set of points?

Posted by: 76-914 Sep 5 2021, 12:21 AM

Damned if I know but I am curious to know if the rotation on the dist is always in the same direction when resetting the timing e.g. counter clockwise?

Posted by: Superhawk996 Sep 5 2021, 04:19 AM

Something is not right. We all ran points in the 80s and didn’t adjust them 3 times in 1000 miles.

Need to look at them. are they burning or pitting? Are they building up a cone on one contact and a crater on the other? Are the contacts meeting nice and square to one another?

Bad condenser will allow points to burn. Too hot of a coil without a ballast resistor will also cause problems.

Sorry you’re having to do this. I followed your dizzy saga and it never made sense why you can’t get a stable set up that the engine likes and or an electronic ignition that works well. The bottom line is I used to run points reliably and only messed with them every 6,000 miles or so.

Other less likely things: points screw tight enough or stripping out? How about distributor hold down clamp; is it clamping the distributor properly without slippage?

Posted by: 930cabman Sep 5 2021, 06:36 AM

My bet is that it's something simple, just tracking it down. I run points on all my sporting machines and have never had problems. Bushings in the housing? cheap points? not enough lube for the wear block?

Posted by: StarBear Sep 5 2021, 08:03 AM

Yep; was happening to me too (1.8 EFI)..A little lock right on the points hold down screw and an extra tweak clockwise. No problem since then.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 5 2021, 08:23 AM

Thanks all. I got to thinking about it, and the points I'm running are what shipped with the SVDA dizzy I bought. This is the same SVDA that Pertronix sells and Aircooled.Net recommends, but like I said, it is a Chinese clone of the old Bosch version that is NLA. The dizzy itself is decent quality but who knows the quality of the points they ship with? I think I'll start by ordering a good set of points.

But to answer your thoughts/questions:

The dizzy is locked down tight and not rotating. The only reason I have to readjust the timing is because the dwell creeps up over time (indicating the points gap is getting smaller). According to the Haynes manual, a 0.1mm change in the points gaps changes the timing by ~3 degrees which is about what I'm seeing. I've been trying to set the dwell as close to the 44 degree spec limit as possible, but it is a fiddly adjustment so usually 46-48 is the closest I can get. The direction I have to turn the dizzy after resetting the dwell depends on where the dwell is reset relative to when I set the timing the last time, but it has always only needed to be adjusted 2-3 degrees.

Checking that the screw on the points was locking down tight was one of the first things I checked and yes, it is locking down the base plate on the points very tightly. In fact, I'm always surprised how much I have to back off the screw before I can move the plate to adjust the dwell. I also checked for wear in the dizzy by revving the engine to see if the dwell angle changes with engine speed. It changes less than 1 deg through the full rpm range which is within spec.

I've also inspected the contacts and they still look pristine. No sign of wear at all. The condensor was purchased new from Pelican.

As I mentioned, I can feel the grease I applied on the cam if I wipe my finger across. I'm not sure how much lube is supposed to be on. I put a little on the block and a smear around the cams but figured if I over did it, it might fling off and foul the points.

As for the Ignitor 3, I've read of others on this forum and the Samba who have had a very similar experience. I haven't even tried to contact Pertronix because all reports I've read indicate they are assholes about admitting there is a problem. I don't need that aggravation. It is a mystery why it works well on the 050 but not the other two dizzies. It actually runs great on all three dizzies when they are cold, but as the two vacuum advance units heat up, the spark becomes erratic. I suspect there is a problem with the hall effect sensor. There is no adjustable air gap on these like on previous models. I've wondered if slotting the mounting hole so the unit could be pivoted closer to the distributor cam would help.

Posted by: Shivers Sep 5 2021, 08:25 AM

Once, before I threw my points as far as I could, I bought a set of points and a condenser. I put them in and it did what you are experiencing with yours. The condenser was bad enough to keep welding the points together for a fraction of a second. Knocking the points out of adjustment. Best day in my car was that cold morning, after putting in electronic ignition. I turned the key and it fired off on the second rotation.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 5 2021, 08:43 AM

I'm with you. I'm probably going to convert the engine to Microsquirt with a modern coil pack over the winter. I hated points back when they were standard on most cars and thought I had solved that with the Pertronix. After 1,600 miles, I'm ready to ditch the carbs too. In the mean time, I'm hoping to enjoy a couple months of premium driving weather so will suffer through with points until the snow flies.

