Still, looking at this video, it brings back so many memories of tuning and repairing a car. In those days, car owners took pride in their car and could do their own tuneups. There are many classic cars and trucks sitting in garages, farms and collections, and a step-by-step video series of using a dwell meter for tuneups, fixing brakes, lubricating the zerk fittings on a suspension system, etc would be so helpful. While we use electronic ignitions today, there are many millions of classic cars and trucks still in use.

Ahh the days of points and a condensor. One of the many joys that younger folks will never appreciate with electronic systems is in charging up a condensor and throwing it across the garage for your buddy to catch! Hehehe Of course, I'm SURE you never did that to anyone, have you Jeff?! BTW, I still have my Craftsman tach/dwell meter from the 70's (and of course the companion Craftsman timing light!).

Ahhh the old school points plugs and condenser tune up. I remember going to K-mart and to buy the tune up kit for like 5 bucks for my 1970 Plymouth duster. Used to have a dwell meter and timing light. Wish I still had them.

Thanks for this video. Brought me back to my childhood when Dad would show me all of these things. It's been a few years so I was rusty but watching this video brought it all back. Points installed and truck is back to normal!

Thank you this video help me get my 67 mustang project running again. Last time it ran was in 1980.

Who knew Newt Gingrich had a son? Thanks for the video.

On an engine with a worn timing chain, get #1 at TDC on comp. stroke on 0. Lift up the distributor and point the rotor at #1 terminal on the cap. Turn the distributor way back opposite normal rotation. Install the distributor with rotor at #1 on the cap and then set it for normal setting. Now set the timing. You are compensating for timing chain slack.

Great video. Essentially I could not have gotten my friends 65 mustang started without this video!

Absolutely amazing that you can go through and show the sign of points and the initial gap set of the points but not actually connect that dwell meter to that vehicle that we were working on and verify the dwell and then adjust it to get the dwell right? Pretty cool video but you wasted my time cuz I wanted to know how to set up the dwell meter. Read the dwell and adjust the dwell. You know that real cool part with the distributor cap off where you spin it around and read the dwell initially to get it close. Thanks but I guess I'm just going to go out and hook it up myself from a 50-year-old memory.

About 7 years ago I was looking for a more reliable ignition system for my '68 Mustang. I decided to go with a Pertronix 2 set up but wanted a better distributor. On the internet I found a remanufactured distributor at a local parts dealer for $17. When I went in to pick the distributor up the manager was pissed that it was only $17. They're now $50, still a bargin but I should have bought a few dozen at that price.

Hey dudes Maverick here.... my last restomod was a 1961 Land Rover on a 2000 Chevy Tahoe four-wheel drive platform... I went to the transmission and everything set it up with a LT1 style 350 and atomic fuel injection and transmission control... wizard adjustable rear lift the coilovers two additional batteries in the back for the stereo headers custom running boards coil over suspensions with adjustable lift.. were they heavy-duty Offroad cam we were pushing about 500 horses and about the same foot pounds of torque with a BorgWarner transfer case and 373 gears by dynatrack... we added skid plates a super transmission cooler with its own fan and controls and bnm gauges... we had super cold AC and replace all the seats with glamorous convertible leather.... we had a onboard air compressor and power converter and even tied all the lugs with stainless steel tie-backs... I'm working on a 51 Chevy right now or just into points and that's how I ran into you looking for some chips on those old points.... I give you A+ with the video yaller real...lol I look forward to seeing some more of your good work.... until then keep it up and God bless....

I love the old system and it’s still working great

The condenser (capacitor) is in parallel with the points, and does several things. 1. The coil will try to generate a very high voltage across the points to maintain the coil (low-side) current the instant the points begin to open. The high voltages generated by the coil's low side can burn the point contacts while they are opening (Power = Voltage*Current). The discharged condenser (capacitor) provides a path for the coil's current while keeping the voltage across the switch low while the electrical contact is being broken. A capacitor used in this way is called a "snubber". 2. The ignition coil stores energy in its magnetic core. The condenser keeps the voltage across the opening point contacts low, so less power is lost in the tiny arc across the points while they are opening. Less power loss across the points, means more power (energy) is delivered to the spark plug, where you want it. 3. The condenser provides a return path for the spark current from ground, to the low side of the coil (current must always flow in closed loops).

