Hello all, I have been reading up on recurving my distributor and I think I have a case where this is called for. Alright folks, here is something that is bothering me. When I first got my engine(Buick 340)started in my monte, I had to turn the distributor clockwise to the piont that I had to cut a notch out of my alternator bracket for vaccum advance clearance. Engine was still hard to turn over. Thats to be expected from a tight rebuilt engine. Now I had to turn back counterclockwise to get the car to half run decent at idle but the engine seems to be surging and sound alot lobpier. My time was off in the beginning, and I am afraid now it really off. My dad help me to install the engine he is old school, by ear. I am going to buy a light,and teach myself how to use it and buy a recurving kit for my distributor. My car has lost a lot of power here recently. Here is stock info about my engine so you all can maybe shed some light: Sparkplug gap .035 = present gap Piont Gap .016 = present gap Dwell angle 30 = I do not know what it is now? Ingition Timing BDTC or mark 2 1/2 = ???? My weights are not coming together like in this picture , is this normal for buick wieghts?
Julian, You really need a timing light to find out where your timing is exactly. Buy one from Sears, they are cheap and very accurate. If you can afford the more expensive dial back, advance timing light get that one. If your weights are not coming together like the picture you posted, the mechanical advance system needs to be looked at. Take the rotor off, and remove the advance springs. Then remove the weights, and look at the pins that the weights pivot on. They can become grooved causing the weights to stick. If they are badly grooved, the distributor needs to be reconditioned. If they aren't, lightly sand them with some emery cloth, and reassemble everything using a small amount moly grease under the weights. Just a small amount. When you are finished, you should be able to move the weights out by hand, and the springs should pull them back smoothly, like in the picture. If you are having trouble cranking the engine, and it surges when driving, your timing is likely over advanced. You need a good light to verify this. When setting the timing, make sure you disconnect and plug the vacuum advance hose. Forget about the stock timing specs, I would try for initial timing between 6 and 10 degrees BTDC. Once you set that initial timing with the light, rev the engine in neutral to about 2500 RPM and watch the timing mark. It should appear to move up, and then return to the initial timing you set when you let the engine return to idle speed. All this is done with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged. Once you have bought your timing light, and corrected your initial timing, making sure your mechanical advance is working correctly, repost, and we can work on setting up your total timing. Buicks usually like between 30-32* total for a stock motor. Don't worry about your dwell angle, if you set that with a meter, it hasn't changed. Changing dwell changes timing, but not the other way around. Let us know how you make out.
Thanks larry for the advice the pins I think are worn up under the wieghts. I have a spare distributor out of a 74 350 GS, will the springs and weights be different. I am going to set the dwell because I set the pionts at .016 using a gauge and thats all. I did not know that using the dwell angle was more accurate, so I will be buying a dwell meter and timing light this week. My engine has been bored out .060 making it 351.1 cid and the heads shaved just enough to level them out from being warped a little due to overheating before the rebuild and my piston are 10:25:1 dish. What gap should I run on my sparkplugs. I seem to get more juice from the pionts than the pertronix kit, but I had to turn my distributor when I put the pionts back on?? My problem is in the timing of my engine I believe, so I will take your advice get a light and go from there. I will post as soon as I have results. I am trying to get the car tuned to the max before next sunday track events.
Julian, Not sure if the 350 distributor will fit the 340, it might. You can probably swap the weights and springs, but you would be putting those parts onto the same bad pins. If you can't get the weights to operate smoothly, get the distributor rebuilt. Contact the ignitionman on this BB. He rebuilds and recurves the distributor to like new. I recommend you have him install a magnetic trigger in your distributor, then you can simply run an MSD 6AL, and run .050 plug gaps. With the points, stay with .035. Once you get the timing light, let us know how you make out.
