34 PICT 3 dialing in

[vdubyah73]

i know, huh. these cars were almost made with clever work arounds in mind.

frost or heavy condensation on base of carb/intake manifold is a clear indication the heat riser is plugged with carbon. no response on wether or not he's looked for it.

[Sylvester]

some stock guys will cringe at low cash work arounds.

... like the Diet Coke Can cooling system enhancement for Gary in Maupin.
... like the Diet Coke Can upper steering bearing thrust washer on the Road Warrior.
... like the Fuel Hose Clamp pressure relief valve cap swege job on a FI pump in La Mesa CA.

Bill, sometimes I wonder.

Sylvester, your bus *can* light up lickety split on any morning, and it can run totally well when cold.
We just need to dis-cover the obstacles. Can you say with any certainty that the heat riser is/isn't working?
Colin

The intake I have came from Bookwus, we installed it when I dumped the Weber and put on the Solex, the intake I had was plugged but the one from Mike was not. So I can say it was not plugged a year ago when you and I put it on. Can one affirm that after it has been on awhile? Not unless I take it off. Is there a way to narrow down if this is the issue?

[RSorak 71Westy]

You can confirm that the tube is still unclogged by seeing if it gets hot after the engine has run for a little bit. After it clogs the exhaust flow thru it stops and it no longer heats the intake like it should.

[Amskeptic]

You can confirm that the tube is still unclogged by seeing if it gets hot after the engine has run for a little bit. After it clogs the exhaust flow thru it stops and it no longer heats the intake like it should.

It is painfully easy to tell if the heat riser is working if you are not careful. After ten minutes of cool morning driving, put your hand on the intake manifold "tee" that goes up to the carb above the heat riser to get you over the nervousness. Now just move your hand slowly towards both outboard ends of the heat riser. If it gets hot, good! stop before you get branded. If the heat riser pipe is chilly at the center of the engine and barely warm near the heads, it is clogged. (They can clog quick with rich cold running only)
Colin

[Sylvester]

I figured out a few weeks ago that my issue mainly was timing. My timing was off, enough to make Sam hard to start and hard to idle at a stop. However, the other end of this is now I get bad hesitation, like bucking, at high rpms and I can't go faster than 60. Does this sound like my timing is still off, or did I possibly miss my gap on the points?

One other thing, when I was adjusting my point gap, the plate it is secured onto is loose. This is a Aircooled.net SVDA unit I bought 2 years ago. Did not seem right to me and I don't remember it being a little loose when I first put it in.

[Amskeptic]

I figured out a few weeks ago that my issue mainly was timing. My timing was off, enough to make Sam hard to start and hard to idle at a stop. However, the other end of this is now I get bad hesitation, like bucking, at high rpms and I can't go faster than 60. Does this sound like my timing is still off, or did I possibly miss my gap on the points?

One other thing, when I was adjusting my point gap, the plate it is secured onto is loose. This is a Aircooled.net SVDA unit I bought 2 years ago. Did not seem right to me and I don't remember it being a little loose when I first put it in.

Does not sound right.

Do not driveon the highway if it won't go above 60. That could be hell on exhaust valves if it is a lean condition, not to mention hell on other motorists and your nerves.
Colin

[Sylvester]

I figured out a few weeks ago that my issue mainly was timing. My timing was off, enough to make Sam hard to start and hard to idle at a stop. However, the other end of this is now I get bad hesitation, like bucking, at high rpms and I can't go faster than 60. Does this sound like my timing is still off, or did I possibly miss my gap on the points?

One other thing, when I was adjusting my point gap, the plate it is secured onto is loose. This is a Aircooled.net SVDA unit I bought 2 years ago. Did not seem right to me and I don't remember it being a little loose when I first put it in.

Does not sound right.

Do not driveon the highway if it won't go above 60. That could be hell on exhaust valves if it is a lean condition, not to mention hell on other motorists and your nerves.
Colin

I know, I won't take Sam on the highway. The issue with the SVDA, it just slips my mind the bottom plate sort of floated. Looking at a .009 that plate does not move, and on the SVDA it makes it difficult to adjust the gap correctly. Is this the way this modle of SVDA is? Or could it be broken?

