Wanted to see if anyone here can answer this.

I got the dual reservoir vacuum advance installed on my old 292. I also got the original holley 4000 manifold put back on as well as with a reman holley 4000. But in doing all of this I checked the function of the dist before I put the cap on and I noticed the swivel plate does swivel but it takes some effort to move it. I figure this is fighting the return springs that is supposed to prevent the vacuum advance from pulling too much advance too soon.

But when I released the swivel plate it does not return back to the initial position. Is this normal? Im sure if the engine is running it would return back but I wanted to make sure it isn't supposed to snap back to the nominal position or not.

If it is supposed to return back on its own under spring tension, what are some ways I could clean the dist to free things up without removing the dist? Its never been removed and while it does spin allowing me to adjust timing I don't want to attempt to pull the dist that's never been out if I don't have to.

 

I've never worked on that type of distributor setup. I have the newer style distributor which should return to an initial starting point. Because yours uses both sides of the vacuum, does it matter? Maybe ask over at Y Blocks forever site if you don't get an answer here.

 

I did, they said to remove the points and spray a little WD40 on the breaker plate and move it by hand and try and free it up. But then last reply I got was I was asked if this was a Load-O-Matic dist which seems to indicate to me I was being given advice on a newer style with mechanical advance and maybe the Load-O-Matic doesn't operate the same exact way.

In any case I cant get any new information cause the Y-blocks Forever forum has been down since Thursday and I cant even load anything and I see people talking about it that it should be fixed Monday. Doesn't help me cause I will be outside tomorrow all day trying to get the finishing touches put on the old car so I can finally drive her for the first time in some 33-34 years.

 

 

I joined the Ford Barn but cant do anything awaiting activation. HAMB, sad to say the owner I think that's who it was banned me. He sent me a nasty private message giving me a warning but at the same time threatening me with a ban. I told him kindly not to jump the gun and threaten me with a ban when we all know this forum is going down hill. Next thing I know I am banned. So HAMB is off the list for me and I have no desire to go back as while there are some great people on there, there is also way too many asses on there.

Im going to leave my points on how ever and take and use a straw with some WD40 and gently spray some on the plate and work it around. I know it was functioning with the other vacuum advance running manifold vacuum. But now running venturi vacuum with the proper carburetor I am a bit concerned if the vacuum signal would be strong enough to even give me a proper advance. I do plan on pulling the dist and mailing it out to Larry`s Tbird to have them send it out to their rebuilder to have the distributor rebuilt. Just don't want to do that till after I move so just in the off chance if the dist pulls the rod out and drops it in the oil pan I am not stressing with playing beat the clock with getting the car running again to drive it up on the trailer for the move.

 

 

Happened so far back I don't exactly remember what the reason was. I would have to hit up my email to see if its all listed on there.

~Update~

I remember what it was now, I hit up fb as there was nothing in my email, the guy that helped me to get the owner to listen to reason and delete my photos if I wont be allowed on there anymore I didn't want them on there.

Reason for the ban was I posted on a A/C question on there about R12 to R134A conversion they disagreed with what I had to say and started calling me a hack and talking **** about me and my livelihood and how the shop I work for should be spread around by name so no one goes to hacks like us. I kindly told them to **** off that if they were going to be childish and sling **** about me and my livelihood and not present a shred of evidence to support your view that I am wrong then I am unsubscribing from this thread and you can all have fun making idiots out of yourselves.

That is when the owner I guess is who it was I don't remember the guys name but he sent me a message giving me a warning about the insulting and everything and threatened me with a ban. There was no reason to threaten me with a ban while giving me a warning when I was obviously attacked first. In the end I ended up getting banned but those 3 other guys that harassed me are still on there. I found out from a bunch of people on FB that the HAMB is not in good shape that because of people like that being allowed on there without being kicked that the forum is going down hill quality wise.

 

 

Rusty,

You were advised to direct the spray under the breaker plate, not onto it, trying to hit the pivot point where the plate rides on the upper bushing (maybe just a light shot on top of the plate @ the pivot point on the bushing where it rides). Allow the lubricant to sit.

The points should be removed. Actually the springs should be removed also to check correct movement. You need to clean the plate and whatever is accessible before re-installing the points. Maybe electrical contact cleaner?

