225 Slant Six Distributor Question

-
CMaddux92

CMaddux92

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2014
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Location
Buffalo, Missouri
ive been told recently to check the points in my distributor to make sure they are spaced properly. question is how would I go about getting the motor Top Dead Center to check the points and how far should the points be spaced?
 
I would not worry about the spacing of the points as they do not change but I would worry about the slop in the distributor from worn out bushings as they tend to wear over time. Might be a good time to change to electronic distributor. Points blow!
 
omahamoparguy said:
I would not worry about the spacing of the points as they do not change but I would worry about the slop in the distributor from worn out bushings as they tend to wear over time. Might be a good time to change to electronic distributor. Points blow!
Click to expand...

Holy Toledo,glad your not working on my car,don't worry about the spacing ( gap)? You do understand that points wear down,right ? The gap should be set at 0.020. The car does not have to be at tdc. Simply turn the motor over until the distributor (gap) is at its highest point,install 0.020 feeler gauge,and lock it off.
 
I though he was talking about the phasing of the point opening, obviously the point gap changes over time
 
When I first started messin with points, most stuff I worked on and drove was stick. This makes it easy. You put the car in "high" gear, pull the cap and if the points are not on the tip of a distributor lobe, you can "bounce" the car in high gear by hand to get it "on top."

I used to mess with a feeler, but after setting about 20 sets of points, I got to where I could just "guess" them open, then adjust with a dwell meter.

With a dwell meter you can check them "on the starter." some cars are worse than others, but generally, whatever reading you get on the starter will probably CHANGE when the car is running. Once you "learn" your car and dwell meter, you can compensate.

Way way better to set with a dwell than feeler. If you have access to an oscilloscope you can set them with that.

The BEST plan, if you drive much, is to convert to breakerless electronic ignition. This is for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is reduced quality of modern points and condensers (capacitors)

Always set timing AFTER you set the points. If the last set of points was set correctly, and if the timing was as well, then when you set the new points correctly, the timing should be right on.
 
As mentioned, get a "dwell meter". Dwell is the important metric, i.e. how long the coil is energized each cycle (in crank degrees). You can find them cheap at garage sales and such, since dwell cannot be adjusted in most 1980+ cars. I have an old Sears rpm/dwell meter.
 
Setting the points gap carefully with a feeler gage will be adequate until you get a dwell meter. BTW, the point's rubbing block, where it rides on the distributor cam in the center, needs occasional lubrication; it is typically done when you change the points. There are only certain lubes that should be used for this, and you used to get a small packet with a new set of points; I assume this is still the case. Using the wrong lube will cause rapid and extreme wear on the 'bumps' in the distributor cam that open the points and ruin it. Excess wear on these bumps will make it to where you can never set the points correctly and get consistent dwell, and it will be useless. I am a sentimental fan of points but the electronic conversions get rid of a lot of issues.
 
Well now that's a term I haven't heard or seen for a while,, "Dwell Meter". You guys must be as old as me....... I still have one,, From "Sears" !! :cheers:
 
I was doing points type cars so often I could set the gap by eye, and check it with a Dwell meter and be spot on.
Replace points and condencer as a set, and adding an extra earth wire to the body of the dizzy helps too.
Also checking the little earth braid for the points plate is inperitive.....as are checking the Vac advance and mechanical advance aren't sticking or siezed.
 
1...Always add a tiny amount of lube to the "approach" side of the points rubbing block

2...Set points a tiny bit wide --on the low numbers of dwell, with timing a bit advanced, as they will wear closed, and retard timing

3...Best to recheck dwell / timing after 500 miles or so, as the rubbing block will wear a bit and sort of "harden."
 
I think there is also a place to add thin oil (like 3-in-1?) under the rotor. A pad holds it to slowly flow to the rotor bushing (I think). At least that is on one of my old Mopars (have slant, SB, BB).
 
BillGrissom said:
I think there is also a place to add thin oil (like 3-in-1?) under the rotor. A pad holds it to slowly flow to the rotor bushing (I think). At least that is on one of my old Mopars (have slant, SB, BB).
Click to expand...

Yep.....use tranny fluid for the felt pad under the rotor....this lubes the mechanical advance.....do this at every oil change.
 
When working on customer vehicles, I always replaced the condenser since that was the understanding when doing a tune-up, but on my cars, if the points were not building up a mountain on one side, I would leave that condenser in and replace the points only. A set of points that were only gray colored and not badly pitted indicated to me that the condenser was nicely matched to the coil being used. Some of my condensers were in my cars for years. Maybe I'm just cheap, but it worked for me. I now use an HEI set-up on my slant to get a hotter spark and to avoid having to work down in that cave replacing points.
 
60jerry said:
Some of my condensers were in my cars for years. .
Click to expand...

Mine as well and this reminds me of a non-Mopar "story."

Friend of mine called me after work, years ago, for help. Could not get his Chivvy 4x4 350 to start, he'd replaced the points.

Now GM had come out with a "uni set" like below. This had the condenser built into the points, so you removed the old one and bolted this complete unit in there.

Now he had not noticed, nor did I, that he had removed an aftermarket uni-set which had a MINIATURE CERAMIC capacitor instead of a large can like traditional. the way it was made, it just looked like part of the insulator.

The points he put back in did not HAVE a condenser, they were not a "uni set"

So neither of us noticed, right away. Remember, it's a 4x4, and the darn thing is "back in there" a ways.

I finally woke up, "Where's the condenser?"

"Isn't there one in there? EYE didn't take it out!!!"

Believe me, "they" won't start with no condenser. I got into a great big fight over at FBBO some time ago over this.
 

Attachments

  • uniset.jpg
    36.8 KB · Views: 420
When I do a tuneup on the slant six, I pull the distributer, and set the points while on the bench. I do that because there are six lobes, and when they wear they don't always wear the same, so the gap changes from lobe to lobe, as well. That will effect the dwell, and tells me how much life remains in the distributer shaft. I can't see that when the distributer is in the block. When done, I then Re-install the distributer back in the same spot. Then reset the reset timing. If your worried about re-Installing the distributer, first turn the engine over until the rotor is at 12:00. Then It will be easy to re-install in the same place. Some books say .020 gap, but the old Chrysler books say actually .017-.023, which is why the recommended .020 came about. 017-.023 equates to the dwell needing to be 28-32 degrees. This is how Chrysler dealt with the Imperfections in the lobes of the distributer that they knew would eventually would appear. The more the wear, the closer to .017 you should be. You can install electronic, just keep in mind they require adjustment as well. Mine recommends .007-.008 using a brass feeler guage to set it. I hope this helps you some,,,,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top