ledfootslim Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Ok, I went ahead and ordered a Pertronix ignition setup for Lady Grey and got it installed, she fired right up, runs so much quieter, I made my way to the nearest paved road and for the first time in the almost two years we've been together, she just ran like a top up to 55, just as smooth as you could wish! I guess that even after multiple condensers and sets of new and nos points that we never ended up getting them set perfectly, or the spring was never stout enough to keep it from floating. Either way, we are running much better! There is a little stumble when you first accelerate that is mostly noticeable when the car is in neutral. I have the distributor adjusted all the way it can go, but it seems like it still needs to go a little more. Any farther the other way and it won't even idle. How can I get more adjustment room, anyone? Thanks in advance, and a huge thank you to everyone who has helped me get this far! Quote
ledfootslim Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Posted June 1, 2015 Ok, I went ahead and ordered a Pertronix ignition setup for Lady Grey and got it installed, she fired right up, runs so much quieter, I made my way to the nearest paved road and for the first time in the almost two years we've been together, she just ran like a top up to 55, just as smooth as you could wish! I guess that even after multiple condensers and sets of new and nos points that we never ended up getting them set perfectly, or the spring was never stout enough to keep it from floating. Either way, we are running much better! There is a little stumble when you first accelerate that is mostly noticeable when the car is in neutral. I have the distributor adjusted all the way it can go, but it seems like it still needs to go a little more. Any farther the other way and it won't even idle. How can I get more adjustment room, anyone? Thanks in advance, and a huge thank you to everyone who has helped me get this far! Quote
suntennis Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 The plate attached to the distributor that you bolt to the block for adjusting timing, also is bolted to the underside of the distributor. The bolt to the distributor underside probably has a 7/16 inch head on it. The underside has a curved opening much like the area where it is bolted to the block. In other words, loosen this underside bolt and you will be able to get more timing adjustment and then tighten it. 1 Quote
ledfootslim Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Posted June 1, 2015 The plate attached to the distributor that you bolt to the block for adjusting timing, also is bolted to the underside of the distributor. The bolt to the distributor underside probably has a 7/16 inch head on it. The underside has a curved opening much like the area where it is bolted to the block. In other words, loosen this underside bolt and you will be able to get more timing adjustment and then tighten it. Awesome- thank you! Quote
Andydodge Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Also with an electronic dissy you can open up the points quite a bit, 45-50 thou can be achieved, big spark and big boom.......lol............andyd 1 Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Also with an electronic dissy you can open up the points quite a bit, 45-50 thou can be achieved, big spark and big boom.......lol............andyd I believe Andy is referring to sparkplug gap... 2 Quote
ledfootslim Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Posted June 1, 2015 I believe Andy is referring to sparkplug gap... Ah, ok. Haha, I was wondering. Do you think I should, or leave them at thirty? Quote
greg g Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Other than a magnetic or optical trigger to replace the mechanical points, what did you change? Did you get their coil also? Does their coil provide a known more powerful spark? If not, I would leave the spark plugs set at stock recommendation. A "Hall Effect Ignition" is notnecessarily a "Higher Energy Ignition". It may be more accurate, more dependable, require less mantainence, but not provide a more powerful spark. I wonder what makes it run more quietly. Were the points really loud? I 2 Quote
Jeff Balazs Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Did you swap to one of their matched Flamethrower coils ? If not you should. You can open the plug gap up to .040" with their coil. Enjoy. Jeff Quote
Dodgeb4ya Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Be careful... If you open the SPG too much (.040"-.060") and use a special high energy ignition coil a much much bigger and hotter spark will occur and raise combustion pressures up to 20% more.. This could cause short term valve and head gasket life!. Quote
Jeff Balazs Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Bob; The standard spark gap is .035" for a resistor type plug. Are you saying that going to .040" is going to make that much of a difference? I can't really see it jumping up that much for such a small change in the gap. And Pertronix does not advocate any larger gap than this. I do think that fitting something like an MSD unit with an expanded spark duration would likely result in something like you describe. In this case the Pertronix coil is only 30000 volts so it is a fairly mild modification. Jeff Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Ah, ok. Haha, I was wondering. Do you think I should, or leave them at thirty? your plug gap is relative to the secondary voltage of the coil if you have not put on a high voltage coil in conjunction with the electronic pick up..then no...leave it at current setting 1 Quote
