Mpls Funk

Hi all - most of U know I have been struggling to get my car running. With Ur help, it is now running!

One of the things I did was replace the points. Evidently I was successful in replacing the points, and making the initial crude adjustment because the car is running. But now I need to fine tune it.

I just got a dwell meter yesterday. My Haynes manual tells me pretty clearly how to adjust the dwell...but one step says "connect the dwell meter per the meter's directions" or something like that. The meter I got is like a digital multimeter that can do dwell, volts, tach, etc...and of course it came with virtually no directions. So, I have a positive lead and a "negative" lead that plug into my meter...but where to I put these leads on the car?

Second - what should the dwell be? For most of the engines in the Haynes manual, it seems to list a range of 27-33 degrees or so...but for my engine/year (1970, 350hp/350), it just has a dash mark???

Thanks again!!!

ram82fire

Ground the negative lead and connect the positive lead to the negative teminal of the coil [ the small wire that goes from the coil to the distributor ] ,,,,,,,,,, Happy tuning !

geo

PS dwell should 28/32 deg ,,,,,,,,, it is advisable to set the dwell to the low number as the rubbing block wears the dwell number will rise

Garrett1972

My meter has 3 leads red black and green. Red and black go to the battery, the green lead goes to the wire from the coil to the distributor.
As for what dwell to set it at, 32 is a good place to start, that seems to be where most small block chevys get set.

BB68Vett

It has been a little while since I have set the dwell on my car (I converted to electronic ignition), but it would seem intuitive that as the rubbing block wears the dwell will decrease and not increase. Dwell, I think, is a measurement of how long the points stay open measured in degrees of crankshaft rotation. If the rubbbing block wears the points should be opening less, because the distributor won't be able to "lift" or "separate" the points contacts as far as when the rubbing block was new. Just a thought. I just used to set the dwell dead on at 30 degrees and check it once a month.

yellow 72

Don't forget to check the timing, each degree change in dwell equals a a degree of change in timing

427V8

Where in Mpls are you?
I'm the northern burbs and could possibly help out.

but the advice above is pretty dead on.

ram82fire

Dwell is a measurement of the time the points are closed , setting the dwell at the high spec [ 32 deg ] is counterproductive .

gman

Mpls Funk

Thanks for the offer! I am down in southwest burbs...kinda far for U. I think with the info above, I should be able to do it...it sounds like I should set the dwell at 28 degrees...although I'm still wondering why the Haynes manual didn't list that setting for my engine...oh well! I'll give it a shot and see how it goes and post back if I need help!

Thanks again!