Make 'em hot with a propane torch. GENTLY! Where in Chicago you from Jimmy? I know the area like the back of my foot! ws
You know, every time I see someone say "the distributor is one tooth off", the hair on the back of my neck stands up. Ignition timing is ignition timing. The engine doesn't care one bit what tooth you are on, it just wants the timing it wants. The ONLY time you are one tooth off is when you have an engine running, and you go to adjust your initial or total timing, and while you are turning the distributor to accomplish that, you run out of rotation because the distributor hits an obstruction that prevents you from turning it any further. That is when it is in a tooth off. Jimmy, You had the distributor in correctly. You were on the compression stroke, the balancer line was lined up with the 0 on the timing tab, and the rotor firing tip was pointed at the #1 spark plug tower on the cap. You could rotate the distributor an inch or so in either direction which would retard or advance the timing more than enough. It was on the right tooth. I'll shut up now.
Jim, You need to start that thread in The Bench. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Make sure you make the title Need Help in ______, Arizona. Try to be as precise as possible about your location. For all you know, help could be around the corner.
They may be fuel soaked. Take a few out and smell them. If they smell like gasoline, let them air out or hit them with a propane torch for a bit as suggested.
I was thinking about that. I’ve going to take them out and clean them and let them air dry for a little while before I attempt to start it. I know someone mentioned maybe my distributor drive gear on the camshaft might be worn but I didn’t think it was too bad to where it may affect the dizzy. I honestly wanted to replace it since I was in there but that was another 80$. I did the math with all the oil coolant parts and minor tools I had to get and I went over my budget. But if you think that maybe that’s part of the issue as to why she doesn’t start then I really don’t have a choice but replace it
Copy, another thought. I began to remember all the times this car has left me stranded and it’s been a couple honestly lol. A few years back right when I came to Arizona I went to the store and I had already issues of misfiring and I thought maybe it was the altitude from Chicago to Phoenix is a big difference but that was when I had no clue about timing and ignition system. She left me stranded and i had no clue what to do but I remembered a few years before that same thing happened and I adjusted the screw for the points just a hair and she fired right up. So this time I did the same but realized there wasn’t any points they were so worn! I bought a brand new points set and installed it but didn’t know it did not come gapped so it wouldn’t start. I didn’t have a feeler gauge so I basically made small adjustments and cranked the engine back and forth until she fired and then made adjustments until I felt she ran smoothly. So I’m sure I adjusted the points this time at it’s highest point to 0.016 but now I’m thinkin what if I turned that screw clockwise and ccw and see if she fires?
Jimmy - I might add that a can of starting fluid (ether) can help when an engine is stubborn about starting. A good squirt in the carb before you crank it can wake a motor up and help get it started.
Jim, here is a better way. Position the points rubbing block on a high point of the distributor cam. Use a breaker bar and socket to make that easier. Then take your allen key and turn the adjustment CW until the points just close, then go back 1/2 turn (180*). That will give you a setting to start the engine. You need a Dwell meter to finish the setting. Adjust to 30* on the 8 cylinder scale. Alot of Multi-Meters can measure Dwell, https://www.tooltopia.com/actron-cp...MIrMW688qu6AIVEXiGCh1pMwkIEAQYBSABEgLz-vD_BwE
Sounds good I will definitely give that a go. My buddy let me borrow a dwell gun but I’m not sure if it works. That setting is done after she hopefully fired up correct?
Yes, engine running. Always check Dwell first, then timing. Dwell adjustments change timing, but timing adjustments have no effect on Dwell.
Hey Jim, I just noticed something. In this picture, http://v8buick.com/index.php?attachments/acf5d893-933d-4685-b440-1a0bba42e1b1-jpeg.465707/ Is there a lead or two attached to that point mounting screw? Where does that go? Never seen that before.
I can go and double check that. That’s how the dizzy came but I do know for sure that there is a condenser inside the dizzy that might be one of those leads
The condenser lead should go to the same screw attachment on the points along with the lead from the negative side of the coil. The condenser is there to prevent arcing across the points as they open, which can wear/burn them.
