mgs
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Petronix air gap and ignition trouble

To: Jurgen Hartwig <gt0003a@prism.gatech.edu>
Subject: Re: Petronix air gap and ignition trouble
From: Trevor Boicey <tboicey@brit.ca>
Date: Tue, 01 Jun 1999 22:26:09 -0400
Jurgen Hartwig wrote:
> I notice that you can adjust the air gap.  The instructions make no
> mention of this, and I notice the gap can easily vary from 0 to probably
> 50 thou.

  I don't think it's well documented, but you know that
little square of plastic in the kit that looks a bit
like a microscope slide?

  That's the feeler gauge for the gap. Put it beside the wheel,
butt the pickup against it, tighten the screw.

> I am having some horrible problems with my car stumbling badly at higher
> rpms.  I replaced the points with the Petronix, since they were slightly
> pitted.  Now it is continually getting worse. The car only seems to run
> at lower rpms, with or without load.  The engine warms up a lot hotter
> than normal and starts to ping badly. 

  Do you have a fuel flow problem?

  Fuel flow problems manifest themselves as stumbling at high power,
but at idle the car seems ok.

  As well, if your car is running hot and pinging, could be
lean conditions caused by the above.

  Another thing to inspect is that the timing is ok
throughout engine revs. If the advance/retard weights
are stuck or sticking, you can get weird behaviour
like this. To test this, hook up a timing light and
rev the engine. The timing mark should advance smoothly
to 30-40 BTDC and then back to normal.

-- 
Trevor Boicey, P. Eng.
Ottawa, Canada, tboicey@brit.ca
ICQ #17432933 http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/
'Take these silver bars, he said. I'm giving you command." - L. Cohen

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>