Tips for dropping points dizzy into my 84 ranger?

[Doug Burgoyne]

Getting ready to strip the now worthless tfi dizzy, feedback carb, and all the BS from engine bay...and install new to me points dizzy from 74 mustang II along with non feedback carb. Couldn't obtain a solid duraspark dizzy, but now have one to use as core if I can find a rebuilder. But in meantime, want to kick it old school. I've been working on cars most of my life, but not too much with distributors. Any tips or tricks on this? I know how to set dwell and timing, and relationship between the two, but I'd like to get the new points dizzy dropped in best way possible to ensure it will start for me...so timing can be properly set, etc. Should I put tfi rotor on # 1, and try to put in points dizzy with same position of rotor, etc. Kind of lost on best way to accomplish, for best results. Thanks!

 

[tw205]

Sounds like you got if figured out. I swapped the dizzy on a 2.8 two days ago. I spun the engine to #1 TDC. Don’t have to but it gives a good reference if things go bad. Note the location of the dizzy casing in reference to any non movable reference. Then when you stab the new one in line it up with the same reference point. I took a picture before so I could compare. I hit 8 degrees by eye. Keep us posted on your progress. The only time I get to work on point dizzys is when my neighbors irrigation pumps quit working. Old Chrysler slant 6.

 

[Doug Burgoyne]

Thank you tw205! Did you swap same dizzy in that your were replacing? Since I'm pulling out non vac advance tfi stock version, and sticking in an older vac advance points version, thought it might be tricky finding good point of reference, getting it in best position, etc. I'm thinking that obviously the rotor will be pointing right at a contact inside the cap, so I'll need to figure out which contact I want to be #1...since I don't see any reference mark on points dizzy body, etc. And then if I'm on tdc #1 on the old tfi dizzy prior to pulling it out...if I make sure rotor is pointing to my new dizzys #1, and stab in place, by my understanding this should put me in a good starting point. Of course I'll need to work at getting initial timing and points dwell adjusted from there. Hey, on another point, how much do you think a bad vacuum canister is going to effect how truck runs? Planning on putting it in as is just to get running, and talking to local company about rebuilding canister. (new canisters hard to find and pricey too). Any thoughts you have appreciated!

 

[Josh B]

What have yall gotten into there, got yall so Dizzy!?

 

[Doug Burgoyne]

What have yall gotten into there, got yall so Dizzy!?

Yeah...between gutting out all the old feedback/computer crap, tracking down distributors and parts for these 40-50 year old cars, I'm feeling quite dizzy!! Will be glad to have a running truck, I'll tell you that. Come to find out (in the gutting and finding good coil wire processes) that the reason my old tfi system failed was probably just a bad plug connection at ignition switch. But, it all had to go anyway...so good riddance to bad rubbish!!

 

[Josh B]

What in hell is a dizzy?

 

[Doug Burgoyne]

short hand for distributor.

 

[Josh B]

There's so many ways to set a distributor.

 

[RobbieD]

What in hell is a dizzy?

It was a song by Tommy Roe in the late '60.





Oh, yeah. It's also short for a distributor.

 

[Josh B]

You can set the crank on the mark, then turn the distributor till it pops, or lay the #1 plug out and watch it while you turn it.
Get an inductive timing light and turn the distributor while someone turns the key. Soon as it fires up put the light on the timing mark and line it up

 

[RonD]

Distributors in any years could do RPM spark advance, except the REALLY OLD Model T era with spark advance on steering column, lol
Most used weights and springs, centrifugal RPM advance

What distributor's can not do is Load spark advance
When you "step on the gas" the engine gets a Rich fuel mix that burns much faster than the regular air/fuel mix so spark timing has to change
So Vacuum Advance was used

Electronic spark system, using a distributor, can still only do RPM advance
So either have Vacuum advance or are hooked to the EFI computer so computer can change spark timing, as computer "knows" engine load as part of its calculations

So you will need a Vacuum advance distributor, if it used points then it should have that

 

[RobbieD]

Who the hek is Tommy Roe!?

He's the guy that had a song named "Dizzy" in the late '60s.


Sorry about that; I just couldn't help myself:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Roe