When setting points, why don't we set them so they open as LITTLE as possible, which would allow for more coil saturation time?? I set the points to spec, (.021) and to me it looked like a huge gap, but figured "that's the spec!" The thing ran like **** from 2000 RPM up. I set the points visually to probably somewhere around .010" and the thing ran WAY better. ANy input? (besides getting rid of the points! I know HEI is better, but this isn't my rig.)

 

My guess is you were not on the high spot of the lobe.

Loosen the distributor hold down and rotate the dis until the points are open the most, then set them.

If you're working on a later points style GM, you have the luxury of using a dwell meter and an allen wrench and adjusting the dwell while the engine is spinning/or running.

You can still use a dwell meter without the "window" cap...just need to keep pulling the cap off top adjust.

Would never think it's possible to run at .010.

 

use a dwell meter, you'll get way better results. other than my tractor i don't do points any more. as a rule any point set will work gapped around .015, at least to get you started.

 

Thanks for the reply, but I can most certainly assure you that the points were FULLY open when I set them. I know how to do that part properly. As for the .010" that was a "guestimate". It may have been more.

So back to the original question; Why not set them so they open the absolute minimum possible to increase coil saturation time??

 

Doesn't the coil fire when the points close? I thought that's when the coil is grounded?

Would be my guesstimate that closing the gap, increases the dwell (fire time), which in turn decreases the charge time for the coil. Ofcourse that's assuming I'm correct in stating "closing the points fires the coil".

 

When the Points are closed, the circuit is closed, and current flowes from the battery, through the ignition coil's primary side, and through the points to ground. This flow of current is what "charges" the coil, and the longer it has to saturate, the more power it should have (in theory). When the points open, the primary circuit is broken, and the field in the coil colapses, and the cooil fires. So no, the coil does not fire when the points close, it fires when they open, or any time the circuit is broken (like when you turn the key to "off").

So how about tiny point settings to increase dwell/saturation time??

 

If they don't open enough, then they'll arc, and burn up. So it's a kind of compromise between saturating the coil, which is really only an issue at very high RPM, since at low RPM even a couple of degrees of dwell would still allow many many milliseconds of current flow; and making sure that the points open far enough to actually break the circuit. Remember, it is a coil, which tends to want to keep current flowing through itself; so when the points break, the coil creates a spike of high voltage across them, which once it starts an arc, will keep some amount of current flowing in the coil and thereby reduce the spark energy.

Also, keep in mind that as you reduce the points gap, you also affect the timing. Larger points gap advances (since the cam opens them sooner). Set them to spec and make sure the timing is somewhat right, and then reset the timing whenever you change the gap, to take that extra variable out of the equation.

 

That's what happens when I ***-u-me

 

Once again, thankyou for the accurate reply, RB. I thought too narrow a point gap would cause excessive arcing, but wasn't sure, so I wanted to confirm my curiosity. Thanks again.

BTW, How do you like the turbo'ed, NOS'ed skateboard? lol.

 

That board is just sick... somebody has really "got it bad"

 

Is that an intercooler I see on the end of that board?

Hey! It's a technical question...