mgs
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: 1978 MGB - Mallory Distributor

To: boballen@sky.net
Subject: Re: 1978 MGB - Mallory Distributor
From: dfdarby@juno.com
Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 11:40:39 PST
Hello Bob and others:

Vacuum advance on the MGA comes off the rear carb.

David F. Darby
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tue, 08 Apr 1997 10:05:36 +0000 Robert Allen <boballen@sky.net>
writes:
>Todd Mullins wrote:
>> 
>> Robert Allen writes:
>> 
>> > Vacuum advance increases fuel economy and provides for smoother 
>running
>> > when cruising. It does nothing (for or against) performance. When 
>using
>> > Vacuum Advance, it must be connected to *ported vacuum* which is a 
>port
>> > just aft of the throttle plates on the carb -- not manifold vaccum 
>as it
>> > used by the power brakes. You want vaccum advance to go away as 
>soon as
>> > the throttle position increases.
>> 
>> For reference, the box-stock Lucas dizzy on my box-stock '74 uses
>> manifold vacuum, taken from one end of the balance pipe.  It's
>> definitely closer to the block than to the carb butterfly.
>
>By golly, you're sure right. MGs use manifold vacuum for their
>distributor and the carbs are CD -- constant depression (or 
>continuosly
>drips) so there will always be vacuum on each side of the throttle
>plate. Curious. That would imply that vacuum advance contributes to
>total advance even under periods of moederate acceleration. From a
>traditonal carb perspective, that is pretty strange.
>
>D.D.B. said he has a downdraft Weber which is a traditional venutri 
>carb
>where ported vacuum might be available. Mechanical advance is set
>(easily with a Mallory) to maximize performance and, then, vacuum
>advance, while cruising at a steady part throttle, would increase 
>timing
>under light load conditions which, as in my original post, is supposed
>to provide increased economy and smoother engine operation. Transition
>to full throttle would negate vaccuum and drop total advance to the
>mechanical advance setting -- thus preventing engine knock.
>
>Now I'm wondering how much vaccuum is present in the log manifold 
>under
>acceleration. Maybe I'll go lift the hood of the Triumph with the two
>Strombergs and see if I can figure it out.
>
>Also, there is the perverse "vacuum retard" on emission MGs (that I 
>have
>zero experience with) so I'm curious where that vacuum source is. I
>understood that the "retard" feature was supposed to be active only at
>or near idle so I wonder where the vacuum source sees idle. Or I could
>be wrong again. 
>
>Bob Allen, Kansas City, '69CGT w/DCOES, '75TR6 w/Strombergs
>

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>