Tony's speed tips.
Spark:
Q: How can I make a degree wheel?
Photo copy the "30" scale from
your Engineering Scale and reduce it so that zero degrees meets
360 degrees when the photocopied scale is wrapped fully around
your crank pulley. This will give you a degree wheel of the most
accurate and most econmical type. I use scotch double side sticky
tape for this and wrap the outside with regular scotch tape.
Place the tape where the fan belt doesn't go.
Remove a sparkplug and determine where
Top Dead Center (TDC) of the #1 piston is. Fasten a wire to one
of your timing case bolts for a timing index marker (like on a
modern auto with timing marks and pointers).
Q: How should I then adjust my spark
timing?
A: Be sure that the #1 coil just starts
to buzz at top dead center when the spark controller rod is up
all the way. Bend the linkage rod if necessary. Now you will have
a safe sparking place to fire up the T. When pulling down on the
spark lever the spark timing will advance.
Q: Where do you set your spark lever?
A: When running 500-1000 RPMs, I usually
carry the spark handle at about 10 o'clock (say 10 to 15 degrees
of spark advance). For RPMs of 1000 to 2000, I carry the spark
lever at say 9 o'clock (say 15 to 20 deg of spark advance).
More retard=more heat=more power at a
given rpm and duty. Practicing with the spark lever positioning
can get rid of over heating problems due to retarded spark. Don't
let your exhaust manifold get red, ever.
Q: Any tips on rebuilding coils?
A: Be sure to wash the point sets in hot
dish-soapy water and use a bed sheet cloth, about 1/8" wide
by 6" long to wash the millings and stamping materials and
oils from the points epecially between the upper vibrator and
bridge. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Now the secret and tricky part,
do not bend anything on the upper point set with your hands or
pliers. What I intend to have you do is to make an upper bridge
gap setting tool for setting the upper air gap to 0.005",
which is about midway from the foot to the head of the brass
rivet. To make the tool, obtain a half inch diameter bolt or
steel rod about 6" long. Measure up from the bottom about
3/32" and with a hack saw make a cut above the line (barely)
about one third of the way through the 1/2" rod. Make
another hacksaw cut above the first one so that the upper point
bridge material that lies between the ear holes will slide into
the cut rod. This will be your upper bridge adjusting tool. Don't
bend the upper bridge until the points are securely fastened to
the coil and set to 0.030 air gap at the platinum points. Setting
the points up to be level can be done with washers, but the
washers should not touch any thing but the post and riser. Insert
the tool onto the bridged vibrator and with a firm grip, rotate
the rod and bridge along the x-axis (inline with the longitudinal
direction of the point set) and at the same time, hold the lower
vibrator down all the way. You will be setting the upper air gap
at the rivet to 0.005". Obtaining 0.005" brass shim
stock from a good hardware store is most helpful for a narrow
feeler gauge. Hopefully this can be understood with out having a
live demonstration.
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