Posted by: Superhawk996 Sep 5 2021, 09:26 AM

No wonder you hate points.

Honestly, it seems like you have the bases covered. Get your hands on a set of Bosch points.

Microsquirt will be a huge upgrade due to the altitude and weather fluctuations. My intent with the 2.4L six is to go directly to coil on plug. FI far superior.

I wasn't convinced about the merits of FI vs. serviceability until I had my Miata. I was traveling to Idaho to do some skiing in January. Woke up on -20F South Dakota morning 1/2 expecting to call for a jump start. Fired right up in about 2 revolutions of the engine. Instantly became a believer.

Posted by: Root_Werks Sep 5 2021, 09:56 AM

Good quality points and condenser make a big difference. Still running points in one of our Bugs. Only put a few thousand miles a year on the Bug, but can't remember the last time I adjusted the points. Shouldn't need to.

Posted by: Steve Sep 5 2021, 09:58 AM

I had good luck with the pertronics igniter and never looked back. I kept a pair of points in the glove box, but never needed them.

Posted by: Porschef Sep 5 2021, 10:26 AM

Brent, I bit the bullet and sprung for a 123 distributor; it’s been the best improvement for me yet. Programmable, set it and fo’get it.

But if’n you’re gonna go microsquirt I suppose it’s a moot point. Hope you get it figured

Posted by: 914werke Sep 5 2021, 12:40 PM

Lifes too short. Id dump the points & swap in a electronic replacement.
Pertronix is the defcto but there are others. Not a pertonix shill but Ive had a 1847v in the LE for over a decade w/no issues.
The II version eliminates the Key on issue & the III version adds to that improvement w/multi-spark & programable rev limit.

Posted by: 930cabman Sep 5 2021, 01:26 PM

Same thing with my '64 356SC, a few years ago I pulled the points and gave them a file job on the roadside. Still running great

Posted by: bbrock Sep 5 2021, 02:36 PM

As I said in the first post, I have a Pertronix III. It does not work on two of three dizzies I've tried it on. If anyone is successfully running a Pertronix Ignitor III on an SVDA or DVDA dizzy, I'd like to hear about it. Oh yes, I also am running the Pertronix plug wires. IMO, the Ignitor III is simply not ready for prime time. Too many people reporting the same results I had.

Right now I'd just like a solution that will hold the tune for a couple more months of driving. Then I'll dig into the microsquirt which will include installing a modern coil pack. One option is to just switch back to the 050 with Pertronix in it. That works well enough but doesn't provide the silky smooth acceleration I'm getting with the properly tuned OE distributor. The other is to try another set of points and hope they behave.

Posted by: sixnotfour Sep 5 2021, 03:00 PM

My Motto ...Type 4 Sale.. Sorry about electric Issues.. Happy Labor Day

Posted by: Superhawk996 Sep 5 2021, 04:32 PM

Maybe a II is for you.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/PELPT91847V.htm?pn=PEL-PT91847V&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI446M_u3o8gIVmWxvBB0yug7oEAQYAiABEgLkq_D_BwE

Posted by: bbrock Sep 5 2021, 04:38 PM

Thought about it, but doesn't make sense to spend that kind of coin for 2 months of driving.

Posted by: 914werke Sep 5 2021, 05:14 PM

I just happened to speak to a Pertronix rep this last week when trying to make a purchase decision on a 1.8L dizzy application. I got lucky to speak to surprisingly knowledgeable tech & a ACVW owner.
His comments were interesting.
He said in our applications (ACVW in general & T4 specifically) for 90% of the owners he'd never recommend the purchase any of the III products.
The II offerings (points replacement & dizzy's) were the best option.

Posted by: Superhawk996 Sep 5 2021, 05:38 PM

@http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=453

What was the rationale? Inquiring minds want to know.

I'd bet due to multi-spark feature which really isn't going to work well with a standard coil but I'm sort of quessing.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 5 2021, 11:03 PM

Very interesting. I went all in and also bought the Flamethrower III coil which I would assume would work well with the multi-spark. I suckered in by the programmable rev limiter though. I'm also curious to know the reps rationale.

Posted by: Superhawk996 Sep 6 2021, 07:50 AM

@http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=20845

Are you running that Flamethrower coil with the stock points?

From Summit Website:
PerTronix Flame-Thrower III ignition coils were developed for use with the new Ignitor III electronics. They feature an ultra-low resistance of 0.32 ohms with 45,000 V. They were engineered to charge to peak current typically 30-70 percent faster than other ignition coils. This means that maximum spark energy is sustained to higher engine rpm.

