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Cobra Make, Engine: Original ERA 427sc, Powered by Gessford
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Recurving MSD Dist.
I bought the kit (springs & bushings) to recurve my MSD distributor. The directions say that certain distributors may have to be removed in order to change the springs & bushings.
Does anyone know if you have to remove the distributor on a 428 to do this? If it has to be removed, I'll wait until it warms up some. If you can leave the distributor in, I'll suck it up and do it quickly in the cold.
Thanks.
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Replica is not a dirty word.
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Chaplin,
Not sure on the 428, but on a 351w, you dont remove the distributor. Takes 10 min max. Wait till it warms up, unless your going for a short drive. It is almost 70 degrees here in Colorado today!
You don't need to remove the distributor...just the cap and rotor. Did they include instructions? I think the steps are in the Instructions for the Pro Billet distributor downloadable on the MSD site. If you can't get them let me know I can scan mine and send them to you
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Cobra Make, Engine: I used to fix them for a living
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The springs are easy to change, they control the rate of centrifugal advance.
The bushings are a bit trickier, they control the total amount of centrifugal advance.
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In a fit of 16 year old genius, I looked down through the carb while cranking it to see if fuel was flowing, and it was. Flowing straight up in a vapor cloud, around my head, on fire.
Assuming you have the model #8594 (and also an FE with an expansion tank, since you've posted to this forum), you shouldn't have to pull the distributor. If you have a single carb, it should be possible to rotate the engine around so that the section of the distributor advance plate which has the bushing is pointed out to the left side of the car or towards the rear. If you have a dual carb setup, it is still possible but you'll need to orient the bushing towards the left side as the front carb will interfere with the removal. What makes the process difficult is that the bushing installs from the underside of the advance plate, and slides onto a small inverted post and is then secured with a washer and a small nut. It's just a matter of getting the engine set so that the distributor is in the proper orientation for you to get to it. The nut on mine was an odd size (something like 11/64 inch if I recall correctly). I just rotated the engine around until the post was accessible from the left side of the car and placed a shop rag underneath so that when the nut finally came off it wouldn't disappear anywhere. You shouldn't have too much difficulty.
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Yesterday's flower children are today's blooming idiots.
Search the forum for tips on a starting point. It's been pretty well flogged to death. If I can recall try the light silver and blue spring first with the 10-12 degrees of initial timing you should be able to use the stops to get 34 degrees or so total.
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michael
A man that is young in years, may be old in hours, if he have lost no time. But that happeneth rarely. Generally, youth is like the first cogitations, not so wise as the second. For there is a youth in thoughts, as well as in ages... Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Chap, don't forget to use a timing light to verify the advance curve, that it is all in by 2500. I tried the light springs to get the same as you are shooting for, but when I checked it, it was all in by 2300 or so. I ended up mixing spring colors to get what I wanted.
Cobra Make, Engine: Original ERA 427sc, Powered by Gessford
Posts: 2,678
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Mr.0077
Thanks. I will double check.
Pat-
Interesting. You must have used the silver bushing which gives 25 degrees of mechanical advance.
Have you experimented with more initial timing? I have found that my motor idles much better (smoother and cleaner) with more initial timing- I guess the extra timing allows for a more complete burn. Therefore, I am going to set it up with between 18-20 initial and use the black bushing that gives 18 mechanical advance- for a total of between 36 & 38. Looking at MSD's directions, using the black bushings and the 2 light blue springs should have all timing in by 2500. I'll install them that way and see how it works.
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Replica is not a dirty word.
"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning."
Just a thought, why don't you take the springs and stops to the dyno with you and set it up there. This way you will know for sure that you getting the right set up.
After fooling around, I also found that about 18 degrees initial worked best.
Mike
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Cobra Make, Engine: Original ERA 427sc, Powered by Gessford
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Mike-
I may bring it all with me, but for now it is done. Took less than 15 minutes which included cleaning off the green corrosion on the terminals in the cap. I think I need to reread that other thread . . .
Pat-
I am curious to see how "hot starting" will be. I drove it for about 45 minutes today, got it good and warm, shut if off, and it started no problem, but then again, it is only 40 degrees outside. I'll have to see what it does when it's 80 outside.
But, I must say, with the new Demon 750 dp and the change to the dist., wow, what a difference. It really does feel like a different car- SO much more power. I finally was able to break the rear wheels loose doing 20 mph just by pressing the pedal 1/2 way down (which I could not do before). I'm excited to see what it will feel like after I tune the carb properly on the chassis dyno.
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Replica is not a dirty word.
"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning."
Chaplin - are you sure you weren’t on ice? When you said it took 15 minutes did that include replacing the advance bushings? I'm teasing of course about the above and know full well how a demon carb + correct timing changes things. Also, make sure you’re getting wide open throttle with your linkage - I know about that increase as well!
Recurving MSD Dist.
It is almost 70 degrees here in Colorado today!
Linear Mode
