The Ford Barn

Lenny Bruce · 05-27-2023, 05:03 AM

Good morning everyone. Quick question… One of the only things my wife doesn’t care for driving her ‘30 coupe is messing with her timing. I see Nu Rex has the mechanical timing advance kit for model A’s. Has anyone tried one of these? Seems like a cool add on for beginners or people who don’t quite understand the
Timing advance technique… I’d love to install one on her coupe if they’re legit.

divcoone · 05-27-2023, 05:31 AM

Work very well. Some feel that have too much advance when using a high compression head.

Lenny Bruce · 05-27-2023, 06:05 AM

That’s good to know. We have stock motors so it may be a great addition to her coupe!
Thanks for your feedback

nkaminar · 05-27-2023, 06:09 AM

For most Model A's the timing can be "set and forget." Why? As the rpm increases the turbulence in the combustion chamber increases so the fuel/air mixture burns faster. This is not exactly correct because of various factors, but close enough. To be totally correct the advance should change with rpm and throttle position. This would imply an advance mechanism like the Nu Rex and also a vacuum advance like the old VW bugs. Or, better yet, a computer, air mass flow sensor, other sensors, and rpm sensor like a modern car.

Getting back to the original question, some owners are taking the Nu Rex out of their car because the timing curve is not right. Search the forum on this subject. The advance curve has been published. You might consider a stop on the ignition lever so that your wife can just move the lever down to the stop and leave it there. It would be one or two notches retarded from the knee.

Another option is an electronic distributor with a built in advance curve that is adjustable.

Werner · 05-27-2023, 02:11 PM

N'Abend Bruce,

I drive with this automatic ignition since one year. Works excellent by itself without any touch up. I would buy the NuRex ignition part again.

Y-Blockhead · 05-27-2023, 05:26 PM

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Here is an article on Vince's Ford Garage about the Phillip's/Nu-Rex Auto Advance. The advance curve is pretty close to being the same as a Model B.

https://www.fordgarage.com/pages/nurexadvance.htm

Quote:

Originally Posted by divcoone

Work very well. Some feel that have too much advance when using a high compression head.

There is no reason you can not retard the timing if you feel the Nu-Rex is advancing too much since the stock lever is still connected. Sometimes I will retard the timing when pulling a steep hill. I have mine set at 30° total advance. I am running a 5.5 head.

Synchro909 · 05-27-2023, 06:18 PM

If your automatic advance Nurex distributor is not advancing as it should, ring them and ask about a different set of weights and springs. The curve can be changed and the max advance limited to whatever you need with your high compression head.

Y-Blockhead · 05-27-2023, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synchro909

If your automatic advance Nurex distributor is not advancing as it should, ring them and ask about a different set of weights and springs. The curve can be changed and the max advance limited to whatever you need with your high compression head.

The Nu-Rex auto advance does not have any springs or different weights to change. It has an imbalanced rotating ring that acts like a gyro. The curve can not be changed..

Synchro909 · 05-28-2023, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

The Nu-Rex auto advance does not have any springs or different weights to change. It has an imbalanced rotating ring that acts like a gyro. The curve can not be changed..

Darn it, I was thinking about an FS distributor.

Dodge · 05-29-2023, 11:07 PM

They work great. Put a timing mark on the motor and set it for total advance.

alexiskai · 05-29-2023, 11:55 PM

The Phillips automatic timing device, of which the Nu-Rex device is a replica, was reviewed in the MARC News in 1962. The reviewer stated that his A's gas mileage improved 10% with the Phillips device installed, and it allowed him to pull hills in 3rd gear where previously he'd had to downshift. (I assume he hadn't been adjusting his timing on those hills.)

lrf · 05-30-2023, 12:46 AM

Couldn't you use a Model "B" distributor which has centrifical weights to advance? Just wondering.

Synchro909 · 05-30-2023, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lrf

Couldn't you use a Model "B" distributor which has centrifical weights to advance? Just wondering.

I wouldn't use a B distributor even for a paperweight. The B engine has a bad reputation for cracking the block and most people blame thin castings. The B distributor is soooo bad that I believe it is the cause of much of the reputation. They don't advance properly (I have 3 I will throw away). We know that an engine running retarded runs hot and that causes blocks to crack. IF the castings of the block are thinner, that wouldn't help but I suspect they would be adequate if the distributor was up to the job.
I use an A distributor on my B engine.

ursus · 05-30-2023, 07:06 PM

Synchro909 in Post #13 seems to have had some bad experiences with the B distributor and there are several reasons for this. The advance mechanism as supplied by Ford was assembled and tested before installation. The NOS B-12170 assemblies that I have acquired over the years come with a stern warning on the box: "CAUTION - HANDLE WITH CARE, DO NOT TAKE THIS ASSEMBLY APART! It goes on to describe the testing and adjustment performed to give proper spark advance.

