It’s a rebuilt B20 without even 100 miles on it. It has an SP cam and rebuilt SUs.
So, I've got it sitting in the garage because when I was driving it yesterday it was clattering like mad. I do a quick and dirty timing set up and then go to make sure it’s 10 BTDC with the timing light. Well I’ve got the light goin and stuff like that. I get near 10 with the light and some ghost from somewhere sends it up to apx 35, where it likes to stay. Try it again, same thing….it just goes back up to 35 whenever I get near 10.
I don’t think I need to be a REAL motorhead to know I can’t drive it like that!
Do I have any bids for, oh, say, 20 BTDC?
Could someone, anyone, please tell me what to do with this!?!
Should I take the distributor apart and examine the weights within, or maybe try another distributor …which I have left over from the B18? An engine which I miss very much along about now.
Thanks.

P.S. This car, along with many, many parts, may be for sale soon.

The centrifugal advance will cause the distributor to advance if it
speeds up very much.
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

It turned out to be the distributor itself. Took it out and it wasn't even turning cleanly.
Put in the one from the B18. The timing holds and the engine runs pretty smooth.
Thanks.

Excellent! If you ever decide to rip into the defective one, check out this link.


http://www.glenn-ring.com/010/

I was able to take apart my frozen dizzy and rebuild it following the info. Actually kinda fun, and real satisfying when I got the thing working correctly again.

Damian

Many thanks Damian. Thanks to your input I'm rolling. I'll use that link to rebuild so I have a back up distributor.

Stanley

Is the distributor one which you used before, without any problems? Or is it a distributor you have never tried before? I imagine if you swapped the distributor with the one from the B18, you could determine if it's a distributor problem, or something else.

If the symptoms disappeared, then it was more likely a problem with that particular distributor. If the problem continues after swapping dizzy's, it could be something other than the distributor...

Easier to swap a dizzy than take it apart and mess with the weights/ springs.

Damian

I agree. Thanks.

Does the distributor have a vacuum advance unit? If it does, it needs to be disconnected to adjust the timing.

Paul

no vacuum advance unit.
thanks

pearl;

I don't get how a timing light, or a ghost for that matter, can do ANYTHING to the timing point...it just flashes when its probe detects the spark...and YOU should point it at the crankpulley so that you can see at what cranktiming you get the flash...YOU should adjust the timing point (after assuring points gap) by loosening the locking collar and rotating the dist body, and this is a completely linear action without steps...please explain again just exactly what you are doing!

Cheers

well, yes...the engine is running and I'm moving the distributor so as to get the timing to stay at 10 BTDC. light on the crank, collar on the distributor loose enough so I can move it. I move the distributor in very small increments only, but the timing refuses to be steady at 10. it just wanders back up to about 35 w/out me rotating the distributor at all. i just hold the distributor steady and the engine idles up as i am looking at the pointer on the timing gear cover, at which i have the timing light pointed. i move the distributor to get the 10 to be steady under the pointer. when i get near it, it goes up to 35. the same thing happens, repeatedly.