Stock coil has built in ballast resistor and is about 4 ohms. You are pulling an order of magnitude more current though the points contacts if you are running points with the Flamethrower. 10x more current will erode the contacts more quickly and/or you could be getting thermal distortion as they heat up.

Just a thought . . . .

The increased current flow thought the points and coil will also result in more about 10x more induced voltage that the condensor has to absorb. This could be damaging your condensor. Equation for Voltage induced by an inductor is Voltage = inductace (of the coil) x rate of change in the current; V= L(dI/dT). 10x more current = 10x more voltage if steady state current is achieved before the ponts open the circuit.

If the ad copy from the Flamethrower is to be belived, maybe you're only getting 30-70% of that due to other inefficiencies but the math says you would still be getting 3x more currrent flow and induced voltages if we took the 30% peak current with a grain of truth.

Don't want to get lost in the math and electrical theory . . . . use a stock coil if you're not doing so already.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 6 2021, 07:56 AM

No. I'm running a new Bosch blue coil from Pelican

Posted by: mb911 Sep 6 2021, 07:59 AM

Man sounds like a 123 dizzy in your future. Absolutely love mine and would really suggest it.

Posted by: Superhawk996 Sep 6 2021, 08:14 AM

Give it a quick resistance measurement just to be sure!

Posted by: bbrock Sep 6 2021, 08:39 AM

Doesn't make sense if I'm going Microsquirt. That will replace both carbs and dizzy with a modern coil pack that will give me everything a 123 has to offer and more.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 6 2021, 09:26 AM

Primary is 3.2 ohms. When I installed the points, I first used the old coil from my spare parts bin that was on the engine when I tore it down. It ran fine for awhile but then started misfiring. I suspected the coil since it was the only part in the system not new or refurbished. Bought and installed the blue coil but it did not fix the misfire. That is how I discovered the dwell was drifting. I assume running too hot of a coil would burn the points. No sign of burning on these contacts.

BTW, I re-tuned the ignition last Thursday and drove the car a couple hundred miles. Drove the car 15 miles to a dinner party last night and it was missing and backfiring the whole trip. Haven't checked the dwell yet, but I'll bet it has crept up again.

Posted by: mb911 Sep 6 2021, 11:30 AM

Oh yes forgot that was your plan.

Posted by: Superhawk996 Sep 6 2021, 12:30 PM

Man. This is crazy.

So OK on the coil resistance with internal ballast. No burning. Check.

How about the screws that hold in the points plate to the distributor body? All tight?

What I'd really love is to see it curved on an old fashion distributor curve machine and/or hook up an O-scope to it.

What a mystery! Right guy is on the case though!

One more thought -- do you have the spring in there that goes between the distributor drive shaft (in engine case) and the distributor body / drive cog itself? That spring helps pre-load the drive shaft gear to the crank gear. If not pre-loaded, you would get some random dwell variance depening on gear mesh. Really stretching on theories here . . . ..

Posted by: bbrock Sep 6 2021, 06:17 PM

Yes you are

I checked the dwell again this morning. It was 52 degrees. I had it set at 46 degrees before my long drive on Thursday so a 6 deg increase in dwell angle (decrease in points gap) in about 200 miles. Enough to change the timing enough it was starting to sputter again. I pulled the points and think I confirmed this is just a shitty quality of points. It's hard to tell in this pic, but it looks to me like the wear block is being ground away and there is a little glob of grease on the leading edge that looks to be infused with the same material the block is made of. Of course I don't have a fresh set of identical points to compare with to confirm that's what's happening, but it's the only thing that really makes sense. A consistent decrease in gap due to the block wearing away. I have a couple sets of Bosch points on the way.



While I had the points out and just for grins, I threw the Pertronix III back in because it occurred to me I had never tried it in combo with the Bosch blue coil. It fired right up and after redialing the timing, it idled smooth although fast. Here's a question. I couldn't read the dwell angle on the Pertronix with my old Craftsman analog dwell meter. Is that to be expected? Anyway, I got my hopes up and took it for a test drive. No joy. It started bucking like a mule driving at around 20 mph. Out on the pavement, it pulled smoothly up to 100 mph, but driving at normal highway cruising speeds, it would randomly cut out. It feels almost like the rev limiter is kicking in randomly but it doesn't do this with the 050 dizzy. In other words, same result as previous tests.

