Classic Car Tech-Setting Up A Point Ignition
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- Опубліковано 4 вер 2019
- This time around we cover the basic bits and procedures universal to all point style automotive ignitions.
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About fifteen yrs ago my older brother was cleaning his garage and handed me a briefcase containing a comp. tester, vac gauge, timing light, dwell tach, feeler gauges, point files etc. Items I already had. I encoraged him to keep them. He declined. I never used any item in the case..I have my own set.Two months ago his oldest son asked me how to set points / do tune up on a 58 Volks Bug he had just purchased. I told him to wait an hour and I would be over. After arriving I handed him his Father's briefcase. Some things should become family heirlooms. It was one of my top ten days ever... seeing an ear to ear smile on a thirty-year-old man is priceless. Thanks for sharing Tony..Best to you and yours.
good for you!
Now that is priceless :):)
condensor is an old word for capacitor. Its 2 conductive things (the foil) with an insulator between them. Usually the insulator is thin plastic film now, but way back when it was probably paper. It stores a bit of electricity, so shock absorber is pretty accurate.
Ya I've heard it picks up and stores electrically energy that was left over from the coil when the magnetic field collapses.
gadget73 it’s engineering term for that time is a choke
Christopher Saylock a choke is another term for an inductor. Capacitors and condensors are the same.
And the paper was coated with electrolyte. A capacitor resists changes in voltage and stores energy while doing so.
@@badbanano A choke? No, that's a coil of wire. More correctly known as an inductor.
I learned this stuff in the 70's.Good to see you teaching this stuff to the youngsters.
Ya bro in the 90s here! Hahaha my auto ship teacher in high school wouldnt let us into the advanced class unless you could draw a wiring diagram of 1st gen and pointless ignition systems. He was the coolest guy I've had the pleasure of being taught by. Ran his advance auto class like a real shop. We had him for a block of 2 periods so we had plenty of time to work on the teachers cars and his friends classics. Learned so much from him and UTG. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't know how to even start on these projects by myself. Or have the balls to go out and buy a project of my own.
@@MrT9822 yeah man, I went to Ohio technical college in the late 90s.
The teacher said you gotta learn points or we can't move forward on ignition theory.
Even in the past 5yrs on the job I've had my hands on probably 30-40 sets of points so they are still out there.
Youngsters arent using this stuff. Not that they shouldn't learn how it works. But they've moved in to bigger and better things. Individual coils, that can individually be timed. More saturation time, and more output from individual coils.
I pulled out a timing light and dwell meter to tune a car a neighbor had inherited and he asked me how it read codes with a needle and scale, lol.
tell him the timimg light is used to read the codes and the flashing is morris code.hand him a morris code book lol.
@@statedace3 I told him the light was to check the timing and the meter was to set the points, he asked how many points there were to set. I guess he figured it was like a 10 minute oil change place and their 17 point inspection.
Watch the needle sweep and count the pulses, then open the code book to interpret the pulses 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Lol seriously?
David Kittle Lol
As much as people encourage upgrading to electronic ignition, this is interesting to learn!
As much as I like and appreciate electronic ignition's benefits and advantages, points do a surprisingly good job - more than sufficient for most of those cars that are being recommended to undergo electronic surgery.
Can you fix an electronic ignition = no
@@aussiebloke609 Yes they can be amazing reliable , but when they go bunk they cause problems way out of proportion , that would't exist with old tech
@@benwinter2420 you know when points are shutting down on you. Electronic just magically quits without warning.
I only pimp electronic ignition for the sake of the customers. Most people can't even be bothered to change their own oil, let alone gap points once a year or even (especially today) not to use ignition on vs accessory to listen to the radio while they're sitting somewhere waiting for something.
I’ve had 3 vehicles that have had points. 68 /6 cuda, 70 dude truck, and my hearse. The 70 I never had any problems with. The hearse I ended up putting a pertronix convention in (afterword I found that I couldn’t use my first gen msd 6 box with it). The only problem I had with the cuda was the condenser. I remember telling my dad that I couldn’t figure out what was going on with my radio. He asked what was it doing. I told him there was so much static you couldn’t hear it while the car was running. He went to the tool chest and came back with a grungy cylinder with a wire sticking out of it. That’s when he showed me how to work on points. And that took care of the static.
