390FE and Points
02-27-2008, 02:05 AM
#2
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location:
Posts: 453
RE: 390FE and Points
id do the conversion through petronixs http://store.summitracing.com/egnsea...115+4294873053
02-27-2008, 11:23 AM
#4
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cork, Ireland
Posts: 6,417
RE: 390FE and Points
I love the 67 390s and for that I'll give you advise ;-) so you might inherit your car to me at some stage :-]
you'll need at least a feeler gauge. some people might have a different suggestion to measure the gap. if they have go with that. I've heard all sorts from matchbox carton to i don't know what else
if you have only one a single breaker point, then
the change is very very simple, but you have to set the gap.
do the change with battery off (battery- disconnected from battery).
remove cap, rotor (just for easy access), remove point and condesor.
put the new parts in and tighten the screws, but only slightly tighten the one that holds down the breaker.
tighten as much as that you can move the braker around a little but so that it won't move on it's own.
now you'll see that there are 8 "humps" on the spindle in the middle of distri that will open and close the breaker.
now turn your engine manually so much that the breaker is sitting right on the middle of one of those humps.
(doesn't matter which one of those 8)
If you have a manual tranny, then you can achieve this by putting into high gear and pushing the car back and forth.
once it's sitting on middle of hump move the braker on the plate so you'll have the exact gap (i'll look that up in a sec).
then tighten the screw holding the braker and re-check if the gap is still ok and the thing still sitting on the middle of the hump.
If you have a dwell meter then let us know and i can give you instructions on how to improve the setting (dynamic check instead of static).
Reconnect the battery. ask someopne to try and start the enigine with the rotor and cap still off.
You should see the braker opening and closing.
Do another check on highest point on hump. If all ok, put the cap back on (don't forget the rotor). and try to start up.
Hopefully it will run ;-)
Important: after all this you'll have to re-check your ignition. I can almost guarantee you that the initial advance will be wrong.
Reason for this is that changing the gap has effect on the ignition timing.
the bigger the gap, the shorter the closing time, hence it will fire advanced
the smaller the gap the bigger the closing time->it will open later->ignition retarded
god i must be bored ....
oh ... and the gap should be ... ah i don't know 0.018" maybe? does anyone know for sure?
it would be great if you had a dwell meter, because you can't rely measuring the gap (but hey! that's what they did in 67 anyway ;-)
and btw: put a !tiny! bit of proper grease on the rubbing block of the contact (where the point touches the distributor shaft) and give it 2 drops of oil (no more) where the rotor is sitting (right into the shaft under rotor)
Kalli
you'll need at least a feeler gauge. some people might have a different suggestion to measure the gap. if they have go with that. I've heard all sorts from matchbox carton to i don't know what else
if you have only one a single breaker point, then
the change is very very simple, but you have to set the gap.
do the change with battery off (battery- disconnected from battery).
remove cap, rotor (just for easy access), remove point and condesor.
put the new parts in and tighten the screws, but only slightly tighten the one that holds down the breaker.
tighten as much as that you can move the braker around a little but so that it won't move on it's own.
now you'll see that there are 8 "humps" on the spindle in the middle of distri that will open and close the breaker.
now turn your engine manually so much that the breaker is sitting right on the middle of one of those humps.
(doesn't matter which one of those 8)
If you have a manual tranny, then you can achieve this by putting into high gear and pushing the car back and forth.
once it's sitting on middle of hump move the braker on the plate so you'll have the exact gap (i'll look that up in a sec).
then tighten the screw holding the braker and re-check if the gap is still ok and the thing still sitting on the middle of the hump.
If you have a dwell meter then let us know and i can give you instructions on how to improve the setting (dynamic check instead of static).
Reconnect the battery. ask someopne to try and start the enigine with the rotor and cap still off.
You should see the braker opening and closing.
Do another check on highest point on hump. If all ok, put the cap back on (don't forget the rotor). and try to start up.
Hopefully it will run ;-)
Important: after all this you'll have to re-check your ignition. I can almost guarantee you that the initial advance will be wrong.
Reason for this is that changing the gap has effect on the ignition timing.
the bigger the gap, the shorter the closing time, hence it will fire advanced
the smaller the gap the bigger the closing time->it will open later->ignition retarded
god i must be bored ....
oh ... and the gap should be ... ah i don't know 0.018" maybe? does anyone know for sure?
it would be great if you had a dwell meter, because you can't rely measuring the gap (but hey! that's what they did in 67 anyway ;-)
and btw: put a !tiny! bit of proper grease on the rubbing block of the contact (where the point touches the distributor shaft) and give it 2 drops of oil (no more) where the rotor is sitting (right into the shaft under rotor)
Kalli
02-27-2008, 12:07 PM
#5
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CA
Posts: 319
RE: 390FE and Points
Wow thanks for the write up, kalli. I am light on tools right now so I dont have one of those dwell meters. Having to borrow a torque wrench from a friend so that I can redo my intake manifold gasket. I'll have to pickup a feeler gauge set. Along with a battery charger [mine is for sure dead]. I do have a socket set though.
02-27-2008, 01:24 PM
#6
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cork, Ireland
Posts: 6,417
RE: 390FE and Points
for the points themselbver you'll only need a screwdrive to get that cap off and maybe a different one for the points to take of. that should be the size of it.
The car should run fine without adjusting ignition after the change, but I strongly recommend to do it.
Improved performance, better gas mileage and advance too far off will kill engine in the long run (detonations, heat ...)
for adjusting the ignition you'll need a timing strobe. ask around a friend of yours might have one.
Or bring to a garage round the corner to have them adjust it to lets say 10 degrees before TDC on idle without vacuum.
if you can't organise a strobe let us know, we can give you a hand.
Don't worry too much about the dwell meter. it is by far more correct but as said they did it with a feeler gauge 40 years ago so it should be ok.
If you don't need to keep your car to stock specs, then as mentioned before those ignitor modules are highly recommended.
But I guess you have the new points already, so work with them.
Remember the points will need re-adjusting every now and again
Kalli
The car should run fine without adjusting ignition after the change, but I strongly recommend to do it.
Improved performance, better gas mileage and advance too far off will kill engine in the long run (detonations, heat ...)
for adjusting the ignition you'll need a timing strobe. ask around a friend of yours might have one.
Or bring to a garage round the corner to have them adjust it to lets say 10 degrees before TDC on idle without vacuum.
if you can't organise a strobe let us know, we can give you a hand.
Don't worry too much about the dwell meter. it is by far more correct but as said they did it with a feeler gauge 40 years ago so it should be ok.
If you don't need to keep your car to stock specs, then as mentioned before those ignitor modules are highly recommended.
But I guess you have the new points already, so work with them.
Remember the points will need re-adjusting every now and again
Kalli
02-27-2008, 01:56 PM
#10
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CA
Posts: 319
RE: 390FE and Points
That would work. I appreciate the offer. Eventually I gotta buy all this stuff anyways. Also on the list is a battery charger. I'll probably stop by Sears in Sac there tonight to get that and a timing light. Attached is the beauty [lol]
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