I put a little extra grease on the wear block and cam lobes and spent 40 minutes cussing the fiddle-farty adjustment getting the dwell back in spec. That should stay in good enough tune until the replacement points arrive.

Just to answer Phil's last questions - we already covered the plate to distributor screw and yes, it is tight. And yes, the spring in the top of the drive shaft is installed. That wouldn't explain the symptoms anyway because I haven't seen random changes in dwell, but rather, a steady increase in dwell until the timing is changed enough to cause the engine to start sputtering. A slipping adjustment screw or wear block being ground down would fit what I'm seeing. Burnt contact surfaces seem like they'd be more likely to increase gap and therefore decrease dwell angle but I suppose something funky could happen that would weld material in heaps on one or both contact surfaces. My contacts look nearly brand new. Just a pinpoint sized black dot in the center of each surface where the spark is jumping. Totally normal wear after 1,000 miles.

Posted by: jd74914 Sep 7 2021, 09:11 AM

Sorry, haven't read the whole thread but...

I've had this very same issue and the cam follower block you have pictured was wearing very quickly. It was annoying, but as a broke undergrad messing with points really wasn't a big deal for me (funny part was this was mid-2000s...no one had any idea what I was doing haha). About 2-3k miles in it actually broke and left me on the side of the road. Interestingly the bad parts were genuine Bosch and I just assumed I had received a defective unit with maybe bad phenolic mix or defect. Replaced with a second set (also Bosch) which had a slightly different looking block. Almost appeared to be a piece of fiberglass-reinforced phenolic vs. straight phenolic. That set of points had no issues and literally went 20k miles without any adjustment required.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 7 2021, 12:42 PM

Thanks for this! Good to know a fresh set of points might solve the problem. Not good to know that even Bosch points can be afflicted. Hopefully I'll get a good set. If I can just get it to hold a tune for the next couple thousand miles, I'll be happy.

Posted by: jd74914 Sep 7 2021, 08:24 PM

Totally agree-certainly worth the try for a few thousand miles. Parts are cheap anyways.

I have a feeling your issue may be exacerbated by being a bit closer to the edge than I usually ran. Given the fact that I was doing stuff on the side of the road or in my dorm parking lot a lot, usually at night, I was never breaking out a timing light or really anything but a feeler gauge. What sounded good to my ears was probably not as fine tuned as the factory specs.

I do think your ultimate goal of going to MS with COP or CNP is far better. With a good crank position signal and accurate timing it’s amazing how crisp you can get even an old motor to run (only caveat here that MS crank position calculation is kinda slow with junky hardware filters so you don’t see ultimate benefits as compared to some FPGA-based crank positioning calculations, but it’s still 1000x times better than a distributor).

Posted by: bbrock Sep 7 2021, 10:30 PM

Do you have any experience running a cam position sensor with MS? Looks like Mario is working on a new version of his. I'm still learning but intrigued by the ability to run sequential spark and injection. I don't know anything about calculation speeds or if the combo of cam and crank position sensors would affect that. As Phil mentioned, something important for me is having %barametric sensing because I could easily drive through a pretty massive range of elevation in a day's drive here. If I understand correctly, this involves adding a second MAP that is open to atmosphere to get an ambient pressure reference. Not sure if I have that right though.

Posted by: jd74914 Sep 7 2021, 11:49 PM

No, I haven't run a cam trigger. I'm not sure there is much benefit to running sequential to be honest [particularly on a T4], unless you are really trying to push to slightly higher efficiencies. In higher speed applications (think sport bike), you gain some charge time for the coils which can be critical, not an issue here. I do have a cam trigger setup (not from Mario-it's a custom jobber using an OEM distributor base with tooth wheel/hall effect sensor) which I might try one day.

You definitely want a dedicated barometric pressure sensor for your use rather than depend on a key-on correction. If running Alpha-N (TPS vs. engine speed), the barometric correction is quite important given ideal gas law. Speed density (MAP based), I'd still run one personally, but theoretically shouldn't be necessary. Frequently people run blended Alpha-N which basically mean Alpha-N at idle/low engine speeds and speed density at higher speeds, again, an important case for a barometric pressure sensor.