Thanks for the tips... working on a 60 Ford F100 with an inline 6

18:19 finally setting points

one important step that should always be included after changing/adjusting points is checking the timing. If the timing was set with a worn rubbing block, once a new set of points gets installed with the larger gap the timing will most likely be too far advanced.

Thanks for the good laugh n tips👍🏿

nice boss thank you for sharing!!!!!!!

good job!

You know this the first video if seen that I just enjoyed watching. Probably not going to work on it my car has and HEI distributor. But it was enjoyable.

A tip I recall from back then. The rotors for FoMoCo and Mopar distributors would physically swap, but are 180 degrees off.

Excellent video and thanks for posting, side note just yesterday I was adjusting the points on my boat on the water I left the rotor out hmmmm it didn't start. Thanks again

Good video sir I have a 65 mercury comet 6 cylinder and the car starts and can idle for a long time but when I tried to drive the vehicle a short distance later the car dies. Any suggestions sir thanks so much? I did the plugs wires cap ignition coil battery I can’t figure out why is dying on me. Thanks

2 minutes on a old school dwell meter, at least you could have shown how to connect a dwell meter and how to adjust the dwell.

I found an old dwell meter like that. Paid $25 for it... works like a charm.

my six cylinder has some broken pieces of plastic inside the valve springs what could that be?

what would i need to do if my condenser keeps blowing? i have an original rx-30 NZ new Toyota Cressida and it keeps blowing, running rough and stopping at idle (intersections), any help appreciated, many thanks, kieron

Good video and good comment on how condensers don't last I put new points and condenser in my 58 rambler American a couple of years ago and it would idle fine but the fire would break up above idle fought it or weeks finally started putting old parts back one at a time because it did run okay before I started and when I put the old condenser back in all my problems went away so either the condenser is just wrong or just bad either way new points old condenser runs like a dream so I am leaving it alone

Anthony Frye pointed out that lube wasn't mentioned. A tip I recall from back then was that the proper amount of lube approximated a match head. Some remarks about the condenser were observed in the comments. For ignition systems, the condenser can be considered an electrical shock absorber. Without it, the points will arc over when they are opened, so the engine might run, but not for long. When it's installed, the current will find that the condenser is an easier path than the air gap presented by the points. Closing the points discharges the condenser. As you can see, the exact value of the capacitance wouldn't be critical until very high rpms are achieved; too high to worry about on a street engine. An open condenser would result in short point life, and a shorted one would stop your engine. Underhood heat and the physical flexing caused by the electrical flexing combine to create a definite life cycle; they DO NOT last forever. It is therefore a false economy to fail to change them at recommended intervals. Definitely better to upgrade and eliminate the points, as some of us can recall that the recommended interval was commonly 12 months/12,000 miles.

Condenser is a compasitor it stores and releases energy at the right time

If you have a dwell meter you don't need feeler gauges to set the points. That's the whole point of having one, it turns the engine into a simple distributor testing machine.. Forget about bumping the starter to get the rubbing block on a high point too. Hook up the meter, install your points and condenser as shown (much easier if you remove the distributor unless that thought strikes fear into your heart) but use the two screw drivers while the starter is cranking the engine to set the dwell. The final tightening of the hold down screw will change your dwell setting but with a little practice you'll be able to dial in the dwell perfectly. You'll likely have to do this twice because the new rubbing block will take a "set" (the sharp corners wear down ever so slightly) after the first ten minutes of use. Don't even bother setting the distributor timing until the dwell is set exactly where you want it - it's easier to do than it sounds Meter hook up? Whichever lead is not the black ground goes to the point side of the coil.

Good insttructor

Are they hooking up the volt meter to the coil to check dwell?

I have had great success using MSD 6 box with points. My pertronix had actually failed me eventually but it may have been installer error.