My first truck @ 16yrs old was a 1970 DUDE Maroon and white.
I blew up the motor and mom sold it. A very rare ride.
When the time comes that I can buy an old mopar I will keep the points, carb and enjoy driving a car I can fix.
As I watch this video I can hear my step dad in my head,"Bump it, bump it,,,,,,,,,,,,bump it, that was too much, bump it".
Hahahaha
Yup, that and "Hold the light right there"
Usually followed shortly with "Pay attention! Can you see what I'm doing? NO, Neither can I! Now hold the dang light right there!"
LOL 😂
I always used the pull tabs off of beer cans on my 72 truck. Probably didn't have a matchbook but I damn sure had a pull tab in the rolling garbage can otherwise known as the bed. Been decades since I set points or rebuilt a carb, something I did with great regularity keeping my POS truck running. Great old days.
Many moons ago, I broke down at a red light in the back end of nowhere with no tools. Popped the distributor cap and immediately realized that the points were pooched. It was back when ring pulls were steel and came off the can, and I found one lying in the gutter and used it as a screwdriver to take out the points and condenser. I knew my Dad didn’t throw stuff away, and sure enough, there was an old condenser at the back of the glove box. I took the points apart, refaced them as best I could with a flat piece of stone, and she fired right back up. Drove it home and ran it like that for months.
The condenser is a capacitor, it absorbs the electrical current when the points open to prevent arcing across the points which keeps the points from welding together.
That's what I immediately thought when I saw the foil and cardboard.
Basically when the distance is low enough between points electricity goes across it and generates an unbelievable amount of heat, the capacitor to ground prevents that. I'm guessing it fills up in the dwell period preventing the current from arcing by lowering the current flow.
Arcing is exactly what you see the spark plug doing to that metal surface.
@@vasilis23456 And Tony is correct, the capacitors these days are poor quality, even 20 yrs ago they were poor quality. I used to buy 5 at a time for my Ford 8N tractor because they would crap out. Some would last for months, some for days. I finally installed a Pertronix ignition system and solved that problem.
Another way to put it is that when the points open, the sudden high voltage potential between them causes a spark to jump through the air between the points, but, because the capacitor is wired in parallel with the points, the energy that would create a spark between them -- were the capacitor not there -- goes instead into charging the capacitor. Thus, the capacitor/condenser diverts the energy that would shorten the life of the points.
@@perillouss3506 every eng is deferent the condenser has to match the coil in microfareds if it does not match this is what happens most of the voltage does not get thru the condenser so it flows to the points jumps the gap to gd pitting the points you can not just put any condenser in and expect it to work correctly you can get proper condeser info from dealers old parts books to get proper part # then cross ref it to todays part#s to get corect value
Hey Uncle Tony,just did the starter on my oldest daughters suv, was thinking of ya,it's 11pm, on the street, up on stands, and I had a cigarette burning the whole time
Did she bring ya tater tots?
@@UncleTonysGarage Uncle Tony, you know a good wrenching deserves a warm plate of tater tots lol!!!
@@UncleTonysGarage HAHAhahaa
Points are super reliable as long as you keep up the maintenance.
points are nothing but a switch which removes the gd, as they open allowing voltage to flow into the condenser thru the can to gd the condenser has to match the coil for max spark if it does not match its a weak spark and pitted points since voltage did get thru condenser it flows back thru open points jumps the gap to gd causing the points to pit. condenser are rated in microfareds correct value is very important for max spark my truck uses a 27 microfared condenser this info is avail at dealors old parts books get original part cross ref it to todays part #s for correct value.
Honest. Points and mechanical advance will always have a place in my heart for simplicity and reliability.
