Pertronix billet distributor advance

[57Airhead]

Long time listener, first time caller ...

I know there's many posts on these forums discussing the Pertronix billet dizzy, but I can't find anything specifically detailing its total advance.

I have recently installed the Pertronix billet dizzy; for timing purposes I have been treating it as a 009 centrifugal advance distributor: 7.5*BTDC at idle, but more importantly, max advance of 28-32*BTDC at around 3500rpm.

Two issues: one, I cannot get anywhere near 30* without going way beyond an acceptable limit at idle -- I reckon that, if idle is around 7.5-10* BTDC, the max advance ends up at around 20*BTDC. I don't have a degree'd pulley, so that's a guess, but I'd say it's around halfway between the mark for 7.5* and the mark for 30*. I should add that the acceleration when driving is nice and smooth, no flat spots, no pinking that I can hear, although it does run on for about 2 seconds once stopped. Also, in neutral, there's a slight flutter/cough at about 2500 rpm. It's a 1916 type 1 engine, HO series.

And two, it's running hot, very hot, like 250*F hot (that's after a test run of around 30km at 80-90 kmh avg ... what's that, about 20 miles at 45 mph. (It was not running hot with the previous set up of the Bosch 009 dizzy with Ignitor 1 module and blue coil.)

I've set it up with the silver springs and the blue advance limiters. The silver springs supposedly give a middle-of-the-road advance curve; the blue limiters I assume the same, though the literature that came with the dizzy is not all that clear.

The literature/instructions it comes with seems to imply firstly, that it's got maximum advance of 24*, regardless of how you set it up. So there's no point trying to time it to 28-32* because it just won't get there. Or do they mean total advance, which to me is a different thing, and would get you up to 32.5* if you started with an idle of 7.5*.

Secondly, if each of the advance stops has a degree value as detailed in the pic above per stop (so, for instance, using two blue stops would give you a max advance, though I think they mean total advance, of 32*), then the blue and red stops are essentially redundant because, as in the first chart above, the dizzy has a max/total advance of only 24* anyway. It doesn't make sense. At least not to me.

Sorry for the long winded intro. In short, has anyone set one of these up and got their advance responding 'properly' at idle (7.5*) and max advance (32*) without running hot? If so, what am I missing or doing wrong?

Many thanks,
Sam

[58 Plastic Tub]

I don't have one- but they are talking about the maximum mechanical advance of the distributor. If you are looking for 32 deg total advance, and you have it set for maximum advance, then you'll have 8 deg initial advance (at idle).
_________________
Stan Galat
"A single point in isolation is a reference point. Two points is a line. Three points is a trend. Trends don't lie."

[kubelguy]

Pertronix told me that this billet distributor runs like an 050.
Not sure if that is true, but you have no vacuum advance so it would be better to set your idle around 10 to 12 and use the red stops so you get 12 plus 20 = 32 advance. Should be good. If its getting too hot you may be too retarded in your timing. I'm sure also that you need to take the time to figure exact degrees on your pulley so no guessing this is not a stock distributor.

Then re-adjust your idle mixture once you have timing at idle somewhere around 10 - 12 degrees.

[wompninja]

Agreed, figure out your degree on you pulley or you'll burn up that motor quick.

[57Airhead]

[kubelguy]

Okay, that's starting to make a bit more sense. I'll get out the protractor and mark on some degrees and install the red tabs and see what happens. Thanks.[/quote]


Make sure you find top dead center of your pulley first.

[krusher]

As in the instructions with the red tab sets its maximum advance will be 20 degrees, that being it will advance 20 degrees further that where its set at idle.

So with the red tab and idle set a 10 degrees is will advance a further 20 to a total of 30.

12 at idle giving to a total of 12 + 20 = 32.

I would start of with 8 and 10 at idle giving a total of 28 and 30 respectively and see how they go first.
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[Fall23]

I have the same setup on my 180hp 2275. The setup from the builder came with the two bronze springs and 20degree limits on it. Now suffering from backfiring and dentition. Timed at 10 degrees at idle and no improvement. Can someone please help with this for me. I don't want to drive the car in this condition.

[wells service]

you should start from scratch. pull number one plug. turn the engine with a wrench the two marks on the pulley are up. hold a screwdriver in the plug hole and rock the pulley back and forth and stop when the screwdriver is all the way out. THIS IS TOP DEAD CENTER. the marks on the pulley could be wrong. using a triangle file put a notch on the back of the pulley right at the split of the case. then use the distance between the tdc notch and the 7 1/2 on the front of the pulley and put another notch. the 32 degree notch (the best for VW engines) needs to be determined with a degreed pulley held up to your pulley. it sounds like the distributer you are using does not ahve enough toral advance built in to it. if you time the basic timing (at slow idle, or with a test light) past 5 to 7 degrees the engine may kick back against the starter. if the engine is idling too fast it has a tendance to deisel. (keep running after you shut off the key.

[Glenn]

[mark tucker]

you can always mix springs to get very close to what you want, and dont worry about idle timing.we cant set it up if we dont know your car and how you want it to react , or the fuel and conditions it will be used in . use the 20 deg limit so your idle will be about 8, and then find out what your motor needs, I like fast timing in my motors.yours may not.your cam has a lot to do with it also.good luck.

[Glenn]

[Relhok]

I've been having detonation issues also. I just got back from a drive and my 2110 ran great with coppers with a strongest spring and a medium spring. Idle is 8 degrees and total is 20 degrees at 3k rpm. This seems way low for total advance but it runs great. Any opinions?

[Fall23]

I have an after market deg pulley and a timing light! Im not sticking anything in my cylinders! The problem Ive been having is that there is a dentition and a small backfire. It started after an over rev at a light when showing a mate how fast the car was. He was in a WRX....I won. Im going to clean out the plugs the cars been tuned properly and Im going to play with my advance a bit. 3000 rpm at 28-30 deg. I've been chasing this problem for about 9 months now....Jets clean. Jet dr installed. New gaskets.... Checked float levels... New plugs.....New leads.
Im thinking the worst here......TIMING GEAR JUMP???

[notnoah]

[cmiller95]