The plate may not return to complete rest depending on wear and how the curve was setup (or someone tried to adjust the spring cams incorrectly).

Before I would go through all of this, I would put a timing light on it with the vacuum signal @ specified curb idle. Note basic degree of advance adjustment (base timing). Watch curve advance through slowly rising RPM hopefully smoothly and see if the timing returns fully to rest (base timing) when returned to idle. Any erratic movements on the timing light display indicates spark scatter, possibly caused by a binding advance plate (or weak/incorrectly adjusted advance springs).

The advance curve is given in the SHOP MANUAL to use for comparison.

You have a lot of factors going on including wear, possible gumming, worn advance springs, incorrect replacement vacuum advance unit (rod travel). The later style pivoting breaker plates design (1959/ ) has nothing in common with the distributor you have.

 

I used the straw put a little spray up under the point cam lobe as well as directed the straw under the plate. Wasn't sure exactly which way the wd40 would soak its way through its been sitting two days now with it on there. Once the stores open up tomorrow I was thinking of getting some mass airflow cleaner as the sensor is electronic and very sensitive I think it might not harm points at all.

 

Rusty,

All of the above is a field fix (or attempt) if the plate hangs on the bushing. As mentioned, the DIST needs to be oiled through the oil cup to keep the bushing lubricated for both the breaker plate movement and the distributor shaft.

Otherwise, complete disassembly and correction will be needed.

 

I think I got oil in through the cup was a pita to do it as I had to do it blind trying to hold the spring loaded cup open and then fish the flex spout to the opening. I put three good squeezes on the bottle of 3 in 1 light machine oil will follow it up later on with maybe that SAE 20 3 in 1 motor oil.

 

Well looks like it all functions like it should. Just need to do more digging in my book make notes of the timing curve and check it to see if everything is spot on or not but it is advancing and retarding though.

I have initial set at 12* btdc with the vacuum lines disconnected and plugged. After I set the initial timing and locked the dist down I attached the hardlines and found at 750 rpm idle in neutral the timing was showing 14* btdc a 2* advance over initial at idle. I didn't check it when in gear which drops the rpm down to 550 rpm but I figure it will probably be the same. idling the engine up the timing mark moved more and more advanced it looks like it peaked around 30* total advance around 1,200 to 1,500 rpm some where around there. Hitting the throttle hard from a idle I saw the advance go advance and then quickly go full retard before coming back to advance indicating manifold vacuum at that point was lost and over powered the vacuum advance causing a retard condition.

I still need to play around with things cause the engine has never ran this smooth but there is still a hint of roughness in the car at idle in gear and the gen light is faintly on at 550 rpm in gear but is off at 750 rpm in neutral. So I still got more work ahead of me but it seems like I am making some progress though. now I have a working choke which I still need to set but I want to get a new choke coil as this one doesn't have the mark on it so I don't know where the setting should be at for index. Like wise it fits the choke housing so snugly its almost impossible to rotate it to make adjustments.

Anyways below is a short 33 sec video showing the now way smoother idle speed as well as the dwell which hasn't changed much it went from 29 to 29 1/2 now but that's just probably point wear as when the points were first installed it was at 30 dwell. could just be a combination of dist lobe wear and wear on the points.

 

Glad You Got Her To Run Good ...

 

Thanks she runs way better than ever but still has a little roughness at idle in gear not sure if I can correct that could just be age in that aspect. I just need to do some reading in my 1955 load o matic dist manual it I believe has a timing curve spec that I want to double check to make sure all is right there to ensure that isn't causing me my roughness at idle that is still there a little.

Part number for the choke cap, I got it from page 369 of the parts and illustration guide. In the previous section it has carbs listed by application I looked up my application and it said to look at carb part list # 36 and I went to part list 36 and they had B6A-9848-C listed as the choke thermostat.

Only found a handful of them online with that specific part number but they are all priced at over $100 and I just cant justify paying that much when Mikes Carburetors offers a replacement style cap for just $12 new that will work on a Holley 4000. I prefer the nos one how ever as I know it will have the marking on it so I know where to index it as a starting point. I don't know about the $12 one if it would have that mark. Im in that boat now I don't have a mark so I don't know where my choke thermostat should be indexed at and it fits so snugly in the choke housing its very hard to turn it to make adjustments.