I would buy Penske high performance points/condenser sets at Sears back the '70s, that's when Sears sold speed equipment and stuff. It's refreshing the way you show how well points work and can be counted on when maintained.
Uncle Tony,
Great video.
As mentioned here by another viewer, condenser ( capacitor) same beast.
The oil in the condenser insulates the two coils (plates) and becomes the dielectric. The substance responsible for storing and releasing the electric force.
I recently suffer from memory loss, so 40 + years of my electric/ electronics knowledge is lost. Sometimes some returns.
Anyway, points used to come with a small capsule with points grease in it.
For me, changing points on my slant six was a bit tricky because of the angle and location of the distributor.
Those points screws are short and small, but I never dropped them in the distributor or never lost any...
I never felt comfortable pulling a dustributor..You have it down pat being in the business..
To each his own. Great info, thanks Uncle Tony!!
I have lost a screw down into the distributor. Thus the magnetic screw driver.
Exactly the way I was taught by my oldest brother back in the late 70's.
When i first got hired as a parts guy, I had an older regular come up to the counter. I was pretty nervous cuz I'm new and this guy was in here almost everyday from what I heard. He had a fleet of old school Grand Cherokee's and Grand Wagoner's. So he gets all these parts, and finally he says "Oh, I'm gonna need a rotor too." Now, I was nervous, so I didn't put 2 and 2 together so I go "Ok so we got 2 in stock at 45 bucks each." And he looks at me confused as hell. He says "Fuck that's the most expensive rotor I've heard of. They're only like 5 bucks wtf." And I felt like such a dumbass. Hahahahah. Found him his IGNITION rotor for him for 4 bucks, and left the BRAKE rotor on the shelf. Hahahahahha
Well you're not wrong. Ignition rotor is usually referred to as a rotor button so it's easy to make that mistake if he wasnt clear on what he wanted
Hey...If ya didn't know before, ya know now! Sounds like you did well. My husband grew up in the sixties I was born in '68. I would have no clue either lol. He does know.
"Oh, I'm going to need a rotor too"...I honestly was thinking ignition rotor under the distributor cap and not the brake rotor. But I can see the confusion there.
his dumbass fault for not being specific. i hate these old ass retarded boomers
@@pushhrodd01 Well. Think about it. It’s not everyday someone wants just 1 rotor..lol. Now I’ve been on the job 5 years. Most times when someone says they want A rotor. I look up an ignition rotor right away. Just to find out they are being cheap as hell and just getting one thinkin the other side isn’t as warped lol. They always come back a few days later for the other side.
I am happy that I don't have any cars with points or carbs. New plugs and wires every so often and. Your good to go.
But, Uncle Tony is spot on with this video. I will add only that while you have the distibutor out, ckeck for wear on the shaft and be sure the felt oilers are lubed or you will be buying a new distributor more often than needed.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. The young dudes at AutoZone and O'Reillys did not know what I was talking about when I asked for points files. They didn't have them. The dude at NAPA knew what I was talking about and had them.....they are cheap. Cheers. Chuck
Napa can still get it done.
Even if it's a kid I'm like lemme see that computer I know it's in there I have a stack of Napa parts books from the 90s I already looked before I came to the store. 🤣🤣
I'm a delivery driver for two local NAPA stores. Our counter people are much more professional than some of the other parts stores that hire people based on the ability of computer look-up skill and credit card processing. I'm not saying unqualified people in these positions are bad since they're not supposed to know the mechanical aspects of vehicles if they haven't had the exposure. The difference is that NAPA seems to hire people with background experience. Just about all I do is deliveries, yet before hiring me my boss cleared me with questions that supported my mechanical background.
@@discerningmind
I remember decades ago just about any parts store you went into most of the guys behind the counter could grab most parts you needed without looking them up in the old books, and most times they would make sure to ask if you needed the little things that you may forget, or not realize you need. Ie, locktite, points file, sandpaper, dielectric lube, etc.
Yes, I recall that too, many years back when I was a kid. Back then there was probably all of ten common engines to remember and nothing emissions or electronically related as there are today.
