Got a 56 Pontiac with a Mallory dual point. Just wondering how often I should clean and adjust the gaps on my points. I've never left a distributor in long enough to have to worry about it. She's just running so good right now I wanna leave it alone, but when is the usual time to perform preventative maintenance? Guessing I shouldn't wait for it not to run well! Thanks in advance for any advice.
The first time it acts up you'll know what to adjust. =) I usually adjust mine whether it needs it or not at around 2k miles. At that time I also lube the distributor cam lobes. I'm not sure what the proper interval is, but it's worked for me for years. It'd probably go a lot longer than that if you keep the rpm's low, but I have a heavy foot sometimes... most time. Also, lightly sanding/filing the points every so often is a good practice too; just so the metal is nice and clean in my opinion. Just a "tiny" bit every so often, so you don't take off more than you need to. I'm sure an old timer will chime in too...
Thanks Jeff, and hello from a displaced Pittsburgher (Let's go Pens!)! The stock distributor is what I took out. I just couldn't get that thing to run right with that distributor installed! Not sure what it was, but I put the Mallory in and she's been running GREAT ever since. I have a ways to go before I check the points again I guess......been about 800 miles since I put this distributor in. Johnny
This is good advice, 1500 to 2000 miles unless you are racing then it is before every race. Here is an old trick, you can clean your points with a dollar bill, if thet get oitted or stuck together you will need to take a point file to them, but a dollar bill will clean them real well. Just let them close on the bill and drag it through there.
Wow! That is a cool trick! Too bad my wife won't let me have a dollar......... Thanks for the replies fellas! Johnny
Hell I actually set a fellas points at the track with a match book. He was a beginning weekender and his car quit running, so I showed him the match book trick because I had one in my pocket and I figured that a feeler gauge would be too technical. When I was traveling around on my bike I almost always set the point in my magneto with a match book, I always had one in my pocket as well as my pocket knife/screw driver and they set @ .018 anyway. It was just easier than dragging my tools out of my road bag. LOL I'm so broke I can't afford to pay attention, but I probably have a dollar bill in my dad's tool box. Send me your address and its yours.
Hehe! If I wanted circuitry and modern convenience I'd be driving an Audi or something! Kidding.....I've heard good things about them and even the conversion kits for whatever distributor you're running, but I'm happy with points. I understand every turn the electricity is making and I get a sense of comfort from that.
I run mine both ways, I like both electronic and points. I have both setups for every engine that I own. Sometimes I run electronic and others I decide that it is best to run points. Even from a pefformance mind set either set up properly will make it as quick as it needs to be. My thoughts on it is that one is not really better then the other just different.
As a quick check just hook up a dwell meter and if it is within specs the points don't need adjusting. If it is revving to your satisfaction they don't need cleaning. If you need an excuse to be under the hood then by all means open a cold one and jump in.
Aggie, I was just thinking there is just something therapeutic about tinkering with the old car. Adjusting the points on Saturday morning and donuts.
make sure you use good quality points , not the cheap ones. i put in new ones every year in my`36 and drive 1500-2000 miles. i actually had a set of just installed Accel points go bad on me coming home from BTT50's...only about 300 miles on them and i barely made it home
where's the fun in that.? Re: How often should I adjust/clean my points? I support every 1,500 - 2,000 miles.
36, This is about the best advice given so far. We used to get points rotor and condensor in bubble wrap and 1500 miles was about all they were good for. You can still buy Blue Streak points at NAPA, they are a platinum point, the rubbing blocks are real durable if you keep them lubed. Last set I bought were a little pricey at around 11 bucks but you can get 10K out of them easy with proper maintenence.
I don't drive year round. It sits from late Nov. to early March. So it sits for several months. I've found that even though it gets no additional mileage, it's always a good idea to file the points and adjust the gap in the spring. I was gonna get a Pertronix for my Stude dist but it starts so quickly since I tuned it when I got it that it would be a waste of money at this time. When the points wear out then I might reconsider. I keep the old tune up parts behind the seat just in case I might need them on the road. Many years ago I had a 57 Olds that started to sputter. when I checked the points, the contacts had welded themselves together. Only the arm of the points made contact with the back of the welded contacts. I put the cap back on and drove to the parts store for a new set. I detested the first electronic ignition systems because you could not look at them and tell if they would work or not. I have learned to adapt and they have gotten pretty bullet proof today.
Had damn near $50 in two sets of 48oz. (good)points & a condenser at Napa this spring. There're real proud of 'em. I needed some of that therapeutic relief after that.
And--you need to get a feel for that so you know whether you bought a good brand or not! Good points with good cam will only wear very slightly breaking in (set to max spec, that should barely shrink on first few miles as rubbing block polishes in) then run a long time (like a year on daily driver) before you look again. Most of the real parts places (Echlin, Standard) now sell 2 grades of everything...points and condenser are serious reliability items, so spring for the good ones. Check up on that Mallory unless it is an old 2-piece cap ones...I have seen recent Mallory points grind down to no gap in 1,000 miles. If you got a set of those...NAPA has replacement points and condenser. I really liked the old '57-up Delco...the external adjustment was super easy and the olde 1/2 turn trick allowed it to be set to a very high degree of accuracy with NO feeler or gauge.
I run a unilite in my Willys but it is a bad weather vehicle and I just like the way that it starts on 15 degrees and below with the unilite. I carry a spare distributer (points) just in case I have trouble when I am out, it takes about 15 minutes to change the distirbuter give or take. I ran my Galaxie on my mallory dual point year around when I first got on the HAMB as long as the points were properly adjusted it would crank and finre in any e weather. But I also had a hot coil to go with the distributer and I don't know if it was the distributer or the coil that made it start so well. Sometimes you just run what you brung, keep it clean and operable and it will not let you down.
Wow, I never knew. My Model A is the first car I've driven with points long enough to worry about point maintenance. No wonder why I've switched all the others to electronic.
Points are the coolest thing ever! Problem is they are new or freshly adjusted and cleaned for only the first lobe then they start wearing. You'd think somebody would have improved on that without dumping them for a hall sensor. But how many cycles do they make in 2000 miles? Quite amazing little rascals-points.
1500 2000 miles is way too often even with a stock distributor. 10000 miles more like it. You can check points wear without taking the cap off the distributor. Use dwell meter. If dwell has not moved the points are fine. If the dwell has moved it means the rubbing block has worn down, reset the points gap (or dwell, same thing) and you are good to go. Don't forget a little dab of points grease on the cam, a dab about as big as a match head. If your parts store is out of ignition grease Lubriplate is good too. Use a hi temp grease, not too much or it could gum up your points. If the points are burnt you can clean them up with a points file or 600 wet or dry. So, use your dwell meter to check the points. You can do it in 2 minutes. If the dwell has not moved more than a couple of degrees the points are fine. Once a year you can clean and reset the points if you really want to. They should last 25000 if cleaned and reset occasionally. I hear the new ones are kind of crappy so try and pick up a couple of NOS sets at a flea market. On the dual point distributor the points should last twice as long since each set carries only half the load. Here is a tip. Install a Ford thick film ignition module and wire it through the points. Your ignition will work better than ever and your points will never burn. You see the points act as a switch for the electronic ignition,and they get so little current they last forever. I did this on an old Porsche and the ignition is about 10 times better than stock. It will work with your old coil but for hottest spark use the Ford coil. I got the whole setup from a junkyard for $5 bucks. Some of them have the module on the distributor, you don't want that one, look for one with the module on an aluminum heat sink by the rad support. 90s Probe, Aerostar van, Cougar, and Tbird are good ones to look at. Do a search for Ford thick film ignition conversion for wiring instructions.
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