Any suggestion on setting points?

Posted By: OA5599

Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 02:31 AM

Car is breaking up above 6k rpm. New plugs gapped to .035, MSD 6A-L, points set to .017. I know I need to switch to electronic, but I have points for now. Any suggestion for setting my points? Wider? Narrower?

Any suggestions?

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 03:06 AM

Points won't usually make a MSD miss unless that set has a real weak spring on the points, are you using a ballast resitor still? Is the coil and distributor wired like MSD says to do it? If not ry that, if it is check your spark plug wires for to high of resistance

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 03:15 AM

Quote:

Car is breaking up above 6k rpm. New plugs gapped to .035, MSD 6A-L, points set to .017. I know I need to switch to electronic, but I have points for now. Any suggestion for setting my points? Wider? Narrower?

Any suggestions?

Most likely its the wimpy sping on the points... thats
the reason they came up with dual point dist back then

Posted By: bobby66

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 11:15 AM

Used to get them close with the gap and then adjust for dwell angle. It's been a while.

Posted By: B G Racing

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 11:38 AM

.015 to .017 or 28* to 32* dwell.Check your condenser,you may meed to add a larger condenser for the MSD,similar to the Mallory external large condenser.

Posted By: Quicktree

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 11:51 AM

Any suggestion ? yea get rid of them. they went out 20 years ago.

Posted By: Frito

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 11:53 AM

My grandfather liked to set em at "a thin dime".

Posted By: DJVCuda

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 11:57 AM

Quote:

Any suggestion ? yea get rid of them. they went out 20 years ago.

yeah - set them in the trash can will ya!

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 11:57 AM

Quote:

Any suggestion ? yea get rid of them. they went out 20 years ago.

probably closer to 35 years ago. maybe you can find a factory electronic distributor to use cheap. anything would be better than points.

Posted By: Dodgem

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 12:40 PM

I'd be checking the shaft for bushing wear it's probably flopping around like a headless chicken.

Posted By: Gierhed

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 02:29 PM

Quote:

I'd be checking the shaft for bushing wear it's probably flopping around like a headless chicken.

I agree, I have chased that gremlin before.

Posted By: DennisJ

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 03:09 PM

I take the secondary spring off of a used set of points and mount it to the inside of the spring on the new set.That will stiffen the spring so you can rev above 7000rpm.

I don't know what everyones beef is with points. I have used about every ignition system there is over the last 45 years or so. If your stock ignition is in good shape, there isn't a performance gain with an electronic ignition system.

Dennis Jokela

Posted By: Steve1118

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 03:15 PM

Use a matchbook cover. We did it for years.

Posted By: rowin4

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 04:11 PM

There's nothing wrong with a point system if it's in good shape, When i changed to the msd distributor and 6 al i didn't gain .010 in the quarter. That kinda p'd me off. Lot of money for no benefit.

Posted By: OA5599

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 10:30 PM

Gapped at .016 and it pulls hard without a miss to 6500 rpm, and that's as far as my 340 needs to go. Thanks for all of the good advice from all.

Posted By: dartman366

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 10:59 PM

I ran a mallory dual point dist with a MSD 7AL using only the primary set of points for years with out any problem's but your spring on your points is most likely your problem, and I even found that the gap really didn't change much, it's only a triggering system for the box and the dwell don't much matter eather, if you were running a conventional point/coil system then it would matter a lot.

Posted By: maximum entropy

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 11:21 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I'd be checking the shaft for bushing wear it's probably flopping around like a headless chicken.

I agree, I have chased that gremlin before.

you've chased a headless chicken?

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 11:24 PM

Quote:

I ran a mallory dual point dist with a MSD 7AL using only the primary set of points for years with out any problem's

that's pretty interesting.

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Any suggestion on setting points? - 05/04/09 11:33 PM

Man a junk yard elect dist cant be more than 20 bucks , lots of them around in the last 35 years