@@discerningmind yes, sir. So many little electronic and emissions related parts now.
I run old cars, motorcycles and flathead engine boats from the 1940's. It is next to impossible to get a nearby mechanic to work on any of them.The more you know, the better off you are with these old machines. Tony's knowledge and communication style are very valuable to anyone interested in using and preserving "old school" vehicles. Subscribed!
Ive got a few vids on how a points ignition system works.
The condenser is matched to the impedance of the coil windings so that when the points open and the magnetic field collapses the "back EMF" (a voltage that flows back out the low voltage side of the coil) oscillates back and forth between the coil windings and the condenser that produces a lot more energy at the coil than a slow decay of the magnetic field in the coil if there was no condenser. Which is why a poor condenser will cause hard starting due to low coil energy at cranking.
The oscillation can be seen on an oscilloscope which we used to use to tune ignition and diagnose faults.
The oscillation can be seen on both the primary and secondary side of the coil on the scope because of mutual inductance which to put it simply is that what occurs on the primary side of the coil is reflected on the secondary side.
"Back EMF" I refer to is a voltage much greater then 12 v on the primacy side and if you want an example of that hold your finger on the 12v terminal (from the ignition key) of a starter motor as it is cranked and when you release the key to stop cranking you will get a shock from it that is a lot more than 12 volts, and that is what back EMF is and it occurs when 12v is released on any coil winding including relays
.
In relays you can simply use a reverse bias diode to divert the back EMF to ground to protect its contacts however if we used a reverse bias diode on the points to snub the back EMF it would stop the points burning, but the coil would have low output hence why a condenser is used to increase coil output.
Coil = inductor Condenser = capacitor together = a tuned circuit L= inductance C= Capacitance
Hence an LC circuit In a perfect match of capacitor to the inductor the points would hardly ever burn.
When points do "burn" it is normal to see metal transfer from one contact "point" to the other, one a valley the other a peak. when "dressing" the contact points with a file or what ever, your taking off the high peak and getting the metal clean and shiny. Do clean any reside that may keep the contacts from touching. If contacts burn quickly, the condenser is either bad or not grounded, Bad condenser can also cause no spark, always carry a set of points and condenser in a sealed bag.
On really old points it may be worth while to check that they are not stuck on their pivot (they open but will not close back) Been there done that. ALSO... plastic cam contact that can melt if ignition is left on and the points are closed (I think GM's did that?) Many points had phenolic cam blocks that were pretty resistant to heat. All distributors cam lobes need to be wiped down and lubed with about a pencil point worth of lube (any is better than none)
Points plates grounding issues Lost ground during points advancing or retarding (that will drive you crazy lol). Distributor shaft bushing/bearings worn out will cause the dwell angel to go wonky easy check easy but not cheap fix... depends on your inventory.
Don't get me going on plug wires
Great job Tony
Similar to battery charging , with the metal transfer.....
like if the + post has alot of corrosion it's overcharging , if it's the - terminal corroding it's undercharging.
Something like that, I could have the positions reversed I'm going off analog memory.
l find the same issue with new points, they just dont hold up, l have a stash of the old good stuff, well l kinda have a stash of everything,
Grandma's Malibu the points contact pads suck ass now. They glue them on. Every time I hit 6500+rpm, the contact pad falls off and the car dies cuz the points gap has opened up.
Like clockwork.
@@cruzinezy1968
Yea I was gonna say, I've noticed the rubbing block seems to be lame anymore , weak/cheap plastic.
Mustie1 Hi Mustie 1, I love your channel too!!!
Yeah man, I just got a set of points running on a Honda 70 from 1971! ORIGINAL POINTS! I did buy new ones from China but I got scammed. The pints were crap anyways, the rubbing block when I got them broke as I installed the bushing. The points were a complete opposite of what I ordered. They were flipped exactly to the other side!
