Thanks to everyone who responded. The vac advance on the new distributor (AI brand from Autozone 38 bucks with points and condenser installed) IS adjustable with a 3/32 allen wrench. Mike Sutton sent me a very detailed process (attached) which really did the trick. THANKS Mike! Now I understand what the shop manual is talking about. Never paid any attention to that before. I have the vac advance backed off to factory specs and it doesn't start 'advancing' until over 10 inches of mercury. Works like a champ Also started with total advance as Mike suggested. Now I have a VERY slight rattle when you first shower down on it just like it's supposed to have and it idles great. 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 ----- Original Message ----- From: mike sutton <mikanlin62@xxxxxxxxxx> To: <pinkertonk@xxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 11:11 PM Subject: distributor tricks > Kerry, > > If you have a timing light that can show total advance, set the total with > the vac advance unhooked to 38 degrees total for a big block. Thats what > Direct Connection recommends, then you tailor the vac adv to suit the load > by turning a 3/32 allen wrench in the end of the vac advance, and the trick > is that more is less on the vac advance. You have to start with it all the > way out and start adding advance, since youre not changing the amount of > advance but youre changing the vacuum level that will activate it, youre > changing the rate basically. > > 38 degrees is 2 3/8 inches from the TDC mark on the damper, so if you dont > have the adjustable light, just make a mark at 2 3/8 inches away from the > TDC mark, and set the total at say, 2500 or so, 3000...to make sure its all > the way advanced. > > Crane Cams also makes a chrysler dist adjustable advance, its the same as > the factory stuff and adjust the same way, the main difference is the > rotation direction between small and big block, and the length of the little > arm or the degrees stamped into it. If you have a mity vac, just adjust it > one way or the other and check with the mity vac to see what way makes it > more or less. > > I set the amount of vacuum needed to activate mine to the curb idle > reading, if it idles at 16 inches of mercury, i adjust the canister to where > 16 starts it moving, then if it still pings I just make it tighter. > > If this doesnt make sense, just drop me a line > > Mikey > __________________________________________________________________ mike > sutton ICQ#: 34908704 Current ICQ status: + More ways to contact me i See > more about me: > __________________________________________________________________ >