Post to the EFV-8 Forum
Post Classified Ads
Shop the Online Store

User Login

Not Registered Yet? Click Here to Sign Up!

Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

FORUM RULES: Users agree to these Rules when using Forum.

The site administrator reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of the user agreement without prior notice to the user. It is the responsibility of the user to regularly review the terms of this agreement.

The user agrees to the following terms:

All information that you provide to us for your membership is correct.
You will not use your membership to spam, harrass, or exploit other members in any way.
Vulgar, Abusive, Racist and Sexist Language will not be tolerated.
Commercial-type sales postings will not be allowed.
No mass posting or flooding of the boards is allowed.
No Advertising of parts or cars; no Ebay or business/commercial ads (please use the "Classified" for ads Wanted or For Sale).
VIEWING MULTIPLE TOPICS ON SCREEN: You can choose to see more than 10 Topics at a time ... Log In and choose "Preferences" from the top bar on the Forum page. Scroll down and Change the "Default Topics Returned" parameter to 25 or 50, and save the changes. Since this setting is stored in your browser 'cookies' (if enabled), it seems to use that stored value even if you are not logged in. So, if you use a PC that you haven't logged into the forum from, the setting still seem to remain at the default.
EXTERNAL PHOTO LINKS ON FORUM: You can still use external photo links in your posts on the new forum. They follow the rules of any link in that they have to have the URL link qualified down to the full image file name (example: .jpg). The links will open in a new browser window, the same as an uploaded image attached to a post. Since an image attachment to any post does not display inline with the post, the results are the same. You can use multiple external links within a post. This link is from photos on a site from Don Clink's 'Deuce@75' albums:

http://donclink.com/deuce_75_1/images/dscn2950.jpg

Using links from photo sites such as Photobucket can help in "size" issue with uploaded attachment files. For best viewing in web browsers, photos should be around the 800x600 pixel range, and probably not more than 1024x768. Most cameras today store HUGE jpg image files, as the default settings are in the 7, 8, 10, and 12Mb image sizes. The image files that are then attached are very large, and the browser can't display the full image size without using the scroll bars. Use the re-sizing functions of your photo editing software to reduce the image to 800x600, which reduces the file sixe and the image load time in the browser. Don uses Google's free Picassa3 software, which is an excellent photo management product. All of the photo albums of the Deuce, Grand National, and Auburn that are links on the NORG site were built using Picassa's web creation functions. And it's free? (THANKS to Don Clink for the info!)
HOW DO I SHOW MY EMAIL ADDRESS ALONG WITH MY USERNAME? You can LogIn on the Forum, and select PREFERENCES. On this page Members can add optional information such as their City,State, Country; Occupation; Hobbies: list a Homepage; list AOL Instant Messanger Handle; Signature; "Make Email Address viewable to others;" and even change the number of Default Topics shown on a page. WHEN others click on your profile, they will see this information.

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Timing on a '36

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion

<< previous || next >>

Posted By

Discussion Topic: Timing on a '36

36 conv sedan

12-28-2011 @ 9:31 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 50
Joined: Dec 2009

Hi:

I just changed distributors, getting a correct one for my 1936 model. It was serviced and checked on everything by my mechanic, but probably not set up properly as the car feels a little underpowered and not accelerating properly at upper revs, and it also overheats after a while. The car starts easily.

This may have been explained before, but I can't find it:

Can anybody explain how to set timing on the car? I live at about 5500 feet over sea level, in case that makes a difference.

Thanks,
Victor

supereal

12-28-2011 @ 9:41 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 6819
Joined: Oct 2009

The timing is preset, and adjustable only with the slider on the side of the distributor, which will give a small change on either side of the central mark by moving the slider. Any other adjustments require a distributor machine to check dwell and advance retarding. In most cases, with today's gas, you can set the slider at full advance, and back off the retarding with the plunger adjustment. The advance is entirely mechanical, so if it isn't working properly, as seen when strobing the distributor, the weights may be sluggish or stuck, or the flat springs may be weak or broken. The altitude shouldn't affect the distributor, but does change the carb considerably. If your car ran OK before the distributor change, I'd look there. Otherwise, you probably have a problem elsewhere.

TomO

12-29-2011 @ 7:23 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 7253
Joined: Oct 2009

Did you have another distributor on the car or is this the first time that you have driven the car? If you had another, what year car was it from? The later distributors had more advance than the 36-40.

The timing is controlled by the break (right hand) set of points. As Supereal said, it is best to set up these distributors on a distributor machine. It is also a good idea to have someone that has done quite a few of them as they have some characteristics that are different from the other dual point and single point distributors. You can get an indication of the initial advance by using the vacuum gauge chart.

http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_servicelinks.htm

You can connect a dwell meter to the connection of the condenser to the distributor. With the engine idling you should have a steady 36 degrees of dwell and it should not change as the engine speed is increased. If it varies from this, have the distributor set up on a distributor machine.

Tom

supereal

12-29-2011 @ 11:33 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 6819
Joined: Oct 2009

The tricky part of setting dwell on a machine is to anticipate the change in point gap as the locking screws are cinched. The slightest movement can throw the whole distributor adjustment off. Likewise, it is imperative that the point surfaces be exactly parallel. Many "off shore" points have poor springs, bad insulators, and are almost impossible to use.

ford38v8

12-29-2011 @ 2:16 PM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 2762
Joined: Oct 2009

Victor, as TomO has pointed out, the 11A distributor has a superior advance curve. This diastributor can be identified by the 11A stamped on the drive tang. You may have had this distributor previously?

Alan

36 conv sedan

01-08-2012 @ 12:33 PM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 50
Joined: Dec 2009

Thank you all for your response. I've had some difficult time at work but will try to get to the Ford later in the week and check on the distributor. I did have a good working distributor but I believe it was a later one, with the 3 screw coil. I changed it for what I was told was the correct one for '36, but will try to confirm on numbers.

Thanks again,
victor

ken ct.

01-10-2012 @ 9:15 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 1513
Joined: Jan 2010

The 3 screw coil dist is for the early 36,the 2screw coil dist with the screws katy-corner NOT straight across is late 36. the 2 screw coil dist with the screws straight across is 37-41 one. ken ct.

<< previous || next >>

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

Merchandise Questions

Membership Questions