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Distributor Rebuild Kit Whatbs in it

ebacon

ebacon

Contributing Member
I am rebuilding an AQ225E &#40

I am rebuilding an AQ225E (GM small block V8)

One of the distributor flyweight springs is broken. Are the springs and/or complete flyweight assemblies included in the distributor rebuild kit P/N 3853888 ?

Thanks
 
"Ed, my advice would be to hav

"Ed, my advice would be to have this done by a shop who has an old school distributor machine.
They can check/set the advance curve and limit on this dynamically.
This is just too critical to be done by a DIY'r person, unless you know how to check this once back installed in the engine.

This may involve several attempts, and several times in/out of the engine unless you have great access to it while installed.

BASE advance is one thing.... but TA is of much more importance for your marine engine.

Seriously, have a pro do this, and when you re-install, make sure that your TA is dead on!
Detonation is one of a Marine Gasser's worst enemies!

."
 
"Ricardo,

I agree with you

"Ricardo,

I agree with you on the importance of TA. My question, though, is are the springs and/or complete flyweight assemblies included in the distributor rebuild kit P/N 3853888 ?

Thanks"
 
"I did some more research.

"I did some more research.

According to VP customer service, the rebuild kit includes the drive gear, bottom thrust washers, and roll pin. No springs.

OMC P/N 3853858 is the "spring kit" that I need but it's discontinued.

The hunt continues . . ."
 
"Sounds like a Prestolite...no

"Sounds like a Prestolite...no service parts any longer. another reason to find somebody with a distributor machine that knows how to use it. They will be able to fit a suitable set of springs and adjust the whole mechanism to deliver the required timing curve. If you can't find somebody local, there are a few shops that advertise just this type of service - do a www search, if needed."
 
"There is an echo in here! <[i

"There is an echo in here!
uhoh.gif


Makomark, I'm poking fun at you, but that was the point of my previous post! LOL
But I could not agree more with you.

Ed, if this is an old Prestolite, then for crying out loud, replace this entire unit with the Mallory YLM 624 AV Reluctor style unit and be done with it.
It is a tried and proven great system, magnetic triggering and NO photo eye!

Ask for this as a Christmas gift!
(hee hee... ya never know!)

."
 
"Ricardo,

I found a source

"Ricardo,

I found a source for springs. They are about $7. To match the timing curve they need the IBMXXXXX numbers that are tagged on the Prestolite distributor.

http://www.lakelandautomarine.com/

Of course I will verify the timing before throwing the coals to the engine. I have a soft spot for points. That's why I want to go this route.

If you want the Christmas money I saved we need to start talking again about 1.6:1 gears for the 275 outdrive. I went through my parts stock and only have 4 cyl gears
I also found an exhaust Y-pipe and have it in hand.

Merry Christmas to all on the board!"
 
"Ricardo - full concurrence he

"Ricardo - full concurrence here - sometimes a couple reverberations are required for salient points to rise above the noise.

Ed - sounds like you get to keep filing, when needed, and get to tailor your spark advance curve as desired. let us know how lakeland works out."
 
"Ed, it is very likely that a

"Ed, it is very likely that a shop who has one of these distributor machines, does mostly automotive. Just a hunch!
I'd make sure that the curve and limit being used is correct for MARINE use, not automotive!!!!!
See your OEM specs for this.
Place your trust in a mechanic who has first hand Marine experience and/or past or present cruiser boat ownership! (Little Rocker boats don't count! Loads are not the same!)

No offense, but the auto guys are usually not well enough experienced with the subtle differences between Automotive and Marine.

Sorry to sound like the old grump on this, but it's just too dang important when it comes to TAT for marine!

."
 
"Jesus tap-dancing christ. I

"Jesus tap-dancing christ. I got the message.

Even better news, I just discovered that the springs from a retractable pen fit perfectly. ;)"
 
"[b]"Even better news, I j

""Even better news, I just discovered that the springs from a retractable pen fit perfectly."

Ed, that would have been my next suggestion!
wink.gif


."
 
"Here's the spring kit fro

"Here's the spring kit from Lakeland Auto and Marine. The spring numbers correlate with a Prestolite distributor tag IBM 7013A.

I'll report back on how the ignition timing works out but that won't be until the spring. The water is getting hard here in Michigan.
biggrin.gif


335487.jpg
Distributor springs
 
"So Ed....., what are some &#3

"So Ed....., what are some "Bacon" jokes that you have not heard yet?
We can pass the time and keep this thread alive until you install these parts this Spring!
happy.gif
"
 
"Ed, even if you got some &#34

"Ed, even if you got some "original" new springs, I strongly suggest that you have the distributor tested by a shop after you install them. The same springs may behave differently on different distributors of the same type, and sometimes you find out only because one piston (or more) has developed a hole due to detonation.

Also, after seeing the pictures of your old distributor, I will politely suggest that you got value for it and you are now a good candidate for purchasing a brand new Mallory. That will save you a lot of headaches in the future IMO.

I have posted the advance curve for marine chevys this forum at least a couple of times. If you want it and cannot find it by searching the forum, please let me know and I will upload it again.

Good luck."
 
"For those who may not know th

"For those who may not know this or who find these graphs confusing to read, it helps to understand that these ignition advance curves will generally not include any BASE advance.
This is why the "graph" for this engine will show an TA (total advance) of only 20* BTDC at 3k RPM ....... far from what these engines require!
(see graph above)

As we add a BASE advance of 8*, our TA then becomes 28* BTDC at this RPM.
Likewise, as we add a BASE advance of 10*, our TA then becomes 30* BTDC at this RPM.

Just pointing this out so there is no confusion.


Just an FYI and IMOO here;
When we are checking this with our timing light in "strobe only mode", we want to make sure that our Full IN advance is not occurring before 3,200/3,400 RPM or so.
Since this is critical, Mr. El P and myself are suggesting that you have a shop set up your mechanical advance on their distributor machine.

."
 
"Thank you for the clarificati

"Thank you for the clarification, Ricardo. Yes, the base advance (8º in this case unless otherwise specified) must be added to the values indicated in the graph so you would end getting about 30º total advance at around 3600 RPM. If the advance curve is too steep (weak springs) detonation may occur and you know how nasty the consequences can be if the engine is run for a long period at those RPM. This is why it has been suggested over and over that distributors should be tested after installing new springs. More often than not, it will be found that the advance curve is outside accepted values, and springs of different strengths will have to be installed and tested until the advance results are both acceptable and consistent. Sometimes, the shop will even advise not to reuse a distributor because of inconsistent results."
 
"[b]Quote; "This is why it

"Quote; "This is why it has been suggested over and over that distributors should be tested after installing new springs. More often than not, it will be found that the advance curve is outside accepted values, and springs of different strengths will have to be installed and tested until the advance results are both acceptable and consistent. Sometimes, the shop will even advise not to reuse a distributor because of inconsistent results."

While I am known in some circles as being the "TAT NAZI", I could not have said that any more bettererererrerrrer!

."
 
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