The key to new points and condensers is NAME BRAND, Briggs and stratton is better then Rotary, AC/Delco is better then china, Motorcraft, Mopar. You can get a set of points and condenser from auto zone for $5, AC/Delco will cost ya $40, but they american made, higher quality control. Same goes for distributor caps and rotor buttons. I love auto zone, I went to get a distributor /rotor button for a '91 chevy truck, when I took it out to make sure it would fit, I notcied someone had put their old one back in the box and returned it, I looked at the cleark and said, we would prefer a new one.. but even the new one was no where near quality an ac delco one would have been.
OMG..I have the same dwell meter from Sears..I bought a 1969z/28 in 1982 for $4000..still have the meter, car is long gone 😭
You should buy you a good car so you can use it again
What happened to it? 😞
I have that exact meter and still use it regularly. These days, I use it more to check things like turn signals than dwell, but it’s a solid piece.
djstl100 you got it! that little engine analyzer brings back some good memories.
I can still use the dwell meter on my 83 gti to check the O2 sensor duty cycle.
Fyi.. everything Uncle Tony is showing you, as far as setting the gap.. will make sense once it's in front of you.. cam lope, watching the gap, set screw, even the little notch to make make the gap easier.. Have fun.. Thanks Always Uncle Tony
I run a set of '60s vintage points on my '72 302 Ford in a '60 Comet. It actually runs a little bit better than it did with a Pertronix setup.
Boy, I'm glad I came home for lunch!!! Pizza and UT!
Never had to mess with points except on old tractors, man learning so much! Thank you sir
I can't remember how many vehicles or tractors or motorcycles I bought or helped a buddy with that had no spark, I open it up to get to the points and someone has the insulating washers all out of whack , causing a ground.
Good times.
Good stuff never heard a condenser explained in any way that I understand until today thank you Uncle Tony
Dwell effects timing but timing does not effect dwell thus once dwell is set check and adjust timing sorry maybe I am getting ahead of ya lol
You beat me to it! Not everyone knows about having to reset timing if the point gap is increased.
As I recall, the larger the points gap the smaller the dwell (coil saturation), and every thousandths of an inch in points gap is a degree in ignition timing.
Uncle Tony makes it simple and to the point. # 1 in the books.. 👍👍
I still have my old Sears dwell meter collecting dust after all these years!!! I love the fact that you still teach the good old stuff for the younger generation!!! Hopefully it sinks in!!!
Thank you Uncle Tony for the refresher course. It's been so long since I tinkered with the points and condenser. My 1968 Chevelle SS 396 I'm restoring thanks you too! 👍😁
Tony, I grew up on a farm where we repaired all of our own stuff. My Dad used to be a mechanic and taught me everything he could. I went into the Army as a Heavy wheeled maintenance mechanic and Diesel engine mechanic. I never knew what a condenser was or what it was really doing. No one ever taught me. I just learned how to check and replace it. I was taught to change it every time I replaced points or a coil. I got out of the Army and decided to use my GI bill to go to HVAC school. That is where I finally learned enough to understand what a condenser was, why it was built that way and what it was doing. In HVAC school I learned all about capacitors and the light went on and I finally fit the puzzle together. The condenser is a capacitor. It builds up voltage or energy and matches or nearly matches the output voltage of the ign. Coil. That match reduces the amperage and arc when the contacts open because there is a matching potential voltage on both sides of the point contacts so you don't have a huge current jump between them and burn the metal. It is very important that the condenser value is made to match the ign. Coil value. It took me 24 years to learn that and 2 different trades and schools. Before then it was just do what I tell you and don't worry about why.
I said output voltage but you know what I mean when you break the coil field voltage through the points to generate the spark volts out of the coil wire.
Also uncle Tony, a condensor is a battery. a friend of mine got on the school bus,(1977) handed me one and asked if I had ever seen one (he was careful to hold it by the base/sides, I grab it by the sides and slide my thumb/finger down the wire, POW, 40,000 volts! You can put the wire in a spark plug wire with the case on the block, start the car,(charge it) and not touching the wire sit it on a table, it will stay charged a long time and bite the first person who picks it up and completes the circuit! He helped his Dad put points/condenser in their '67 Mercury Comet b4 school and thought it would be a funny joke to light up his friend on the bus.
