Vacuum Advance problem

["Robin Giesbrecht" <robings@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I would take a look at the 1947 Master Tech Service Conference on 
distributors. They talk about tuning the vacuum advance and centrifigal. I 
have found that a lot of the old stuff(40's, 50's literature) is a goldmine 
of forgotten info. Seems like they used to really work on cars versus 
exchanging components. Sounds like it will be trial and error but it won't 
cost much and might even be interesting.

Robin Giesbrecht


>From: "Kerry Pinkerton" <pinkertonk@xxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: "IML" <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: IML: Vacuum Advance problem
>Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 21:57:24 -0500
>
>This week I'm trying to get the 62 presentable for taking to Chattanooga 
>Friday.  Got all 4 power windows to work after rebuilding two motors and 
>some tlc.
>
>I then drove the car for the first time other than around the block when I 
>did the trade.  It did fine except for a rough idle and slight stumble off 
>idle.
>
>This morning I decided to do a quick tuneup and in the process of checking 
>the timing, I realized the vacuum advance was not working.  Could not find 
>a vacuum advance at any local shop but Autozone had a complete distributor 
>for 38 bucks.  Put it in and the car idled great but pingged like mad  
>Messed with advancing and retarding the timing, setting dwell, all the 
>tricks I knew.  Nothing worked.  Push the gas and it pings and rattles.  
>Messing with it made it better or worse but nothing made it go away.
>
>So I called the Doctor. (Robert Soule) who told me the new distributor 
>probably had the wrong vacuum advance unit for the car and was over 
>advancing the timing.  So what have I done?  Disconnected the vacuum 
>advance and set the timing at 16 btdc.  It runs fine but has the same lumpy 
>idle as the old distriubutor did.
>
>Anyone got any ideas?  Where can I get the correct vacuum advance unit?  
>None of my parts houses show them.
>
>Also going to have to do some work under the dash.   No power to the fan 
>motors or antenna switch but the antenna works if you jump 12V direct to 
>the wires.  Also the EL dash if flaky.  Nothing on the needles and the 
>guages are dim and the switch has dead spots.  I'm still doing the "Dick 
>Benjamin boogie" and twisting the knob so perhaps it will break in.  I"ve 
>got a spare instrument cluster and EL transformer.  Makes it kind of 
>interesting to drive at night though.
>
>
>KerryP
>Patch panels fabricated
>Pinkertonk@xxxxxxxxx
>dte.net/57imperial
>Imperials -- 50 Limo, 57 roadster, 61's, 62, 68 Convert, 73, a 66 300 and a 
>bunch of lesser marques

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