Advance/retard control
 

The advance retard control arm works fine. However after starting it wants to find a sweet spot. This is about half way down the quadrant. Advance the spark and it comes back to this spot. Is this normal or am I just missing something? I'm concerned that this slightly retarded position might be bad for combustion.

Re: Advance/retard control
 

' It wants to find the sweet spot ' ? All by itself ?

1/2 to 3/4 down is the normal position. These monsters really don't need 40º of advance. Full advance may be OK for continued highway speeds. I never [ well, very seldom ] bring the lever fully down. Just set where 'it' likes it.

Over the years the ' mechanism' wears and the lever doesn't want to stay put. Many are like that. This can be fixed but requires some work.

Re: Advance/retard control
 

Yup all by it's self. Runs fine in that 'sweet spot'. Think I'll just leave it alone. Actually it's kinda cool have the Model A tell you where it wants to run. Thanks

Re: Advance/retard control
 

LOL ! That monster has been running for a whole lot of years and it knows what it wants ! :D

Re: Advance/retard control
 

Check your linkage. That sweet spot on the quadrant may be because the arm on the distributor plate is hitting the full advance of the opening in the upper body. If so, your linkages need adjusting so that you get full advance and full retard. When you have that, the normal position is about half way down, or 9 0;clock. Full advance for high speed.