Are you planning on using Mario's crank sync? I've got it and think the packaging is very slick, plus he includes a hall sensor which is perfect for the MS application. As MS has poor noise filtering, and does not allow setting engine speed dependent trigger voltages, so really 'need' a hall effect sensor rather than VR since processing the square wave is easy. Typically, I'd recommend using a VR sensor as a) the edge triggering is slightly more accurate in time domain, and b) ICs in hall effect sensors sometimes switch output polarity resulting in a speed-skipping, but neither matter much if the trigger doesn't work from the start.

Posted by: peteinjp Sep 8 2021, 12:40 AM

I used a compufire setup on my old bmw 2002. Replaces the coil as well and never had to touch it again after it was set up.

Posted by: Arno914 Sep 8 2021, 12:53 AM

If the wear block wears fast, check the distributor cam for roughness. Had that issue a long time ago and after polishing the cam surface I had no more issues and the points last.

Would be helpful to have the cam profile to remachine the cam if necessary.

Posted by: Steve73 Sep 8 2021, 08:27 AM

I had a similar point fail (fall apart) on a long haul drive in my VW a few years back. Was only a few weeks old. Was bought from a mail order parts company that has slipped in cheap non bosh parts. I called them and they refused to admit the part was not Bosh.

I've had good luck with Auto Zone rotor, cap and points on VW. Don't know if any 914 crossover. May not be your go to source. But in a pinch in could save a road trip etc.

Posted by: IronHillRestorations Sep 8 2021, 10:42 AM

Dwell is only for points and is obsolete with Pertronix. Is it possible the OEM distributor has excessive wear? Pertronix is a solution for that.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 8 2021, 11:50 AM

The only two tests I have for distributor wear are wiggling the shaft (seems tight and smooth) and measuring dwell through the full rpm range which using the procedure in Haynes (and I believe the FSM) to check for wear. Change in dwell is well under 1 deg across the rpm range so within spec. Also, I would expect bearing or shaft wear to cause erratic changes in dwell rather than the smooth progression of increasing dwell angle over time.

Thanks for the clarification on dwell and Pertronix. I guess that makes sense now that I think about it.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 11 2021, 12:59 PM

Continuing the saga. I drove the car to town and back twice since the last tune-up. Roughly 80 miles total counting the test drive after the tune-up. The car was already starting to sputter and because hard to start. This morning I checked the dwell and once again, it had increased (51 deg).

Yesterday, the replacement points arrived. I swore I ordered Bosch brand points but what arrived were WVE brand which I have never heard of. I was mad and checked the order invoice and sure enough, they were listed as WVE. Not sure where the mixup occurred. I was a little less mad when I saw WVE is made by NGK. They also came with a little capsule of grease. They also look like they have fiber in the wear block like @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=1659 described.



Pulled the old points and compared to the new. Tried to get a better pic but the wear block on the old points is much shorter and now I can even see the angle of contact with the came worn into them. If these points started out with a wear block like the new ones, then they have lost about 2mm which is a LOT of gap chance.



Plugged in the new points and dialed them in to 46 deg dwell and reset the timing to 27 deg BTDC @ 3500 rpm with vacuum blocked off. Idling smooth at 650 rpm with vacuum connected (I have the vacuum retard connected too). Now we'll see if these points make the difference.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 11 2021, 06:02 PM

Just returned from a trip to town of about 50ish miles round trip. Rechecked the dwell and get 46 deg. No change from where I set it this morning. So far, so good.

Posted by: jd74914 Sep 13 2021, 01:34 AM

Awesome-fingers crossed it stays that way. Your new ones look more “correct” to me with the thinner cam follower piece too.

Posted by: bbrock Sep 17 2021, 10:13 PM

I'm singing this note 'cause it fits in well
With the way I'm feeling
There's a symphony that I hear in your heart
Sets my head a-reeling
But I'm in tune
Right in tune
I'm in tune
And I'm gonna stay
Right in tune

That should flush out the over 55 crowd

But yes, I'm happy. Took the car over to Livingston for a Pizza run and the odometer turned over 2K miles since being put back on the road. That means in 3 months I've driven it way more than that Sotheby's car claims to have on it since new. That include a few hundred miles since swapping in the new points. I'm happy to report that it is still running oh so sweet. Might have to hook up the old dwell meter tomorrow just to verify with numbers, but boy is it nice to just be able to jump in and drive without feeling the perform deteriorate with every mile. It may be premature, but I'm calling this mystery solved.