I use "Red-n-Tacky" to lube. Always lasts the 8k or so between check/service intervals I use. Also, I use a Q Tip to add just a smear on the cam. I then use a toothpick to "pile" a small amount actually ON the forward side of the wear block. What happens is that it will perpetually lubricate as the block is eroded.
Great idea!
Rocking it old school because it provides what an engine needs at a lower cost than the best alternatives. I love this stuff-well done Teacher Tony!
Match book cover? Is there an app for that? 😆
Haha there is a local archery place it has an ad on the radio, the guy says "the internet can't set up your bow properly"
And then you hear a stoned millennial say gaaaaa what dude?
Haha gold.
🤦♂️
“Care and feeding”. I love it. 👍❤️☮️
Great video brother I learned about points growing up my dad made me go outside and watch him and help but I love your videos brother one of the best mechanic and car tech series on UA-cam keep up the good work bro
Absolutely!!!
I have the exact same dwell meter my Gramps gave me many years ago. Haven't used it in a while, but have used it on some old Jeep's and a Ferd pickup I used to own. Great video brother...show the young guys what's up!!
It's all about the coil saturation .
A fully saturated coil is the spice of life.
Love your rebuild and tune videos. Definitely old school. Such a huge difference with all of the electronics today
When adjusting point gap to achieve correct dwell it's relevant to know that there is an inverse relationship between them; I usually check dwell with the motor running after setting gap. Also, if you are setting points with any regularity, a good eye should get the gap close enough to "get you home." By the way, this is one regard where the "regular" points type of distributor might be considered superior to the "unipoints" type as it's usually a lot easier to see or feel the gap with the distributor in the motor.
Wow never in my lifetime have I ever heard someone explain points the way you did you make it so easy to understand I also find your videos very relaxing after working all day
So now I know who to blame Everytime I pull a distro cap off and all the guts are gone. Thanks Tony lol. You're right though it's working going and getting spares the new just don't last longer than Patty stayed in hell.
Love UT's breaker point videos! Takes us back to the 'good ole' days' of regular tune-ups and bragging about good running engines. I remember changing condensers about every third point set... they lasted and lasted 45 years ago.
I remember being 8 years old, sitting in the drivers seat in my dad's 1973 Satellite station wagon, with my dad under the hood yelling "Bump it...bump it...bump it - Damn It, next time don't bump it so hard!...bump it..." as he tried to get the cam in the correct position. I hadn't thought about those times in years.
Thanks again Uncle Tony for bringing back those memories.
This was another electrifying episode. I found Uncle Tony's presentation shocking. Tony really sparks my interest. This really does ignite the conversation.
Way ahead of spontaneous combustion. Thanks Uncle Tony.
The last time I was working with points and coils and condenser was in an Old 109 Land Rover series 3. Nice video mate 👍
Thank you UTG!! I have a 63' Ford Galaxie with a 390FE and there's not many guys talking about this stuff which leaves me learning from an awesome MOPAR fanatic such as yourself. I really appreciate you teaching us noobs, knowledge transfer is really important. My father taught me a lot about cars, but it was mostly body work and paint (his profession).
God Bless y'all.
I have had one of those Sears multi meters since 1986. First motor I built (350 to replace the 307) I installed an HEI with external Accel Super coil kit. So never used the meter for dwell. But it worked perfect as an under hood tach display for tuning the carb and timing. Along with a light and vacuum gage.
Bringing back stuff I already knew but forgot. I remember my uncle doing this stuff and explaining it to me, but by the time I got my own cars, HEI was the thing. Since I'm a GM at heart, that's what I know. But it is awesome to relearn things.
As always, another great video from Uncle Tony and Uncle Kathy. Thank you! 😊👍
Lubrication is very important
I’m in my 60’s, have lived it, your great.
