[fattie]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Judging by your questions, it sounds like you're pretty new at this old car stuff...I'd suggest getting a book on beginning auto repair and doing some studying. The problem is most auto repair books these days probably don't have a lot to say about older cars with carburetors and ignition points. Check with the local library to see what they have first, at least that's free. A set of factory shop manuals for you car would be real good to have. You can find originals at swap meets, on eBay or from online dealers, or you can get reprints from Performance Years or other sources, and there are copies on CD-ROM these days. Another idea is to look for an old Motors or Chilton manual at a swap meet or used book store. They can usually be found pretty cheap, and they have a lot of good general information. Each edition covers six years' worth of cars, so you don't need to find one from the exact year as the car - as an example, I have a 1973 issue of the Motors manual on the shelf here and it covers all the way back to 1967.

yea , im deffinitly new at the older car stuff. im only 20. i do have some basic automotive knowledge. i can do all the work myself , the only thing im iffy on is the points. can anybody answer my questions though ? thanks

[mike nixon]

if the rear main's not leaking don't fool with it unless you want to pull the engine. the only current seal worth installing is the bop unit that's a lip type. the rope style went to hell when they took the asbestos out of them. i've seen new one's leak worse than the originals since the change.

the cylinder you mention is the coil.

your list is a good idea for an initial going over on the car. add a pcv valve to it.

as a peice of advice, use top shelf standard products and autolight plugs for the tune up. the cheap points sold today are junk. put good parts in her and she'll treat you well.

buy a dwell meter for adjusting the points, it'll save agrivation in the long run.

buy either the oem manuals or a mitchel pro-series for it.they have better info than the chiltons.

i'd service the trans while i was there also.

mike

[fattie]

Originally Posted by mike nixon

if the rear main's not leaking don't fool with it unless you want to pull the engine. the only current seal worth installing is the bop unit that's a lip type. the rope style went to hell when they took the asbestos out of them. i've seen new one's leak worse than the originals since the change.

the cylinder you mention is the coil.

your list is a good idea for an initial going over on the car. add a pcv valve to it.

as a peice of advice, use top shelf standard products and autolight plugs for the tune up. the cheap points sold today are junk. put good parts in her and she'll treat you well.

buy a dwell meter for adjusting the points, it'll save agrivation in the long run.

buy either the oem manuals or a mitchel pro-series for it.they have better info than the chiltons.

i'd service the trans while i was there also.

mike

alright if it aint broke yet i wont fix it. why does this car have a coil and a distributor ? as for a pcv valve. those go in the valve cover , and there isnt one in my car. i belive my car is non egr ??? where are the points located and where would you reccommend i buy parts through ? ames ? ive heard horror storries of people servicing there transmissions and then they sh*t the bed. and it shifts pretty good right now.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by fattie

alright if it aint broke yet i wont fix it. why does this car have a coil and a distributor ? as for a pcv valve. those go in the valve cover , and there isnt one in my car. i belive my car is non egr ??? where are the points located and where would you reccommend i buy parts through ? ames ? ive heard horror storries of people servicing there transmissions and then they sh*t the bed. and it shifts pretty good right now.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, the ignition points are inside the distributor cap. You loosen two screws to remove the cap, then there are two more screws in the rotor, and then underneath that is the points. They look like this:



Here are a couple online articles about replacing and adjusting GM ignition points. They're pretty much the same for all GM cars up till the early 1970s.

http://autorepair.about.com/library/faqs/bl517f.htm
http://autorepair.about.com/cs/gener.../aa052502a.htm

Your car has a coil and distributor, well, because that's how ignitions worked on cars back then before fuel injection and computers and all that. The second link above has a short explanation of how the whole system works.

Your car is too old to have an EGR system, but it should have a PCV valve. There should be a hose sticking out of the side of the air cleaner, which is connected to the PCV valve, which plugs into a hole in the top of the passenger side valve cover. I suppose someone could have taken it off at some point and plugged the hole in the valve cover, but without seening the car in person it's hard to say.

As Mike said below you should look for "Standard-Blue Streak" brand ignition parts, in my experience they're generally the best quality. A good parts store like a NAPA should have them, the chain stores tend to sell cheap offshore parts in blister packs that I wouldn't trust. You can also get Delco factory replacement parts, but to tell the truth I'm not so sure about the quality of them anymore...maybe someone else can say if they're still as good as they used to be or not.

Again, find yourself a decent repair manual or tuneup guide and do some reading - they're not that hard to find. I was at a swap meet this morning and saw lots of people selling original equipment manuals, Motors manuals, and Mitchell manuals for $20 or less.

[mike nixon]

carquest carries the standard products as their premium line of tune up parts.

points aren't tough to maintain if you buy the good ones. get the service manual before you tackle them, it has a detailed procedure on setting and installing them.

mike

[mushie1965]

When changing the rotor cap make sure you put the round peg in the round hole.......after you take the rotor cap off look at the underside you will see a square peg and a round peg then look at the distributer top you will see the corresponding holes,just make sure square to square and round to round,if you put it on wrong your timing will be 180 degrees out of time also when buying points I use the "unipoints" or "lubripoints" with the condenser built in otherewise you'll have to change the condenser also and if you alternator is charging save your money for something else,belts should be easy to find,I myself prefer AC plugs .Go with a '65 four barrel intake and carb here are some pics of a typical '60's GM distributer setup....i hope they help and don't confuse you...by the way what part of Maine are you from ,I ahve some old friends in Auburn/Lewiston area Larry

[mushie1965]

Better pic of the 3rd page ........Larry

[fattie]

thanks , i live in the midcoast area. about 45 minutes from augusta. i guess somebody remvoed the pcv valve. theres a breather on one valve cover and theresa rubber plug in the other. where is the fuel filter located ? im gunna replace that also. thanks

[stevep]

The PCV valve is located behind the intake manifold on the passenger side of the motor in the Valley Pan or Push Rod Cover in a rubber grommet. The rubber plug is a stock 65 item, it did not replace the PCV.
The fuel filter is inside the inlet of the carburator.