[Sylvester]

I static timed Sam Saturday night and test drove. Ran like crap, came home and timed with light. Runs a lot better, but still have hesitation at 65. Does this still sound like my timing is a bit off? Does nyone know about the plate in the SVDA, if they have one and noticed it is not secured to the distributor body, and moves some? This plate in the SVDA:



(NOTE this is not an SVDA distributor pictured, this is just for an idea of the inside bottom plate)

[Amskeptic]

I static timed Sam Saturday night and test drove. Ran like crap, came home and timed with light. Runs a lot better, but still have hesitation at 65. Does this still sound like my timing is a bit off? Does nyone know about the plate in the SVDA, if they have one and noticed it is not secured to the distributor body, and moves some? This plate in the SVDA:

The breaker plate is supposed to be indexed to the lower plate at the center hole.
It is supposed to have three perimeter tangs that loop under the lower plate to keep it sort of snuggish to the lower plate.
The ball bearing under the hat is supposed to pilot the plate through its arc.
It is supposed to glide smoothly and snugly so the point gap doesn't change when the advance does its thing. You mention "looseness", and all hell breaks loose as far as running down the road. Investigate.
Colin

[Sylvester]

I emailed John at Aircooled.Net. He replied back that "yes, that plate "floats", it is the vacuum advance plate. You'll see it move if you suck on the hose." I like John, he replied in less than a ay about a part I bought almost two years ago.

I suppose I never noticed before, or it slipped my memory the first time I gapped the points. I think this weekend is a good time to put in the Pertonix I have for this SVDA and time it again.

[Sylvester]

I think I know what the problem is. With the plate the points sets on moves, even when you set the gap of the points. I almost bet I am setting the gap just a hair too wide. According to what I have read on the Internet, and it has to be true if it is on the Internet, is too wide a gap can lead to misfiring under high rpm and high load conditions. That is exactly what is happening, and the severity of it changes every time I set that gap and time the engine.

However I will not be traveling down the road to gap and dwell nirvana, I will go ahead and put in the Pertronix I have been holding back putting in. I will keep you postal, and damned if I can't still dial in my 34 Pict 3! It is driving me crazy!

[hambone]

The gap isn't as important as dwell. Do you have a dwell meter?

[RSorak 71Westy]

The gap isn't as important as dwell. Do you have a dwell meter?

Gap and dwell are just 2 different ways of measuring the same thing....

[Sylvester]

The gap isn't as important as dwell. Do you have a dwell meter?

Heck, I have an Actron Multi-Meter! And I do know how and more importantly, why to use it. Funny as to why no one ever tells you why, even Muir. Like, why do I adjust my own valves cold, what am I looking for, and what does that tell me.

Start the engine and allow it to warm up. Turn the Function Selector on the dwell-tachometer to DWELL; observe the reading on the Dwell Scale.

The correct reading is 50o +/- 2o. If too high, the point gap is too narrow. If too low, the point gap is too wide.

Assuming the points are adjusted to .016 inches (0.4 mm).



I will check it tomorrow, too much going on today.

[Amskeptic]

I emailed John at Aircooled.Net. He replied back that "yes, that plate "floats", it is the vacuum advance plate. You'll see it move if you suck on the hose." I like John, he replied in less than a ay about a part I bought almost two years ago.

I suppose I never noticed before, or it slipped my memory the first time I gapped the points. I think this weekend is a good time to put in the Pertonix I have for this SVDA and time it again.

What are we talking about here?
The plate is supposed is supposed to rotate in a controlled arc. As described in my post above, under strict parameters, it rotates in a brief arc at the behest of the vacuum unit.
So what is "float"? What were you asking? Something about looseness, or the fact that it is supposed to move at all?
Anything more than a tightly controlled arc, piloted by the center hole, changes the point gap as it slops away from the breaker cam lobes.



I have no reason to think that you cannot adjust a point gap somewhere between .016" and .018" with a matchbook cover or something and get the damn thing good enough. These things are not finicky.
Keep your points in the glovebox. Pertronix can stop you cold.
Colin