[Tigers] Timing deviates - advice needed

[Jay Laifman]

I'm going to ditto the sentiment that something is loose or cracked because
each time you touch the distributor, you "cure" the problem.   My suggestions
are the cracked cap that someone else already mentioned and the power wire to
the distributor.  The wire could be bad and when you move it, it gets better
contact again, until it wiggles loose again after driving.  Also, on the
distributor, I don't know the Mallory in particular.  But, how does the cap
"seat" on the distributor itself?  Could it be that the tab, or whatever it
uses, is messed up and the cap itself can rotate too much?

Also, a number of people have mentioned the gear at the bottom of the
distributor.  You said it looked fine.  How is the gear held on to the shaft?
Could it be that the pin - or whatever it uses - is broken and the gear can
actually slip on the shaft - but look fine from the outside?