greg g Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 Can some one explain to me the advantage of a hotter and or longer spark? I can see the need in a high compression engine, but with Compression Ratios in the 6 to 8 to1 range, once the fuel mix is ignighted, the rest is pretty much a forgone conclusion based on the mixture and speed of the flame front. A spark lingering and going off in is what is basically exhaust gas doesn't seem to be advantageous. For our engines, fuel mixture and timing seem to be the critical issues. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 for these old car..it helps keep the plugs a bit cleaner.....for high performance and such...head design and fuel mixture call all benefit form longer hotter spark..just remember if you increase your secondary voltage..odds are you will need better insulated cables to carry that spark 1 Quote
DJ194950 Posted June 1, 2015 Report Posted June 1, 2015 The electronic updates Pertoronix or others will not last with wire core plugs wires! A resistor type wire Must be used otherwise the electronics will overheat and burn out. If I remember right, the Pertronix update install sheet recommends a 0.036 plug gap after conversion on this engine/distributor style. The original group of plug types of plugs for our old flatheads.etc. were not designed for any more gap than that. Maybe there is another plugs that was made to handle 0.045+ gap that would fit and work put on that idea I do not have a clue. Quote
Jeff Balazs Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 The electronic updates Pertoronix or others will not last with wire core plugs wires! A resistor type wire Must be used otherwise the electronics will overheat and burn out. If I remember right, the Pertronix update install sheet recommends a 0.036 plug gap after conversion on this engine/distributor style. The original group of plug types of plugs for our old flatheads.etc. were not designed for any more gap than that. Maybe there is another plugs that was made to handle 0.045+ gap that would fit and work put on that idea I do not have a clue. Doug; I have not come across any reference material that said anything about not using solid core wires. Where did you see this? I have been using them without any ill effects so far....... but I have been known to make mistakes too. Thanks , Jeff Quote
DJ194950 Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 Jeff I'll try to find the info I saw in the the next couple of days and post. Don't mind at all the call for the backup from the sources. DJ Quote
ledfootslim Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Posted June 2, 2015 Okay, I did get one of their 40,000 volt coils. And with the head being shaved almost ninety thousands, we are thinking the compression is close to 8.5/1? Quote
ledfootslim Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Posted June 2, 2015 Other than a magnetic or optical trigger to replace the mechanical points, what did you change? Did you get their coil also? Does their coil provide a known more powerful spark? If not, I would leave the spark plugs set at stock recommendation. A "Hall Effect Ignition" is notnecessarily a "Higher Energy Ignition". It may be more accurate, more dependable, require less mantainence, but not provide a more powerful spark. I wonder what makes it run more quietly. Were the points really loud? I I don't know quite why its quieter, but it just purrs at idle. it sounded good before, but it just seemed louder. Quote
Andydodge Posted June 2, 2015 Report Posted June 2, 2015 OOPS.....I meant spark plugs........well at least that's what I did with my Plymouth when the Langdon HEI was installed with new coil and plug leads, the plugs were gapped to 45thou, car went quite well........andyd 1 Quote
ledfootslim Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Posted June 2, 2015 Ok guys, thanks again for all the help! I got the second bolt on the distributor loosened off and as soon I got it moving in the right direction everything smoothed out, quieted down, not a pop or a fuss. Its much quieter at speed as well! I can hit 60 with no problem, though fifty is still a nice comfortable speed! Everyone here has been such a help through all my ignorance, I am so happy. Later this month will be the two year anniversiary of us being together So I broke down and dropped some money on a set of the side trims I'm missing. I'll put up some pics when she is fully beautified! Thanks again! 1 Quote
mopar_earl Posted June 3, 2015 Report Posted June 3, 2015 Good job! You will want to invest in a good timing light with built in advance and tach for setting your timing correctly and your idle speed. Note if it isn't self powered you can hook it to any 12v battery sitting by the car or hook to another cars battery parked close enough. Earl 1 Quote
ledfootslim Posted June 3, 2015 Author Report Posted June 3, 2015 Good job! You will want to invest in a good timing light with built in advance and tach for setting your timing correctly and your idle speed. Note if it isn't self powered you can hook it to any 12v battery sitting by the car or hook to another cars battery parked close enough. Earl I bought an old tach and dwell meter for playing around with, when it arrives I'll see what needs changed. Quote
mopar_earl Posted June 4, 2015 Report Posted June 4, 2015 Dwell won't do you any good on the electronic ignition. Dwell is for setting points. Earl 2 Quote
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