Re: Larry's 1951 Club Sedan Project

Posted by Larry51 On 2014/11/9 20:06:51

Thanks for your helpful comments (- and kind comment Charles).

I checked timing late yesterday and found points wide at .021 so adjusted back to .016. Then checked dwell and - meter said "41" (previously 38 with points at .021), so that was a step backwards! It is a 'new' automotive dwell meter so I'm wondering if it reads 6V dwell OK, or is set for 12v. Doubt it would have a problem as it's just measuring pulse lengths isn't it -?

Next I checked timing with a strobe light . . . as I already knew, it was well advanced. Previously I'd tried to set to 6 BTDC as per Manual but it wouldn't idle. Same problem again as I rotated the dizzie . . . almost stalled. Rotated it back again and idling returned to being OK. (Vac advance was unplugged and blocked. My idle speed was 'unknown' as the you beaut combo meter I bought refused to give me an RPM reading. Once again - is it expecting a 12V car?).

Timing appeared to be around 16 degrees BTDC so it could be that idling was too fast and the governor was cutting in and advancing the timing by around 10 degrees. This is speculation, as to advance by 10 degrees seems strange at near to idle revs.

I'll place the Ultramatic in "H" and chock the wheels, to get the idling lower, to around 375rpm as per the Manual.Then will check the timing again.

IF governor is operating at low revs, that would tend to make me think I need governor springs renewed on dizzie.

Regarding the radiator cap - the top tank is the original but the cap might be a replacement one . . .Will get NatRad to check it and measure the pressure.

Would it hurt to increase the pressure to (say) 12psi?

Also, in times gone by, some would remove the thermostat in summer and run without one until the cold weather returned.

Is that a reasonable interim measure until I get things sorted out?