Please pay attention at 8:22 have heard lots of people saying "points are a ton of maintenance constant adjustments" and all this nonsense I replace points in my '65 fairlane 4 years ago distributor itself is at least 25 years old driven only around 10k-12k and I haven't touched them and fires rite up every time, I think people's distributors are wore out and they don't know how to check it. As you described

and hears me who uses the lid off the box the points came in and taught my brother this the other week on his 91 fiori

I use a dewell meter and done plus GM cam lube

I'm having a problem. Inline 6 240 no spark. New coil plugs wires condenser points cap rotor. Voltage at coil but nothing

This stuff is Elementary guys. How about showing everyone how to take request pedal assembly out of that yellow Mach 1 take apart and install breath bushings on the clutch pedal that is probably completely wore out it's simple throw away all the old crap and install a brass bushing in a new piece of pipe welded into the assembly, and taking notice of the position of the assembly so you can drill a hole in the apparatus so it can be greased. And then of course takes at Buerkle road that goes from the clutch pedal down to the z bar clip the ends and install rod ends making this piece adjustable so you can take all the slack out of it. The reason for this unless this has been done everyone out there their clutch pedal system is wore out

In the old days when you bought a good brand of breaker points it would come with a small tube of breaker cam grease to put on the cam lobes. if you don't have point grease dielectric grease will work. Also when I replace breaker points a priceless tool is a spring loaded screw driver to hold the screw as you install it. GM vehicles had a door on the distributor cap so you can adjust the dwell with the vehicle running. On Fords you had to remove the cap and use a remote starter to adjust the points by dwell.

The condenser holds the charge until the points OPEN, at which point it releases the charge through the primary winding of the coil. through the distributor wire, and into the rotor (for distribution). If there was a need to use a (shock absorber) then a resistor would have been used. Don't feel bad, I have had physics professors get this wrong, AND there is MUCH misinformation on you tube about this.

Does any one use a Distributor Machine for setting dual points anymore, it can be a real life saver in any tune up shop when it comes to working on old clunker's.

the condenser holds the charge ,,,like a capacitor and it is one ,,

Someone had fun torching most of the left spring tower brace out of that poor car. Another fun fact about Ford small six distributors: Ford cursed sixes up to about '68 with the terrible LoadOmatic dist/carb system that did away with a mechanical advance in favor of a kinda-sorta vacuum advance controlled by venturi pressure in the carb. Swapping to a standard distributor and matching carb on a 200 will get you around 25 more hp, making it feel like a completely different engine.

How to replace points and condenser in 1971 mob gt

There is a cute irony here, for me. Today (May 19) is my wedding anniversary. My wife had a 1977 Honda Civic when we got married. Changing the points and condenser (mostly the condenser) REQUIRED ham handed Americans like me to pull the distributor out of the car to get to the ~!@#$% parts. Oh, in high school, I had a 1966 Mustang with the 200 I6 with the intake manifold that was cast as part of the head! I've been looking closely at the 1965 200 I6 you are showing in the Ranchero. Don't need said engine but the curiousity is high. Here's a hint - change the water pump.

My goodness Conway Twitty made setting points complicated.

how do I change a points system over to a distibutor?

I had a dwell meter like that. Then the cables got caught in the fan blades. Then I didnt have a dwell meter anymore. But seriously I hated points. Brand new points, condensor, coil, everything, pink resistor wire. Couldnt keep the points from burning.

Why is there only one point? There is a condensor and breaking point for each cylinder on my motorcycle

Points and condenser is nice for originality, but I’d rather have electronic ignition, which lasts ten times longer with NO adjustments!

It's a little hard to diagnose something if you don't know how it functions...

how about AC delco distributiors

Brass bushings.

the dwell is how long they stay open ----- if you set points at 20 thousands that is the dwell time a 6 cyclinder eng dist shaft will have 6 high lobes to open 6 time per rev. the points going starts the current flow because the pints are grounded in the closed pos that stops dist from doing any thing ( no spark) as high lobe comes around it starts the firing again buy opening the points with eng running points are moving very fast now this is what happens if you have the wrong value MFD cond, or it damaged all that voltage can not go thru the cond,heres what happens some voltage get thru enough to generate the spark in the coil the rest ofthe voltage is going to ground by jumping the gap of the open points to gd causing the points to pit ..this in time will cause tble that pittin is cutting down the open

YAP YAP YAP..

So anyway please forgive any errors since I'm using talk-to-text...lol and the Range Rover restomod sold for $325,000

I just replaced my points, now the car has no spark! Any suggestions?

I remember setting my points using the thickness of a match cover.

