Alastairq
Active member
Hello. Firstly, I am in the UK, and have a 6-pot, '67 Mustang. A previous owner had replaced the carb, with a Holley-type, single choke unit. I discovered it doesn't have a power control valve [or the threads to screw one in]. The stock distributor is a Load-o-matic [all vacuum advance] type! This set-up worked well enough, but had an enormous static timing figure [I use a strobe, usually]. I have been driving around [trying to make it a daily driver]...with no reliability issues at all. However, I decided to sort things out....options were, buy a replacement, correct,carb....or change the dizzy.
Getting a modern electronic distributor was by far the cheapest option [Being in the UK means I cannot just nip down to the local scrappy for bits]...so , with a bit of UK owners club forum advice, I bought a TSP 'Street' distributor....the sort with the smaller cap, that needs an external coil., from a US ebay dealer. arrived [Customs duty adds nearly $70 to the price!!] This arrived, and has been successfully fitted, timed, and tested. Story thus far, over.
I reckoned on aiming for around 30 degrees of total advance [ standard engine, small carb]...so added the 'thin' bush to limit distributor advance to around 17-18 degrees [or so]....with the initial timing around 12 degrees [car is an auto]. I used the middle of the 3 pairs of springs provided....for want of any better advice....this is supposed to give an advance curve similar to that depicted on the graphs provided.
On a ''test'' run last weekend, I found a huge difference when the kickdown was operated [2nd gear]..much better acceleration than before. Top gear 'acceleration' was better than before, but still no better than the average 1300cc Fiesta hatchback would be in top gear!
I now want to look at adjusting the advance curve to improve top gear pulling power...but don't want to lose the 2nd gear power.
Will using the heavy springs [which extend the rate of ignition advance so it's ''all in'' further up the rev range..probably suits a lorry better?] do what I want?
Or, will going to the lighter springs improve things in top gear [torque, rather than BHP?}....so that the total advance is ''all in'' much earlier in the rev range?
Can I 'mix & match' the springs....say, one light, one medium...to play with how the ignition advances?
I am awaiting a 0.7 ohm coil arriving..[currently the car has a 1.5 ohm Pertronix{?} coil] so I can open the plug gaps [currently 35 thou] to something a 4x4 wheel could drop into.
[I have a new set of Autolite plugs ....at huge cost...£35, whatever that is in dollars...but I also have a set of NGKs, at about 1/3rd the cost....are these better? I know Autolite are commonplace in the USA....not so over here........]
To be fair, I haven't found anything conclusive on the net, regarding standard advance curves for the 200....as used in the Mustang....which will be vastly different to that used in other vehicles...vans, for example?
Thus....with the choice of springs and bushes , I am relying on what I know [things like, flathead 4 cylinder Fords, for example?}....as to what combination of springs and bushes would best suit the 200-I6 in the Muzzie.
Long post, I know....sorry.
I expect any answers will be one liners.....but advice is always heeded this end......sadly, money is limited,being retired! [Please bear that in mind when suggesting buying this, that, or the other?]
In addition, I have a 38 DGAS weber carb sitting on the dining room table [no flowers in it!]......that needs to wait until I can either [a] find a cheap, used head on its own, to get a large flat milled on the manifold....or when I pluck up the courage to dismantle a perfectly good usable car! That..can wait....I'm quite a long way away from falling off my perch ....
Thanks folks, in anticipation
Getting a modern electronic distributor was by far the cheapest option [Being in the UK means I cannot just nip down to the local scrappy for bits]...so , with a bit of UK owners club forum advice, I bought a TSP 'Street' distributor....the sort with the smaller cap, that needs an external coil., from a US ebay dealer. arrived [Customs duty adds nearly $70 to the price!!] This arrived, and has been successfully fitted, timed, and tested. Story thus far, over.
I reckoned on aiming for around 30 degrees of total advance [ standard engine, small carb]...so added the 'thin' bush to limit distributor advance to around 17-18 degrees [or so]....with the initial timing around 12 degrees [car is an auto]. I used the middle of the 3 pairs of springs provided....for want of any better advice....this is supposed to give an advance curve similar to that depicted on the graphs provided.
On a ''test'' run last weekend, I found a huge difference when the kickdown was operated [2nd gear]..much better acceleration than before. Top gear 'acceleration' was better than before, but still no better than the average 1300cc Fiesta hatchback would be in top gear!
I now want to look at adjusting the advance curve to improve top gear pulling power...but don't want to lose the 2nd gear power.
Will using the heavy springs [which extend the rate of ignition advance so it's ''all in'' further up the rev range..probably suits a lorry better?] do what I want?
Or, will going to the lighter springs improve things in top gear [torque, rather than BHP?}....so that the total advance is ''all in'' much earlier in the rev range?
Can I 'mix & match' the springs....say, one light, one medium...to play with how the ignition advances?
I am awaiting a 0.7 ohm coil arriving..[currently the car has a 1.5 ohm Pertronix{?} coil] so I can open the plug gaps [currently 35 thou] to something a 4x4 wheel could drop into.
[I have a new set of Autolite plugs ....at huge cost...£35, whatever that is in dollars...but I also have a set of NGKs, at about 1/3rd the cost....are these better? I know Autolite are commonplace in the USA....not so over here........]
To be fair, I haven't found anything conclusive on the net, regarding standard advance curves for the 200....as used in the Mustang....which will be vastly different to that used in other vehicles...vans, for example?
Thus....with the choice of springs and bushes , I am relying on what I know [things like, flathead 4 cylinder Fords, for example?}....as to what combination of springs and bushes would best suit the 200-I6 in the Muzzie.
Long post, I know....sorry.
I expect any answers will be one liners.....but advice is always heeded this end......sadly, money is limited,being retired! [Please bear that in mind when suggesting buying this, that, or the other?]
In addition, I have a 38 DGAS weber carb sitting on the dining room table [no flowers in it!]......that needs to wait until I can either [a] find a cheap, used head on its own, to get a large flat milled on the manifold....or when I pluck up the courage to dismantle a perfectly good usable car! That..can wait....I'm quite a long way away from falling off my perch ....
Thanks folks, in anticipation