Thread: points adujustment

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Hey everyone I've got a 350 that wont start after I pulled the cap off of my distributor and tinkered with the the adjustment screw. How do i properly set the points?

With the cap off, so you can see the dist cam and points, bump the engine over so the wear block of the points, is sitting on a high spot of the dist cam. Won't matter which one. With the ign off, make your adjustment so you'll have 20 a thousands gap. Should get you started up. The ideal thing now, is a dwell meter to set the points while it's running. But I'm guessing you won't have one by the original question. This is old school for us old farts, but if you've never done it, or seen it before, it will seem a bit foreign. Sniper

If you don't have feeler gauges, 5 thicknesses of regular copy paper will get you to 0.019", close enough to start it.

or a match book cover
But if you have the unipoints it is kinda hard to get anything in there.

Originally Posted by willowbilly3

or a match book cover
But if you have the unipoints it is kinda hard to get anything in there.

Yeah, that's what we used to use, but I just miked one and it was 0.014". They're makin' 'em from cheaper paper these days....

Thanks for the help guys. and for the cheat cause your right I don't have a feeler gauge.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Yeah, that's what we used to use, but I just miked one and it was 0.014". They're makin' 'em from cheaper paper these days....

They used to be .017-.020. Dang cheap import stuff, you can't trust nothing anymore.
FWIW, I 86ed the points in my 390 after some intermittent problems that cost me 2 mufflers. Got the petronix and never looked back. (I still have the points in the glove box tho)

well my thanks was a bit premature tho I know I'm probably at fault i just tried the 5 thicknesses of paper attempted to start the car. The back fire was so loud all my neighbors were out side thinking there was a drive by and the cops actually showed up too

oh yeah I'm gonna barrow my friends feeler gauge tomorrow

If the points are close it will start. This sounds like the timing is way off. Was the dizzy out for any reason and replaced several teeth off up to 180*(I assume that a Chebbie can be screwed up like that - been a while)? Did you "mess" with static timing? Is the cap/spark plugs wired correctly? Are the plug wires any good? And, gulp, is the timing chain set correctly - i.e. not off by a tooth or so, meaning 1. incorrect assembly or 2. just plain worn out, by being stretched and jumping teeth??

It could be the timing possibly the car ran before i pulled it I marked my position before pulling the distributor and I didnt pull the wires loose

Originally Posted by croom7401

It could be the timing possibly the car ran before i pulled it I marked my position before pulling the distributor and I didnt pull the wires loose

Bring the crank timing mark to TDC, pull the dizzy cap and see if it's close to #1. My bet is you are way out!!!!

That would be TDC on the compression stroke of course. It also has a TDC on exhaust stroke which would be 180 or half a turn out on the distributor. YTou have to pull the #1 spark plug and stick your finger in the hole while the engine is bumped over to find which TDC you are on. Also getting the distributor to fall back into the oil pump drive slot may require using a long screw driver to turn the shaft until you get it in the correct place so the distributor will fall all the way in.

thanks again is this the same process for installing a hei distributor I just broke the bank and bought one of craigs list for 20 bucks and just as I figured I'm going to have to clearance the fire wall for it to fit