Points pickle!

[superCslim]

I bought a Ford 700 row crop tractor last fall. I had to put a new distributor in it last month. And for some reason the new distributor is eating the points. It's so bad I can't even get out of sight before it starts running rough and dies. It seems to be wearing the fiber/plastic boot that rides on the distributor cam. I can readjust the gap and it runs fine for a bit but it just keeps doing it.

This may be the last time I buy anything that doesn't say FARMALL on the front.....

 

[Billrog]

Did you change the condenser as well ?

 

[superCslim]

Yes. When I put the new distributor in I put new points, condenser, cap, and rotor.

 

[grm61]

Wearing the contact foot? or hold down screw too long? bottomed ...points moving?

 

[Billrog]

Remove the backing plate and insure the weights are moving freely may have to be lubed. Been years since I've dealt with points so sorry not much help.

 

[superCslim]

All the screws are of proper length and as tight as possible without twisting the heads off and the points screws are loctited as well.

I have put on new points and the cam follower (fiber/plastic "thingy") that rides on the distributor cam, worn down enough to make the engine die. After about 20 minutes of run time.

I put a little grease on everything that moves and it is still wearing down the cam follower.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've had to carefully "Polish" the cam on antique cars... any rough areas will make quick work of point cam blocks.

Also noticed the material is now often inferior and many are imported.

Some have modified modern points from a Mustang to fit older cars as the imported points got to be very bad.

Cam Grease helps immensely... also make sure the spring tension is not too great... it adds unnecessary pressure not needed for low speed operation...

I actually have a point tension gauge to check this... probably 80 years old.

Another old tool I have shaves the point block ever so slightly to make sure the can and block meet square... if only a portion is making contact it will wear much faster... at least until broken in.

 

[superCslim]

With what do I polish the cam?

The spring on the two (2) sets of points I've put on have been ridiculously strong compared to any other points I've had to mess with. So there may be something to spring pressure. But because this is the only ford in my arsenal and both sets had the same amount of pressure I just went along with it.

I also thought that maybe it just needed broke in, but I can not explain away how fast it loses gap..

I may break down and buy one of the electronic ignitions and be done with it. Maybe Santa Claus will read my list this year.

 

[Byrdnyrd]

Just go electronic!! I noodled with points on my Land Rovers for years, although I got really good at it, once in went electronic I never looked back! I get mine from a place in CT called "Retro Rockets" but everyone sells them. Everything you need fits right under your current distributor cap!

BN

 

[ultrarunner]

I used rouge and my buffing wheel.

Some Cams have surface rust/corrosion from years of sitting.

With the new points it got to be I checked point gap before every long club tour...

Being a purist I have not done a conversion... but as it is all inside no reason not.

We did have one guy that did it and conked out... the rest of us could not help as we only had spare points and condensers...