A mechanic show with tittles. 😂

Hi Iv got a Fiat 128 Rally 1974 My starter keep on cranking and not start at all, i had to pul battery wire to stop it. After days of strangle i find that the points plastic on it melt little and touching the earth. After fixed the points starter stop keep on cranking. And car starts 100% Thing that confuse me totaly. How can points that touch earth like my car did. Let the starter keep on cranking. How is that possible??? My coil got 3 wires on. 1. Ignition wire to + 2. Wire to points on - 3. Wire also on - (this wire i got no idee where it goes) Realy realy hope you can give me the answer on this. 😁😁😁 The condencor is connected to the wire that go to the points. Condencer is skrewed on the casing of distributor. The extra wire on the negative on coil go down with the ignition wire. So there is 2 wires on negative of coil. One go to points and condenser other one go down with ignition wire. Not to condenser or distributor. I mean its comfusing. Just after i fix points that got short to earth permantly. Starter stop keep cranking and got spark (there was no spark) and car start 100% I keep on thinking that the extra wire on coil negative side got something to do with starter keep cranking. That extra wire make my mind spin. 🤔🤔🤔😃

You'll learn what a condenser does when it fails!

If not mentioned/ remove neg. battery terminal before u begin with point change out !

isn't the condenser just a capacitor?

do a turbo!

I _thought_ the condenser was there to prevent arcs across the points.

MISFIRE, I found this article www.nonlintec.com/sprite/cap_failure/, describes the poor manufacturing quality of condensers leading to arcing, they recommend a better capacitor -condenser, but I re-read it, gave it some thought, then I put a 2nd condenser on the coil -ve post, reason - the chance both condensers arcing at the same moment would be remote, and also the non-arc condenser electrically kills the arc of the other, my long time misfire problem in L20b Nissan engine is cured, so - please consider - on any engine with points and condenser, replace 1 old condenser with 2 new for great results

Napa brand is best

um........yeah. Kinda skimmed over the dwell meter setting: connections and how to adjust. I assume via playing with points again but I'd like to see the process since I assume the engine has to be actually running to see the dwell angle so do you then turn off, remove cap again and adjust......and then start it again with cap back on.... Would like to actually see the process. Less cute stories and more detail would be nice. Or at least add the detail. I"ve now spent 23 minutes and still don't know exactly how to use my dwell meter. : (

Some great shots of the guy's face and the back of his hand. How about actually showing us what he's doing

Who do you talk to about a custom wiring harness????

At a dead stop done all the research on the internet as possible even spoken to other technicians friends and family I even have my technical manual for my 4-cylinder Flathead MY WWII generation. How is you everything piece by piece three different types of wiring diagrams and the wiring diagram for my setup I've traced it back and forth back and forth. No spark no start. Put the light tester on the coil flip the switch on and off tester light goes on and off. Reminder this is a toggle switch on off with a push button start. Spark plug tester one lead to the plug other end to the spark plug screwed into the cylinder head, When you flip the toggle switch to the on position, it's energizing the coil immediately like it should I have no spark at the distributor points yet when I turn the toggle switch off a spark occurs at the spark plug tester in between the plug and spark plug. Sounds like I have wires reversed talking about the toggle switch,nothing changed. It didn't matter if the toggle switch wires were reversed or not it still did the same when I turn it off I get a spark between the wire and plug. Let me know if I'm missing a wire, battery negative grounded to frame of generator-positive ran to starter button-other starter button lead to the starter. Toggle switch wire going to the AMPERS-other wire from toggle switch to positive side of coil. Negative side of coil to distributor with a outside condenser. Everything is brand new, new plugs new wires new points, new condenser. (At the battery with the negative side removed I tested each spark plug with the spark plug tester gradually scrape the negative terminal and the spark plug tester was working inside the little glass so you can see the spark. (If you gone this far reading this I surely do appreciate it.) I have a three-prong regulator all automotive Jeep Willy parts. Looking at the terminals left to right.BAT-ARM-FLD all three wires are electrical tape down to the charging generator. Left to right_ bat white wire,arm yellow wire-fld green wire.white wire screwed into top charging generator. It's electrical tape straight down to rubber grommet far as you can see,yellow and green wire going straight into the charging generator around the rubber grommet. Peeling back electrical tape I see the green wire going into the rubber grommet yellow wire attached to a red wire going into the rubber grommet of the charging generator. That's how it was when I got it, without removing any wires I took the charging generator with the wire still hooked to the regulator supposedly he rebuilt the inside refreshed everything and he tested it and he said it was fine. I have the casing off the generator ATM, once the casing is cut back around the generator the regulator gets bolted inside the casing. Not sure if they did it that way so it can have a Ground source. Besides the three bolts that holds the regulator to the casing it does have a small flat head screw I would suggest for ground it was never hooked up or a wire existing. If you made it this far congratulations you're freaking 😎 awesome! Question 2*- the regulator hooked up to the charging generator basically it's doing nothing,do I need a wire? Available gauge 1.(A.C. VOLTS-VOLTAGE 0-150) & 2.(A.C. AMPERES LOAD CURRENT 0-30)3.(AMPERES NEGATIVE 30'15'0 POSITIVE 15'30') OUT OF THOSE THREE GAUGES is there supposed to be a wire going from one of those to the regulator if so what post-BAT,ARM,OR FLD? MAYBE THAT'S MY PROBLEM no spark at my points. I have a positive jumper wire from start button hooked up@AMPERES WHICH MY TOGGLE SWITCH ON/OFF IS GOING to the AMPERES as well like I said in the beginning the other wire on the toggle switch is going to my coil positive side. Now could this be the problem? From the actual generator that produces power could one of those wires be reversed I was just thinking that but would it have really anything to do with my distributor not getting spark? I'm going to try it and see what happens I made my own labels because I had taken it apart and put it back together and I know how to read a wiring diagram so I'm pretty sure everything is wired away it says it's supposed to be. If you got this far congratulations because you're a good person to read all this email me if you would like to reply to this long message. chandlernicholas624@yahoo.com If you email me for the subject put (ZXB MY INPUT) MAN I HOPE YOU RAN ACROSS THIS PROBLEM IN YOUR LIFETIME GOD BLESS BROTHER

