I pulled the distrubutor to remove the springs a few weeks back to provide full advance all the time. I am using MSD's Timing Computer to control the advance now. When I had the distrubutor out the pickup alingnment didn't look right to me.
Well I am pulling it again to weld the slots to the pins because the timing bounces a bit and figured I'd take some pictures and ask if all is normal.
First picture is showing pickup alingnment. Just to note- the pickup adjustment screw only adjusts the gap and not the angle. (as far as I can tell)

http://tinyurl.com/2ve2au

The next picture shows the cap and how the spark is "catching" only on the edge. I have been told that is is normal because the cap is new and not worn and as time goes on the spark will work its way across the whole terminal. This dosen't seem right to me.

http://tinyurl.com/2ludcb

The last picture is showing the rotor and the corner tip is where the spark is jumping from.

http://tinyurl.com/3xysl4

My feeling is that the root cause of all of this is the pickup alingnment. It seems that the pickup mount was not bent enough.

_________________
67Cuda,FAST EZEFI,340cu,CR=10.25,RollerCam&Rocker (XR268HR,#20-810-9)(#1622-16)(EddyRPM#60779,#7576), (MSD6AL,#6425) A904, GearVendorsOD, 8 1/4,3.55:1, ClassicAir

OK, this gets into some pretty involved work. What you are running into is what many guys that run EFI, or a timing computor have problems with.
I will have ot go back and do some research to anwser this correctly, but I wil try to give a breif example of what needs done.



Both, the Rotor, and the Pick up, need indexing. The rotor is kinda easy, you deside on what the max amount of timing is that you will be running. Lets just say that will be 32*, You need to take a degree wheel, set the crank at 32*, then ajust the Dizzy to where the Rotor is pionting dead center to the lug on the cap.

Now the pick is not ajustable ( atleast in the way we need for this) . But you set the engine at 0* and aling the pickup to be at its firing point. How to accomplish this with our dizzy's I do not know. Removing the pin that holds the star and modifying the star is the only way I can think of.


Now I could be wrong on the exact way to degree these two things, I will need to go back & do some reading because I just simply dont remember things that well. But it is something along these lines that will cure this for you. You can do some research where guys are setting up the Dizzy for systems like the BS3 or the XFI systems and it will give you the exact detials on what needs to be set where. I am fixing to have to figure this out for myself soon & some kinda of mods will be needed on the dizzy to get it all in line to work correctly. It will be to night before I can go read to find the exact anwsers but maybe it will help get you started.


Jess

OK, I have done some quick reading, one thing that comes out right off is a lot depends on the system that is being used itself. I would have to read the info about the box you are using to knwo for sure how to tell you to set it, but I can find it and figure it out for.


About the star/reluctor wheel and the need for mods. I dont know right off if there is room to drill inbetween two fo the pionts on the star, I will have to look at this when I get back in a few hours. But it may be possible to drill it so that a small set screw can be used to index the wheel.

Although it may be possible that it does not need to be moved and will indext correctly the way it is. When I fined the info I need I will anwser back with the awnser. But right off we have to get the rotor to pionting dead center of the number one dizzy lug when it is at its highest amount of advance. Then the reluctor.star wheel will need to be indext to where the timing on the crank shows exactly what the timing in the computor shows, and all has enough room to reach the * that the box is trying to achive. Thats kinda a quick & dirty expanination of what is trying to be achived here. I will get back in a few hours.


Jess

I pulled the distributor from another motor and it is in the picture below. As you can see the pickup is much closer in alingnment. Also it should be noted that its cap has the spark marks in the center of the cap poles. Also in that same picture is the slots welded to the pins to lock it from bouncing around at low RPM.
I plan to install the pickup from the other distributor in my newer housing.

http://tinyurl.com/2ndulx

_________________
67Cuda,FAST EZEFI,340cu,CR=10.25,RollerCam&Rocker (XR268HR,#20-810-9)(#1622-16)(EddyRPM#60779,#7576), (MSD6AL,#6425) A904, GearVendorsOD, 8 1/4,3.55:1, ClassicAir

The distrubutor is back in using the other pickup esembly and alingnment looks good. Before pulling the distrubutor I lined up the rotor to facing dead straight up with me pushing it to full advance. The adjustment slot was very close to center (dist to block slot). With the distrubutor reinstalled rotor straight up the distrubutor had to be turned clockwise to the end of the slot to regain the same 25* total advance. This leads me to believe that the spark should be right over the cap posts.
Test drive indicated all is running good or at least as good at before.

Ohh the timing is now stabile and not bouncing around.

_________________
67Cuda,FAST EZEFI,340cu,CR=10.25,RollerCam&Rocker (XR268HR,#20-810-9)(#1622-16)(EddyRPM#60779,#7576), (MSD6AL,#6425) A904, GearVendorsOD, 8 1/4,3.55:1, ClassicAir

Would like to ask a question. I seen in your photo, that I'm pointing out now with the red arrow, that small round shape that I also have in my dist. It was causing my rotor not to sit down flat. I had to cut a groove into the rotor so it would set flat. The dist I had originally on my 82 truck didn'y have that small piece. Does anyone else have this problem?

_________________

82 D150 Slant6 Shorty
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/658846

I have never had that problem, but that is the roll pin that holds the star wheel on the shaft. You can probably take a small punch and tap the pin and it will go down farther. If not you could take a small die grinder bit that will get down in there, but not so big it will get ahold of the star, and just grind it down the get the clearance. SHould be no problem one way or the other.



Jess

You can take a old dizzy cap and drill a hole in the side of it right below the lug for number one. Then use a timing light and rev the engine and shine the timing light through the hole and see if the rotor is in line with the lug at full advance.

I dont under stand why you would have to turn the dizzy to get the advance, the computor should do that for you. But that may be why the reluctor wheel needs phased also.


Jess

TheTiming Computer requires you to set the total timing manualy with the distrubutor. The computer then "backs" all other setting from there.

http://www.msdignition.com/tc_3.htm

_________________
67Cuda,FAST EZEFI,340cu,CR=10.25,RollerCam&Rocker (XR268HR,#20-810-9)(#1622-16)(EddyRPM#60779,#7576), (MSD6AL,#6425) A904, GearVendorsOD, 8 1/4,3.55:1, ClassicAir