never done it before, and I wanna do it on the poncho, so what do I need to have and to know in order to do this? Just form reading other posts it sounds like the timing may be a little off. This is a stupid sounding question, but I'm mechanically stupid so...
Get a timeing light(then iduction kind is good for me). I'm****uming you got a vac advance dist, pull the vac line off and plug the end. Find the timeing marks on the harmoinic balancer and the timeing pointer. Mark what ever ya got to (the balancer). Light it off amd let it idle. Aim the timeing light at the balancer and look for the mark. If the timeing is off loosen the distributer and turn it back and forth until the timeing is right. Oh, if its a points distributer adjust the points first. and don't stick your fingers in the fan when the motor is running.
If this is the '60 Pontiac, I think the timing mark is on the crank pulley. Motors calls for 6 deg. advance. Dan
it's a stock motor, so it is points. They probaly need adjusting, but again, thats something i don't know how to do. I popped the cap off once and the points look brand damn new, shouldn't they have burn marks or something on them from the sparks? I think something need adjusting just becuase you hear some noise sometimes when pulling this beast up a hill, someone described the same thing in a previous post i saw.
I know we gotta timing light at school, not sure about the dwell meter though, since I don't even know what the hell that is...So how do you go about checking your points to make sure everyting is where it should be?
If the points are burnt you should be able to tell. spread 'em open and look at the face, does it have weld lumps or big pits? New points the face is shiney and smooth. Someone is going to tell you you need a dwell meter. That's probably right. I use a feeler gauge, unless I have a GM with a window, then I use a dwell meter. I don't think that GM started using the window cap until about 62 or 3. If your using a feeler gauge to set the points roll the motor around until the rubbing block is on the top of the lobe. The points will be all the way open at this point. Turn the switch off, and slide the feeler gauge between the points, adjust them until the feeler gauge just slides in. I don't recall the point gap exactly, and my book doesn't go back to '60, but I'm gonna suggest that the point gap ought to be .016 or the dwell should be between 28 and 32 degrees. Mutt am I close?
The standard comp ratio is 8.6 on a standard engine (Two barrel). Are you running reg. gas? If so, try a tank of premium to get rid of the noise. If you're running premium now, try retarding the timing a degree or two. If your timing is more than 6 degrees advanced when you check it, back it down to 6. Stock, right? P&B'r - Motor's calls for 30 deg dwell, and gap is set by turning the adjusting screw until it misfires, so it should have a window.
yeah, it's stock. I'm gonna have to print all this out and take it with me to the shop tomorrow. Get some of the more mechanically inclined people to make sure I do things right.
Here's your specs for the engine tuneup. Kinda hard to read, but you should be able to blow it up with pictures and fax viewer if you have it. Next to bottom line is 1960.
The Jalopy Journal