I'm glad you mentioned at the end of the video about dual point ignitions cuz I was going to ask about those since I had a 69 Dart with a 340 and I had an Accel dual-point which was always fun to set
Loving these back to back videos tony! I just picked up a barn fresh 230 chevy and I never messed with points so this helps greatly
My Dad had a 1970 Chevy c10 he had a routine of cleaning and adjusting points every 6 months and replacing them once a year. That's how I learned watching dad and when he let me do it. I still prefer Points over electronic any day.
Please add one more step on rotors and distributor caps. Although it may be common knowledge, just the slightest crack in the housing or burn on the rotor will affect performance. I remember my mid 70 GM motors having a voltage regulator attached to the cap that would always cause problems
Y'all writing this down..... Lucky, we Use to have to write it down.. stop reading this and Listen to Uncle Tony.. Knowledge is Power.. Oi oi oi
Great to see you covering old school ignition Systems. Enjoy your channel uncle Tony.
Made me smile when you pulled out the exact same Sears multimeter that I have...purchased new 40 years ago and still stored in it's original box! And I even have a 1974 car that I use it on...although distinctly not a Mopar (Porsche 914 of all things)!
Love these old school how to vids Uncle Tony , you have the viewers attention with your knowledge and easy going attitude . You tubers can learn a lot from your channel . Cheers .
Brings back a lot of memories Tony is very good at describing this topic on of the best vids I’ve seen on the subject.
If you adjust the dwell while you have the camera pointed at the spark coming out of a plug, will it visually change the way the spark looks as you are adjusting it? I have never tried this, and since you have it set up..... Great video as always.
At the extreme ends of the range you would see a difference
You might want to discuss the resistor block or wire that reduces voltage from 12 volts down to 8 volts, the reasons for it's inclusion in the circuit and the results of it's absence. Thanks!
My Dad taught me this when I was a teen. Good to know , still use that today on my Studebaker. Thank you Tony.
This was an excellent video, thanks. In the 70's, when I had an Opel, and needed to set the point gap, the engine had a fan that was coupled to the water pump pulley with a clutch, so you could not just move the fan blade a little to get the points to high cam. I would just put the car in 4th gear and move the car a little forward or back, as needed. And back then, the Bosch points did not last very long. I had much better luck with Standard Blue Streak points, which were vented, and also the 2 surfaces aligned (unlike the Bosch stuff I had tried). A Beetle guy had told me about the Blue Streak points back then.
Great video. It brings back memories of setting points, something I do less and less often.
Your videos really takes me back! Only a real rookie fell for this, but we used to say “Think fast!” and toss a charged-up condenser to one of the FNG’s in the shop. They’d get a jolt and much shop hilarity would ensue. Of course, now it was *his* turn to do the same thing to the *next* new guy.
Ha! My dealer mechanic friend just asked me what the hell a Dwell meter was! These new guys cant fix a damn thing if they can't plug their scanner into it! Points for the win baby! Just keep a good spare set up in the glove box in case you burn them up because you wanna put 14v through for the MSD Box haha!
Don't forget to keep a spare Ceramic Resistor also.......
"work like a gentleman" your style says it all 🙂
Thanks for the great videos!
Those horrible Lucas relays also used to go bad, ad they are nothing more than a small coil with a set of points. Add a condenser to the hot wire in, and they last a very long time.
Thanks for the tips!
Lucas: the prince of darkness.
Ask any brit car lover 🤣
Thank you for keeping this knowledge alive. If it’s not passed on to the next generation it will be lost forever.
I feel like I should be at a tiny desk attached to a little chair with my notebook and #2 pencil. Always a lesson to learn. I was never without a match book and an xtra set of points in the glove box of my exwife' 74 Super Beatle... Thanks UT for showing me how to do it right!!
Points were on the way out right around the time I was getting a license. Now I run a point ignition in an old Cyclone and never knew some of the stuff I saw in this video. Thanks Tony.
Now to go order up a file and point loob.
All our classics are under age of 1965 so points and condenser changing is a must.
Not a fan of after market electronic distributors, but heard the pertronix is pretty darn good.