2 minutes 50 seconds to jump to the content rather than plough through the adverts

You're a mechanic so why would you wish you had a magnetic screwdriver? If you have a piece of wire and a battery you can have a magnetic screwdriver wrap the wire around the screw driver shaft and then take each end of the wire and touched them to a positive and negative power source this will magnetize your screwdriver

I have been messing about with cars for 52 years, I have never used a dwell meter to set points. Just gap them correctly and set the timing. Keep it simple stupid, Yeah!.

this was a 4 minute video “TOPS“. that didn't even tell where to make the connection.

Jesus you NEED a screw starter

Mine looks nothing like that

GM is soooo much easier

V8? naw. I'll stick with my 200 with the stock forged rods,flat top pistons,schnieder cam.I kinda like that 1980 head shaved and log mod for the weber or 2100.Let's see a windsor get 33 mpg on the crap gas they give us.

probably do the distributor assembly work with it uninstalled, out of the car, its just easier for the whole process- like if u accidentally drop a screw down the dist housing, just flipover! & its easier to spin the shaft for positioning the cam lobe

first

Why do you film him film the distributor and let him talk

One long commercial

Please skip the humor. There plenty of used dwell meters sold on eBay without an instruction manual. A video with step-by-step connections for each test clip from the dwell meter to each terminal on the engine to test dwell, RPM and point would be so helpful. A good video is needed for the DIY mechanics and new owners of classic and older cars and trucks.

Unbelievable! Dirty distributor cam with new points? No cam lube on the cam follower? Steel feeler gauges? A tune up includes new plugs. Pull them, and you can turn the engine by hand. They used to make a plastic piece to isolate the second set of points. Why buy a new ground wire, and use the original? I have more tricks to make old stuff run. No wonder they got rid of the old system.

Rub screwdriver with a good quality magnet and it will become magnetized. Not on the plastic handle, dummy.

Installed Pertronix. Lastad for about two hours. Junk!!! Went back to my old points distributor.

You could remove the first 3 mins of this video, im sure it would help.

Horrible camera work...staring at the top of his head and not seeing what he is doing in the engine bay is useless....thanks for wasting my time...

This dude spent 23 minutes on a 3 min video and used a feeler guage on points😒

Talk less work more😊

This video is aggravating! Just get to the point of setting the points ! Cut all the other B.S. out !

First 2:33 is a waste of time.

Lousy Demonstration

1 minute job, take you 30m

YAP YAP YAP. Very litle work and talking shit all the way through. Just sad.