Another distributor question

[36coupe]

I set my 38 distributor with a Wesco timing devise. The car starts and runs great. When I start pushing it pass 50mph it hitches and does seem to want to rev any higher. If I push too far on the throttle it just bogs. I’m pretty sure it is the distributor and not fuel related as I have only touched the distributor.

Not enough advance?, timing retarted too much, dwell not set right or bad condenser?

Any ideas where look first?

[Phil Gillespie]

Originally Posted by 36coupe

I set my 38 distributor with a Wesco timing devise. The car starts and runs great. When I start pushing it pass 50mph it hitches and does seem to want to rev any higher. If I push too far on the throttle it just bogs. I’m pretty sure it is the distributor and not fuel related as I have only touched the distributor.

Not enough advance?, timing retarted too much, dwell not set right or bad condenser?

Any ideas where look first?

Possible it may be all of the above.
I should initially just try some advance or retard and see what effect it has.
Then progress to the next item. perhaps the condenser. Hopefully it should be pretty close on dwell if set on the Wesco. Points are good?
All the best.
Phil NZ

[Kahuna]

36
My bet is it's fuel related

[35fordtn]

What brand points are they?
Point bounce or point float as some call is can create a similar feel. If the spring tension of the pints is too weak they will bounce at higher Rpms. They only way to determine this is to run it on a sun machine or a strobing machine similar to a sun

[Mart]

I would be looking at the rotor arm and the shaft. This behaviour of driving ok and then not wanting to take wider throttle openings is typical of a failing HT side of the ignition.

In my case it would deteriorate until it would not drive at all until totally cooled down where the cycle would start all over again.

There is a known problem where the rotor arm can start tracking through to the shaft. This can be alleviated by putting a couple of layers of shrink tube on the shaft.

Mart.

[36coupe]

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I have a spare distributor I built from parts, maybe I should try that.
Without a load it will rev up fine.
This is the original distributor with timing and points adjusted and a new condenser and new spark plugs installed.
I don’t know the points brand but the car came with lots of bob Drake’s extra ignition parts.
I set the points about 14 on the spark side, I think the dwell side is closer to 12.

[Hoop]

"I set the points about 14 on the spark side, I think the dwell side is closer to 12."

Just want to clarify ... 14 thousands (.014) or 14°? ... .012 or 12°?

Not familiar with what Wesco you are using. Please excuse me for checking small stuff.

[36coupe]

Originally Posted by Hoop

"I set the points about 14 on the spark side, I think the dwell side is closer to 12."

Just want to clarify ... 14 thousands (.014) or 14°? ... .012 or 12°?

Not familiar with what Wesco you are using. Please excuse me for checking small stuff.

I adjusted the point gap to 14 thou
Wesco sets the timing in relation to the cams on the distributor turning the light off and on. Very basic but it works.

[G.M.]

Get Skip Haney in Florida to rebuild your coil, check your condenser hot and take
your distributor apart, clean and oil it and set it to original Fords factor specs on his
original Ford~Hyer distributor strobe machine. [email protected] Coil is $75.00,
condenser check free and $50.00 for the distr. Shipping will be about $20.00
[email protected] for info G.M.

[36coupe]

Originally Posted by G.M.

Get Skip Haney in Florida to rebuild your coil, check your condenser hot and take
your distributor apart, clean and oil it and set it to original Fords factor specs on his
original Ford~Hyer distributor strobe machine. [email protected] Coil is $75.00,
condenser check free and $50.00 for the distr. Shipping will be about $20.00
[email protected] for info G.M.

It is a skip coil. The condenser is new. I noticed yesterday that the performance fades as the vehicle get hot. I am suspecting the condenser.
I’m in Nova Scotia and I don’t know anyone with a distributor strobe machine on the east coast. If somebody on the barn knows someone on the north side of the board that has one it would make it a lot easier on the shipping.

[slowforty]

I had a problem with my 40. It would start and run good but would not go over 60 mph. Checked everything twice. Found out that the the charging system was not putting out enough juice. Fixed the charging system and the 40 runs well with full voltage.

[Jembow]

I gave in and bought an electronic distributor, I just couldn't get my motor to rev beyond about 3000rpm. Bubba told me it was likely to be points bounce cos lots of repro points have the wrong spring pressure. Yes, I did order a properly strobed distributor from him but it got lost in the post (long story, let's not go there)

[35fordtn]

If you’ll pay the postage I’d gladly set up your distributor on the sun machine free of charge, and test the condenser while at it..

[Hoop]

Mike's (35fordtn) offer is certainly worth consideration. He knows what he's doing and likely has any parts that may need replaced.

This is where the Sun Distributor TESTER is most valuable. The settings you used with the Wesco should not be a problem. If you have a distributor malfunction, that is what the Sun will detect.

If you actually are having distributor problems, Mike will find them.

[Ken/Alabama]

Another issue I've experienced that will not show up on my Sun Machine is a crack in rotor and it will arc to the distributor shaft.

[Hoop]

"Another issue I've experienced that will not show up on my Sun Machine is a crack in rotor and it will arc to the distributor shaft."

Ken brings up a good point. Just because you are using a strobe machine ... or you have someone using one on your distributor ... it's not going to eliminate the need for knowing what you/they are doing.

It is good practice when working on a helmet distributor to insulate the shaft from the rotor with a piece of shrink tubing.

(Still thank Ken for some obscure Sun information that had me perplexed for quite a while.)

[35fordtn]

Ken, has a good point and Hoop has listed the remedy by insulating the shaft using either heat shrink or thick electrical tape.

Off topic, but....I had one not too long ago that was wearing out rotors. The distributor would set up and feel great, and then after 200-300 miles there was a lot of endplay..

Apparently after some time the engine developed a noise and the guy torn it down. The timing gear cover was worn allowing the cam to thrust forward and push outward on the distributor shaft.

[flatjack9]

On those engines, the cam thrust is towards the block.

[35fordtn]

Originally Posted by flatjack9

On those engines, the cam thrust is towards the block.

That’s where i got confused... is it possible he had a 8BA tiiming year and crank gear?

[Ken/Alabama]

Originally Posted by 35fordtn

That’s where i got confused... is it possible he had a 8BA tiiming year and crank gear?

Yes, that can happen

[36coupe]

I advanced the timing and it seems to run much better but starts harder when hot.

[supereal]

The last vehicle brought to our shop with a restricted highway speed problem turned out to be caused by the internal collapse of the flex hose between the fuel line and the carb. It can also be caused by the wrong fuel tank cap which restricts ventilation of the tank to allow fuel flow.

[RobR'35]

I too have had the restricted highiway speed problem.
It took me a while to figure the problem.
It ended up being a gas line hose between the fuel pump and the carb.
It said gas line on the hose and when I looked closer it also said made in China.
The grose jet type needle and seat was restricted with small pieces of rubber. Hose or corn gas......? Perhaps both being the cause.
After cleaning the grose jet and putting an orginal type metal fuel line back on its been running as it should.
Also, I have the later type fuel pump with the glass bowl. In the bowl I have a fuel filter with a spring.

[[email protected]]

I had the same problem on my 36 and found that the generator and cutout was putting out an over voltage at normal driving rpm's. The coil couldn't take it. Got the voltage back to 6.2 output and everything is fine.