Glad that worked out with the crank bolt.

 

 

Take pix of said errant distributor. Never seen one that was frozen so hard in that manner.

 

 

 

Sorry I meant when its disassembled.

 

I will add to Eric and Ken's response to the timing thing. I've been doing this for 40 years and never once base-timed a stock or nearly stock engine at anything above curb idle. High perf engines yes because they wont idle below 1000.

I want to know exactly what the base is, then how much the vacuum is adding. To me, 11-1200rpm doesn't make sense, You are off the vac can and into the mechanical??? But I've never been accused of brilliance. Humm I'll have ta dig into why the factory would design that?

All of the Motors and Chilton books I have stated the same thing... curb idle for a given listed engine. BUT I don't have books above 1969, though I've tuned many a 70 and up Olds and all others. Maybe it has something to do with emissions? But an engine isn't running efficiently if the timing is set at say 1200. So when it comes down to idle in my mind it's going to be retarded off the optimum setting.

While this above-idle factory timing suggestion could very well be an early attempt at emission reduction. I'd ignore big brother and do it like I've been doing it for 40+ years. Never once had a complaint. In fact just the opposite.

Set base timing at curb idle. Bring in the vacuum at idle and figure out where you want to limit that. Then figure out where you want the mechanical event to start and end for the total. Basically, listen to what the engine is telling you. Give it as much timing as it will handle shy of detonation.

Lastly, one of the best things I ever did was send my distributors to someone with a SUN distributor machine and have them dial in what I needed per the engine setup. You will be surprised what a smooth transition and throttle response you will get when a distributor is set up right.

 

I do not disagree with you on the timing method you posted above, but for whatever reason the factory literature (including the tune up sticker on the radiator top plate) shows to set the initial at 1100 RPM for all but the hi-performance engines.

See the chart on this link and note the footnote (5) that says at 1100 RPM.

http://www.tpocr.com/olds2.html

 

 

Never seen these timing spec's before with such high RPM's.

 

Lets not confuse the issue with performance timing at this time. Lets get the car to run on stock specs, which is not nearly as complicated, and get his frozen or locked distributor to function correctly.

72442455, I wish you were closer, I have a dist. on the shelf I'd just give you.

Turn yours over and look at the underside of the dist and see if anything is mechanically locking it in place.

 

 

Texas

 

Not only is it stuck it looks like its partially engaged IE the mechanical is partially open as the weights are flopping around. Definitely needs to come apart. Id suggest tighter springs as well. As a starting point. Then back off one spring at a time until you achieve a favorable end result.

 

So you have never seen an emissions decal under the hood?
This is the same information that is in every publication with tune up specs.

 

I always got a kick out of the "Idle mixture preset at factory. Do not remove caps." statement. I can't count how many of those I drilled out the little plugs or broke the caps off of because the engine would not idle.

 

Confirms my suspicion that it was a feeble attempt at emission reduction. I never paid attention to it.

 

It wasn't just the emission years. The same procedure was used all the way back to 65, either 850 rpm or 1250 rpm depending on engine.

 

 

No rebuild kits really. There are two bushings on the advance plate shaft, so if those are worn they can be replaced. If the shaft itself is worn, a new one would be needed. Then lube with some grease and reassemble.

 

Also - I will throw the heavy springs on after I reassemble - I have to admit though that I have no idea what I’m doing “recurving” my distributor - I do under stand that heavier springs will take longer for the mech advance to kick in and also that - base time + mech advance + vac advance = total “all in” advance - but I don’t really understand what kinda curve is good or what I would require or want - I believe that I understand that “curve” means the gradual advance added per rpm as the rpm climbs - am I close to “getting it” on all this?

 

 

For now just leave the stock springs on the advance. Don't create more problems until you get it to work correctly stock.

 

In actual operation, you will rarely ever have the vacuum advance and mechanical advance giving full advance at the same time.When the throttle is fully open, vacuum goes to near zero, so there is no vacuum advance when the engine is WOT in the upper RPM range.

For what you are doing, total advance = initial advance + mechanical advance. You set those with the vacuum advance disconnected. The point of recurving is to get the total advance at a reasonable RPM (that RPM level is dependent upon the engine configuration).

 

Its not rare that you have full mechanical and full vacuum if you set you mechanical total to come in at 2500 - 2800 rpm. At cruise you can easily have it all in at highway speeds which is why setting your vacuum advance up correctly is critical.

 

I removed you hyd leak post because you have another thread started with it. How did you do with the advance issue?

 

 

Distributor out - will send disassembled pix soon - do I need to get the oil pump rod out or not necessary? Do I need to pull this?

 

No leave the pump rod in there. Look under the mechanical advance assy and see if there is anything keeping it from moving.

 

 

Some random pics - new standard blue streak cap and rotor on order

 

I used synthetic wheel bearings grease.

 

 

From what I recall, there's one oil seal at the top and a second at the bottom of the housing, so I put grease between the two, then inserted the shaft. I don't recall putting any grease between the plates.

 

 

https://youtu.be/x-T7ybo8Xlc

Thoughts? Need to be shimmed or look acceptable?

 

 

No, since the dist rotates ccw, it pulls the shaft down.