I never used one of those, but the cool thing from what I understand is you can keep a points set in the glovebox, and if your pertronix fails you can swap points back in on the roadside pretty easily and keep on truckin.
Being 20 driving a 1976 chevy luv as my daily commuter and telling the older folks that i just adjusted the points puts a smile other faces keeping classics on the road is not for the faint hearted no power steering no air bags and or automatic transmission you gotta be a real man to drive old vehicles
That`s true for using old Ford tractors for your farm work to! Most of the other farmers think at 65 were a little crazy to actually farm with our antique tractors all made in 1952 ,but they are simple & fairly easy to work on & don`t cost $10,000 to replace hydraulics!
Tony, thanks for the trip down memory lane.
My '73 Chevy pickup, my pre Mopar days, started shooting ducks AFTER I had installed new points, cap rotor and plugs.
What did I forget to do? Replace the condenser! After new condenser, problem solved.
I'm an old school mechanic and grew up with these it's great to see a vid explaining these to the people not familiar with them from a 1st class mechanic
these videos never get old! thanks for the great info tony
I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us Uncle Tony, the video was great!
Hey Uncle Tony, that was a blast from the past.
Cheers😊
spot on on what a condenser douse! love how the distributor has a set of blue streak points! as for the match book i set it that way as the dwell on points is far from ideal across the rpm range. it is a bit to hi at idle and above 4000 rpm the coil is not charging to its peak so i set it with a match book. as for condensers the insulation over time brakes down and then thy fail and thay do not make hi voltage capacitors that last now . the condenser works the opposite why of a coil it, stores energy on the metal plates as electrostatic charge as opposed to a magnetic one in the coil so the capacitor cancels out sum of the coils kick back as the coil wants to keep charging. thanks for the video top notch !! points rock!!!
Man i would love to work with this guy. I've been a Journeyman auto Tech since 2008 and I feel like the amount of time that I've invested into the auto world barely qualifies me to understand how smart he is and the extent of his knowledge. Good job man crack a beer cause you deserve it!
Brings back a lot of memories, great job. 👍
That was some of the best points education I’ve ever had. Thanks man!
I'm going with the points setup in my 65 Impala. I thought about E-ignition, but give me the old points set up any day. Cheap and reliable for every day use, and easy to install and adjust.
Hyundia had points until 1986. I had a stellar and the points screw constantly loosened. I got so quick at setting them by eye that I even set them at a stop light while waiting for the light to change. Finally I used loctite to hold them in place.
Nice video Tony !!! My professional career as an auto tech began in 1973 and continues to this day. I never pulled a distributor to replace points and condenser. A sign of a bad condenser is badly burnt points. If someone would ever toss you a condenser you never catch it as it was probably "charged" with a spark plug wire from a running engine...lol
Picked up a sweet meter in a nice metal case at a rummage sale this year. Haven’t used it yet, but did my first set of points in my 65 f100 this spring when it started running like garbage.
I had a 200 ci 1967 Ford six cylinder that would not keep a consistent gap and I couldn't figure it out, until I discovered 1/16" play in the distributor shaft.
I was thinking about doing a video on my UA-cam channel about points ignition systems....but this video and the last one you did knocked the ball out of the park! I should just refer my viewers to this video and the one before.... Lol
Yup!!
Thank you for this video it has been a very long time since I have gapped a set of points I needed a refresher
Thanks for your time and shared wisdom Uncle T. Best wishes.
Worker like a gentleman, best line ever!
always learn something new watching you, THANK YOU!
Hi Uncle Tony,
I am Chuck in Wildomar, California. Good job Sir! I have two 1930 Ford Model A pickup trucks with original engines (Inline 4s). Also a 1974 Triumph TR6 (Inline 6), and a 1947 Chrysler New Yorker (Inline 8). All have points. Another bit of information for people new to points/condensor/coil ignition systems is that you ALWAYS adjust point gap BEFORE adjusting the engine ignition timing. Point Gap affects Ignition Timing. Cheers., Chuck
Good video as usual