[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by TRADERMIKE 2012

I can tell you this I do have the dist. rebuild kit in stock, how to if you want to use it is the question?
Some people are saying it is crap and all. I would use it; it is all I have to work with. Comes with the Vacuum Canister, weights and springs, stop device and instructions. I am told that I can use it with my springs added to the springs in the kit or we can use the existing dist. that I have. I will be back on line tomorrow, been on for 24 hours allready.

I typically don't use those kits, not the weights and stuff like that anyway.

What I'll do is replace the pin bushing (which is usually plastic and missing) with a bronze bushing and solder it in place. Then I'll weld the slot to limit the amount of centrifugal advance that I want and that also determines the initial I'm looking for. I'll use the original weights, and I may or may not swap springs around to get the curve to come in somewhere around 3000 or so depending on the engine. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later.

Only then will the vacuum advance come into play and that takes a bunch more modifications to work right. I prefer a light tension spring since most engines I tune don't make a ton of vacuum, especially at the elevations I drive.
The best way I've found to accomplish that is use an adjustable vacuum can (Crane or Accel) just to have the adjustable spring tension only, the rest of that kit is thrown in the garbage. I'll then weld the slot on the vacuum can to limit it's travel to give me about 10-12 degrees of additional timing (when the engine is making vacuum), which is usually starting around 6 inches and all done by 9-12 inches of vacuum. This part is only critical for very light throttle driving/cruising, and can play a roll in idle quality depending on whether you use ported or manifold vacuum but that's an entirely different discussion.

Explaining all this on the internet is about impossible. I'd have to have the distributor and the car in my hands to get it all dialed in, while in the process making sure top dead center is found and checking that the balancer is correct.

[TRADERMIKE 2012]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

I typically don't use those kits, not the weights and stuff like that anyway.

What I'll do is replace the pin bushing (which is usually plastic and missing) with a bronze bushing and solder it in place. Then I'll weld the slot to limit the amount of centrifugal advance that I want and that also determines the initial I'm looking for. I'll use the original weights, and I may or may not swap springs around to get the curve to come in somewhere around 3000 or so depending on the engine. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later.

Only then will the vacuum advance come into play and that takes a bunch more modifications to work right. I prefer a light tension spring since most engines I tune don't make a ton of vacuum, especially at the elevations I drive.
The best way I've found to accomplish that is to use an adjustable vacuum can (Crane or Accel) just to have the adjustable spring tension only, the rest of that kit is thrown in the garbage. I'll then weld the slot on the vacuum can to limit it's travel to give me about 10-12 degrees of additional timing (when the engine is making vacuum), which is usually starting around 6 inches and all done by 9-12 inches of vacuum. This part is only critical for very light throttle driving/cruising, and can play a role in idle quality depending on whether you use ported or manifold vacuum but that's an entirely different discussion.

Explaining all this on the internet is about impossible. I'd have to have the distributor and the car in my hands to get it all dialed in, while in the process making sure top dead center is found and checking that the balancer is correct.

Mikes reply:

We installed a new Hardened Hub with the Balancer that came in the kit that cost $270.

Next, several people say that the timing is "not" the problem, I have a mechanical noise issue, one person thinks it could be the Flywheel. Not a bad theory, since my entire drive train forward was affected by the Trans. accident. We are currently proving or disproving that theory as we speak. By this weekend we will have pulled the Flywheel out. Depending whether or not it comes out in pieces will determine my next step.

Since I can't do anything with my dist. except use the parts that I purchased with the parts I have and I can buy anything online when we decide to build the Dist., we will have to set it up here, besides how else am I going to learn Timing 101 if I don't do it myself. So, let's get past this ghost noise first.

P.S. I own the adjustable Vacuum Canister and I could buy that Bushing kit online, plus I have the Black stop, off round, corrugated edge adjustable stop too. Also, in my archives I have a drawing of how to modify the Factory dist. Cam and large weights to a tighter tolerance. From what I have read one can mix the factory springs with the kit springs for a more precise Curve? The "041" Cam is degreed to factory specs. and the Cam is proven to be Milled to Melling Specs. as well. All this was done recently when we took all the advances out of the adjustable Timing Gear kit, which were at zero, no advance except in the Cam is 1.5 degrees from Melling factory. We also have the hand-held Vacuum pump to assist in setting up the Vacuum Canister to a set pull from start to stop.