Down the road, the proper advance can become impaired by improper oiling, rust, dirt, or shade-tree adjustments to the mechanism. Most of the used B distributors I have acquired suffer from such faults. Indeed, it is common for the advance pivot arms to be frozen or difficult to rotate. I have tossed more than a few frozen assemblies into the trash out of sheer frustration.

I prefer the B distributor on my Model A and they work well provided the advance mechanism is up to spec.. As for the theory that B-distributors contribute to cracked Model B engine blocks, I have my doubts. Never attribute to physics what might as well be explained by human failures: poor maintenance, improperly timed ignition, or the results of monkey business in an effort to "improve" the B distributor advance. Note also Ford's attempt to utilize a new thin-wall casting process for 1932, which resulted in a number of problems for both the Model B and V-8 engines.

05-27-2023, 05:31 AM	#2
divcoone Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Posts: 175	Re: Nu Rex Timing Advance Work very well. Some feel that have too much advance when using a high compression head.

05-27-2023, 06:05 AM	#3
Lenny Bruce Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 284	Re: Nu Rex Timing Advance That’s good to know. We have stock motors so it may be a great addition to her coupe! Thanks for your feedback

05-27-2023, 06:09 AM	#4
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,901	Re: Nu Rex Timing Advance For most Model A's the timing can be "set and forget." Why? As the rpm increases the turbulence in the combustion chamber increases so the fuel/air mixture burns faster. This is not exactly correct because of various factors, but close enough. To be totally correct the advance should change with rpm and throttle position. This would imply an advance mechanism like the Nu Rex and also a vacuum advance like the old VW bugs. Or, better yet, a computer, air mass flow sensor, other sensors, and rpm sensor like a modern car. Getting back to the original question, some owners are taking the Nu Rex out of their car because the timing curve is not right. Search the forum on this subject. The advance curve has been published. You might consider a stop on the ignition lever so that your wife can just move the lever down to the stop and leave it there. It would be one or two notches retarded from the knee. Another option is an electronic distributor with a built in advance curve that is adjustable. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

05-27-2023, 06:18 PM	#7
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: Nu Rex Timing Advance If your automatic advance Nurex distributor is not advancing as it should, ring them and ask about a different set of weights and springs. The curve can be changed and the max advance limited to whatever you need with your high compression head. __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.

05-29-2023, 11:07 PM	#10
Dodge Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Sonoma, CA. Posts: 1,497	Re: Nu Rex Timing Advance They work great. Put a timing mark on the motor and set it for total advance.

05-27-2023, 05:03 AM	#1
Lenny Bruce Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 284	Nu Rex Timing Advance Good morning everyone. Quick question… One of the only things my wife doesn’t care for driving her ‘30 coupe is messing with her timing. I see Nu Rex has the mechanical timing advance kit for model A’s. Has anyone tried one of these? Seems like a cool add on for beginners or people who don’t quite understand the Timing advance technique… I’d love to install one on her coupe if they’re legit.

05-29-2023, 11:55 PM	#11
alexiskai Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Mebane NC Posts: 2,356	Re: Nu Rex Timing Advance The Phillips automatic timing device, of which the Nu-Rex device is a replica, was reviewed in the MARC News in 1962. The reviewer stated that his A's gas mileage improved 10% with the Phillips device installed, and it allowed him to pull hills in 3rd gear where previously he'd had to downshift. (I assume he hadn't been adjusting his timing on those hills.)

05-30-2023, 12:46 AM	#12
lrf Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: long beach ca Posts: 171	Re: Nu Rex Timing Advance Couldn't you use a Model "B" distributor which has centrifical weights to advance? Just wondering.

05-30-2023, 07:06 PM	#14
ursus Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,375	Re: Nu Rex Timing Advance Synchro909 in Post #13 seems to have had some bad experiences with the B distributor and there are several reasons for this. The advance mechanism as supplied by Ford was assembled and tested before installation. The NOS B-12170 assemblies that I have acquired over the years come with a stern warning on the box: "CAUTION - HANDLE WITH CARE, DO NOT TAKE THIS ASSEMBLY APART! It goes on to describe the testing and adjustment performed to give proper spark advance. Down the road, the proper advance can become impaired by improper oiling, rust, dirt, or shade-tree adjustments to the mechanism. Most of the used B distributors I have acquired suffer from such faults. Indeed, it is common for the advance pivot arms to be frozen or difficult to rotate. I have tossed more than a few frozen assemblies into the trash out of sheer frustration. I prefer the B distributor on my Model A and they work well provided the advance mechanism is up to spec.. As for the theory that B-distributors contribute to cracked Model B engine blocks, I have my doubts. Never attribute to physics what might as well be explained by human failures: poor maintenance, improperly timed ignition, or the results of monkey business in an effort to "improve" the B distributor advance. Note also Ford's attempt to utilize a new thin-wall casting process for 1932, which resulted in a number of problems for both the Model B and V-8 engines.