datsun-roadsters
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Re: Back on the road again!! [distributor timing]

To: Stephan Sochoux <sochoux@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Back on the road again!! [distributor timing]
From: John F Sandhoff <sandhoff@csus.edu>
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 00:14:11 -0700 (PDT)
Hi Stephan. Glad to hear progress is being made!
You commented:
> ...i get some knocking when accelarating. Backed it off to 10 degrees,
> will go for a short spin tomorrow to see if it's better.

Are you sure you have an early-curve on the distributor? If yours has
the '68-70 setup, it provides 35 degrees total advance, and requires
zero degrees initial. Only way to check is to partly disassemble
the unit - pull the rotor, undo the two screws that hold the breaker
plate (they also hold the skinny metal cap clips), lift the plate and
look at the weight plate. It'll be stamped 7.5 (good) or 17 (bad).
If it's stamped anything else, it's not a Roadster distributor :-).

Even with the right plate, if you have a broken spring in there, the
advance will come in way too early and could cause problems.
Grab a timing light and see how smooth and how far the advance goes
as you gently rev the engine (plug the vacuum line so you can watch
the mechanical action alone).

-- John
     John F Sandhoff   sandhoff@csus.edu   Sacramento, CA

"If I understand the theory so well, why does my car still run so bad?"

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