Need correct Spark Plug routing from Distributor - 73 Thing

[amishman]

I believe my spark plug wiring from the stock dual vacuum distributor on my 1973 Thing is not correct. It is at it came from the original owner and last year I had a local shop do some work on it, timing stuff, and I am not sure if they changed it or left it be, but it does not seem right to me.

Please look at the attached picture as it shows how my cables are routed right now. You will see an image of my distributor and above it circles that represent each cap connection and where the wire heads off to on my engine.

So I am clear on the larger # circles, those are the plugs in the engine so #1 is the passenger side front plug, #2 is passenger rear plug, #3 is driver side front plug, and #4 is driver side rear plug. I should have labeled that. 8-)

At present this Thing runs hot plus is a dog at higher speeds going up even slight grades.

Wondering if the running hot and poor higher speed has happened from the wiring as that is what it seems to me.

Please check out this image and let me know how the wiring should be compared to your own Things.

Thanks much in advance!

TJ

[Randy in Maine]

The firing order looks correct to me 1-4-3-2

Questions....

What is the dwell angle of the points? Our goal here is 47º +/- 3º.

How is it timed? I would time it to about 30º BTDC with the vacuum hose(s)s removed and the engine wound up until all of the centrifical advance it has to offer is all in ~ 3000-3500 RPMs. Let it loaf back to idle and set the idle spped to the correct 850RPMs +/- 50 RPMs.

Are the valves set correctly to the 0.006"?

[amishman]

The firing order looks correct to me 1-4-3-2

Questions....

What is the dwell angle of the points? Our goal here is 47º +/- 3º.

How is it timed? I would time it to about 30º BTDC with the vacuum hose(s)s removed and the engine wound up until all of the centrifical advance it has to offer is all in ~ 3000-3500 RPMs. Let it loaf back to idle and set the idle spped to the correct 850RPMs +/- 50 RPMs.

Are the valves set correctly to the 0.006"?

Thanks, will have to explore these things.

Thanks for the tips.

TJ

[RSorak 71Westy]

It does not matter if the wire positions on your cap do not match the manual. As long as they are in the right order, the engine does not know if they in the "right" spots or not.

The timing is probably what you need to look at. It sounds like it may be retarded from your symptoms.

[Amskeptic]

It does not matter if the wire positions on your cap do not match the manual. As long as they are in the right order, the engine does not know if they in the "right" spots or not.

The timing is probably what you need to look at. It sounds like it may be retarded from your symptoms.

Do NOT time this dual vacuum distributor at idle.
Take the hoses off! time at 28* BTDC @ 3,000 max.

NOW, when you put the retard hose back on at idle . . . it should *slow the engine down*.
IF it does not, then the retard is not working. And that would explain why it is a hot dog if you timed it at idle without verifying that the retard is functional. If you time it at 5*ATDC at idle with a leaking retard, your overall timing will be between 7-10* retarded all across the range.

I learned this in 1980 my poor Road Warrior suffered the slings and arrows of my learning curve.
Colin