One way to set points without a meter is to start the car (after you put the points in) and turn the adjusting screw clockwise until the engine starts to misfire and back off 1/2 turn. That USUALLY will get them real close.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by stevep

The PCV valve is located behind the intake manifold on the passenger side of the motor in the Valley Pan or Push Rod Cover in a rubber grommet. The rubber plug is a stock 65 item, it did not replace the PCV.

Oops...my mistake. Thanks for correcting me, I should have remembered that.

[stevep]

No problem!

[fattie]

Originally Posted by stevep

The PCV valve is located behind the intake manifold on the passenger side of the motor in the Valley Pan or Push Rod Cover in a rubber grommet. The rubber plug is a stock 65 item, it did not replace the PCV.
The fuel filter is inside the inlet of the carburator.

One way to set points without a meter is to start the car (after you put the points in) and turn the adjusting screw clockwise until the engine starts to misfire and back off 1/2 turn. That USUALLY will get them real close.

fuel filter inside carb ? i have an ames catalog and it shows a canister type , that looks like it would be under the body somewhere. ill have to take a look in the morning. where can i get good points ? the kind you reccomend , ames has some but there 14 dollars and probaly arent any good. thanks

[mike nixon]

fuel filters hidden in the fuel line between the pump and the carb. mine;s behind the p/s bracket under the alt. do it from the bottom, turst me. if your car has air, look up a 66 at carquest with a return line. 3 fittings, two on the top one on the bottom, at least if it's got a/c that's the filter. if you're gonna drive it don't waste your money on show parts.

as a side note on the unipoints. i don't like them, the springs aren't as stiff as the good stock style and they float in some instances. the condensor's have been known to fail occaisionally and it's nice to be able to replace it seperately. if you loosen the condensor bracket it should slide out and in without having to remove the screw completely. just a tip to save time and aggrivation.

good points are cheap the 14.00 sounds right. junk ones are 6.00.

mike

[fattie]

Originally Posted by mike nixon

fuel filters hidden in the fuel line between the pump and the carb. mine;s behind the p/s bracket under the alt. do it from the bottom, turst me. if your car has air, look up a 66 at carquest with a return line. 3 fittings, two on the top one on the bottom, at least if it's got a/c that's the filter. if you're gonna drive it don't waste your money on show parts.

as a side note on the unipoints. i don't like them, the springs aren't as stiff as the good stock style and they float in some instances. the condensor's have been known to fail occaisionally and it's nice to be able to replace it seperately. if you loosen the condensor bracket it should slide out and in without having to remove the screw completely. just a tip to save time and aggrivation.

good points are cheap the 14.00 sounds right. junk ones are 6.00.

mike

car has no ac. only power steering. ive got a question about changing my whole ignition. in the ames catlog theres a pertronix electronic ignition system , it says it will fit 57-74 , they also have coils. and there under 100 , is this a good alternative to the points setup ? if anybody has the catalog just take as look on page 130. thanks

[mushie1965]

Yes the Pertronix unit is a good unit,I had one in '65 Bonneville for 5+ yrs and over 50,000mi with no problems.....I would get the newer model the Pertronix II............Larry..............

[mike nixon]

i wouldn't use the pertronixs set up. they're very susceptible to voltage spikes and i've seen battery chargers ruin them. if you want to convert it the use the m-h electronics unit that p/y sells.

the nice thing about points is you can keep a spare set in the console / glove box for less than 20.00 and if it lays down on you with simple tools you can be on the road again in less than 1/2 an hour. kinda expensive to do that with a conversion kit.

mike

[fattie]

Originally Posted by mike nixon

i wouldn't use the pertronixs set up. they're very susceptible to voltage spikes and i've seen battery chargers ruin them. if you want to convert it the use the m-h electronics unit that p/y sells.

the nice thing about points is you can keep a spare set in the console / glove box for less than 20.00 and if it lays down on you with simple tools you can be on the road again in less than 1/2 an hour. kinda expensive to do that with a conversion kit.

mike

how will i know when they go bad ? the guy i bought it from said he had em changed once a year. so many choices

[Engine-Ear]

hey fattie,

welcome aboard!

It's GREAT that you discovered "the DarkSide". You will get YEARS of enjoyment out of your '65 and this a great place to post your questions and share your victories as you get that Cat dialed in exactly where you want it to be!!

btw, I believe the Standard Motor Products part number for their "Blue Streak" points is DR-3575CX...check eBay for replacement parts like this...

What'd be really cool if there is an experienced member of this board who lives near you so you can get up to speed quickly.

Ditto what Deadhead said... do NOT throw anything out until you're in the groove with your Cat.

btw, your pix from your first post were unopneable...did anyone else have similar trouble viewing them??

[mike nixon]

the old tune up recommendation was every 10k miles. i change mine when it starts to run bad or when the mileage drops off considerably.

once a year will, more than likely, be good preventative maintenance.

mike

[mike nixon]

Originally Posted by Engine-Ear

hey fattie,


btw, I believe the Standard Motor Products part number for their "Blue Streak" points is DR-3575CX...check eBay for replacement parts like this...

that number doesn't sound right. i'll check the set in my console tomorrow if i think of it.

mike