Posted by: 930cabman Sep 18 2021, 06:45 PM

The smell of victory is sweet, often our 45+ years young sporting machines can test our patience

Posted by: Van B Feb 26 2022, 11:20 PM

@http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=453
Rich, would really love to hear more about this conversation! I just spent $180 on the v3. Given their reputation for shit customer service, I don’t want to install it if I’m guaranteed problems. So, anything more you can share would be great help… I can’t understand why they would list the v3 on their site for use on my car if it’s not gonna work, ya know?

Posted by: Van B Mar 2 2022, 08:34 AM

For posterity,
I finally managed to get ahold of a Pertronix rep and he said that what they are seeing is that the Ignitor III doesn't seem to get along with fuel injection. That includes any aftermarket or Bosch system. They suspect something about the signal causes the multispark to get confused. Thus, the Ignitor III is only an option for carb conversions. Otherwise, the Ignitor II is the best option for the rest of us.

Posted by: sportlicherFahrer Mar 2 2022, 09:19 AM

@http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=8571 The II is where its at. Part# 91847V. Ran with FI and carbs with 0 issues. Have also run it in conjunction with MSD on my carb setup with good results for a multi spark system. Not sure how MSD runs with original injection.

I'd try to return the III and swap it for a II if you can.

Posted by: Jett Mar 2 2022, 09:40 AM

Old thread but common problem. Two months ago we put in new points and within 20 miles the pad had worn and they came out of adjustment. Threw them away and bought a German set

Posted by: Van B Mar 2 2022, 01:58 PM

I already bought the II and am waiting for the III to be delivered so I can scribble an RMA on the box and give it back to the driver lol...
I'm glad Rich posted the comment he did because it came up in my search, and prompted me to get ahold of Pertronix. Sadly, I didn't get the impression they would correct their fitment note to prevent other 914 owners from having problems with the III. So, that's why I posted it up here so future searches will have more info.

Posted by: rbzymek Mar 3 2022, 11:26 PM

I also tried the Pertronix III on my 2056 with L-Jet. It would drop sparks at idle especially when hot. I switched to the Pertronix II and that fixed the issue. Very interesting what the rep advised. It should be on their website.

Posted by: 914werke Mar 21 2023, 01:45 PM

How's the saying go...? Evan a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut

Posted by: 930cabman Mar 21 2023, 04:01 PM

I recently sold a partly original 356SC with points/Webers. I owned her for 20 years and changed the points once, filed a couple times. Always started easy and ran out good

Posted by: scott_in_nh Mar 21 2023, 04:09 PM

FWIW I've been running a Hot Spark points replacement for about 10 years and 40k miles and I literally have not touched the distributor since I put it in. The price is very reasonable too

Posted by: bkrantz Mar 21 2023, 08:34 PM

Points and carburetors are like sextants and phonographs. Cutting edge in some previous century and now only for masochists and old guys.

Posted by: 76-914 Mar 21 2023, 09:48 PM

Posted by: r_towle Mar 21 2023, 10:16 PM

I’ve honestly only had one bad round using points and it was the point wearing the rub block down.
They seem to be better now, Bosch only
I keep a few sets in the glovebox
The setting (fast) is a book of matches slid in.
Clean properly lubed distributor is key.

Carbs….must be super clean and I’m not a fan with todays ethanol fuels.

I would suggest maybe you look into the crank position sensor that goes behind the fan, then a modern multi spark control unit…MSD or other.

Rich

Posted by: jhynesrockmtn Mar 22 2023, 08:09 AM

So far I'm a 123ignition fan. I pulled the 1.7 in my 70 last winter to solve a few leaks, valve adjust, general once over, new injectors, etc. I put the 123 distributor in and have about 300 miles on it now. So far so good. I also have one in my 6 conversion 2.4 liter.

Posted by: Front yard mechanic Mar 22 2023, 08:26 AM

Happy to see this thread revived , remember you can tune a piano but you can’t tuna fish

Posted by: 930cabman Mar 22 2023, 09:29 AM

But you can get it in a can, btw was that Mott the hoople?

Posted by: 914_teener Mar 22 2023, 10:06 AM

No points...no problem...simple.

Posted by: ClayPerrine Mar 22 2023, 11:08 AM

That makes your reply ...... Pointless.


Thank you. Thank you. I will be here all week.

Tip the veal, try your waitress.

Posted by: 914_teener Mar 22 2023, 03:24 PM

I see your point....


More California rain coming your way!

Posted by: Front yard mechanic Mar 22 2023, 04:12 PM

REO speed wagon