[Schoust]

Ok guy's here is the situation. I have my old points distributor that was set up and dynoed by my engine builder he rebuilt the dist. and recurved it and locked it in. I have a problem the distributor it is only used to trigger my Crane Hi6 box and coil and I believe that I have an issue with the box? It will work and then sometimes it won't? It dosn't always receive a crank signal? I am not sure but I think it is a problem with the box? I have installed a new wire and checked for any other issues and this problem remains intermittent.
I have decided to just go back to HEI system until I can afford an MSD set up but I'm not sure how to set it up for optimal use {recurve}. The bushings seem tight it looks like I will need to install different springs? Can the springs in the points distributor be used?? Thanks in advance...

[steve25]

the first thing to check with a original HEI that has been out of the car awhile is that the advance weight plate can still pivot within the main shaft as these tend to bind up from the old grease drying out, it should pivot freely with no springs acttached.

[Schoust]

It all moves fine the dist. came from a big car with a 455 I believe it was a 74or75 Grandville? Everything seems to be very tight I'm just not sure where to go from here after it's installed?

[Ollie]

Sent it to Sun Tuned.

[Sun Tuned]

Well short of actually putting it on a machine or checking with a timing light which will need to be done after in the car anyway....

Look at the weights and center cam and give me the numbers stamped on each and I can tell you what the advance will be capable of. The springs will to a certain extent, control the speed of the curve, limiting factor here being the agressiveness of the advance cam.

While it's out clean it up. Pull the shaft and clean it and pay close attention to the iside if the reluctor bore and the area on the top of the shaft with the groove that the reluctor assy pivots on. these need to be clean and burr free. Don't sand these areas, clean with a piece of 320 grit or finer strip of shop roll or a piece of wet or dry body sandpaper torn into a strip, and what you do is lightly polish the shaft area like a crank journal. Very little should need to be done here just make sure there are no burrs, may not even have to do the polishing operation if in good shape. Fill groove with bearing grease and lightly oil the reluctor bore and reassemble. Should be real smooth now. Put it back together and give me some numbers, and we shall go from there.

[Sun Tuned]

Thanks Ollie,

Thats an option, but he may wanna go it on his own and thats fine too.

IMPORTANT!.... Don't forget to carb cleaner/ solvent wash/ or lacquer thinner the polished surfaces after polishing op has been done. I don't like even the thought of one teeny tiny piece of grit/foreign matter, etc anywhere near the inside of the shaft assy cause it will cause binding, sticking, erratic operation, headaches, back aches, poor vision, rhemuatiod malfunctions, cursing, etc.

We want it all clean and smooth. Thats the name of the game.

[black_bird]

I have been fighting my distributor as well, it was put together with an aftermarket center plate and weight kit, and I am only seeing about 8 degrees of mechanical advance at the crank. Seems completely wrong to me, I do not know where the stock weights are from it, so where can I come up with a stock center plate and some weights? I've seen the lists of the different sets posted, but don't know where I can find them.

[Schoust]

Hmm I have looked for numbers and can not find any on the weights? The only number I found is a 1A stamped in the body under the cap and there is an ID number on the outside edge 1112930 6B 3. As far as the shape of the unit there is zero play in the shaft and a small amount up and down which I don't think is an issue? Any help would be great!

[Sun Tuned]

Well if it's is the HEI we're talking about they all had numbers on both center cam and the weights.... with one exception, the late late 74 units and the early 75 units utilized the HEI reluctor base and the point dist style weights which would have not had any number stamped on them. Not alot of those left anymore. The weights and center cam could have been removed and replaced at some time in the past though.

With the julian date stamp on the housing you should have the later newer style that was used up through the last run of dists for the 301.

Also will likely have to remove the weights and center cam to see the numbers as on a Pontiac they are actually on the bottom of the parts.

[Sun Tuned]

Weights and center cams are not hard to find they are out there to be had quite readily. Just gotta poke around a little.

[Schoust]

I took it apart and the numbers were on the back side of the weights they are 053.
Thanks

[Sun Tuned]

What about the center cam??? What numbers on it??? Will need a pocket screwdriver and or a scribe or ice pick to remove the e-clips. Careful they are made of some sort of ballistic projectile material and will fly way farther away than one could ever imagine if not policed properly on removal.... miles and miles at least.

[Schoust]

Ok I finally had a chance to take the dist. center cam apart and there is a 399 stamped on it. I'm not sure how good this will be for performance but hopefully I can use it? My engine was pretty much done by 5500 rpm anyhow so it should be ok to use with a recurve??

[Sun Tuned]

O.k. now we are getting places. Where's Rocky??? I'll need some help from him here.

Installed in the factory manner with the numbers facing down.... that 399 center cam will allow only 7 distributor degrees advance (14 crankshaft degrees). This is with 139 weights installed.

With the numbers facing up, we'll need Rocky's input on that way, as I have not tested any of the cams numbers up, and would be purely guessing at best.

Don't have his article handy, but he did do a really nice article on this very thing and he probably had this 399 center cam listed.

If he didn't, I have a really sneaky suspicion he probably does have it on a list somewhere where he could find it for you.

[Sun Tuned]

Now because I've gotten a touch older and have learned how to not be so narrow minded my way is the only way...

You won't get much out of that center cam but by all means don't ditch it. It really doesn't allow enough advance to do much good without setting the initial into the stratosphere to make the total work out. That'll make Mr. Ruggles edgy and i don't want it moonshot high either. That cam will be fine for a set of KRE heads though as they don't seem to want much total above 30-32, so it be lookin fine for that application just not yours.

2 options... I'll trade ya it for one of my center cams OR, Rocky may pull a rabbit outta da hat with the numbers up and might end up with a centrifugal number that works more acceptably that way.

Hang in there it's not a lost cause yet.

[Schoust]

Hmm so your saying that Rocky has basicly turned this center weight over and set it up like that? If ou want to trade with me what would you give me to work with? I have never done this and I'm not sure what would be the best way to go? This is why I had it set up and dyno tuned.

[Sun Tuned]

That's what I'm saying. Now mind you, I (me personally) don't like to do it that way, as I've never even tried it, so I'm hesitant to tell you to do it, not because it won't work, cause it will.... but simply because I have no idea what numbers you'll end up with when you do, and because I'm much the stickler for the way GM did it. However, there is more than just 1 way to cross a river. Sooo... Since you said you had a set of 053 weights to go with that 399 center cam you now have only 6 dist degrees of advance instead of 7. Worse!

I can send you a cam that with your 053 weights will give you 10 or 11 dist degrees, but afore we go to doing all that postage stuff lets see what flipping it over will do just for giggles. I can fix it right proper just fine and dandy, no problem, but it seems these days I find myself thinking further outside the box than normal, and so i'd like to get another opinion on it before we go to tearing it apart and slinging stuff to the curb. And no I'm not drunk before you ask, but thank you just the same for wondering.

I know Rocky is very busy, and hope he'll chime in here, if not someone here has a link to his article, or should be able to find it. In the meantime I'm slightly old fashioned and will have to go out and pull the mag and look it up manually as it were.

[Schoust]

Hmm I did a search and found a couple of differant articals that he authered,what one are you refering to? I did not see one that spoke of useing the 399 center weight...?

[Sun Tuned]

O.k. I gotta administer the bath duties for the children so no one gets unruly before bedtime and suds down the hallway and stairwell (don't ask it has been covered before).

When I get done I'm goin out and see about this upside down thing and will have you an answer shortly, hang tight, I'll be back later....

[grandville455]

I have his one article and with a 399 center plate is 25 degrees with 139 weights or 045... 23 with the 053 weights..