UT: Please consider hanging a drop light in your engine bay for better visuals in some of your videos.. Thanks..

Back in the 60s I always carried a set of points in the clove box. I remember setting the gap with the flap off my cigarette pack.

Seconding the comment for the drop light. And even a small light on the cam would help a ton for vids like this. But I was still able to get the point of what you are teaching. See what I did there?

Back in the 80s here in the UK, there was a common knowledge rule of thumb for setting points and plug gaps, for the diy man with no tech manual, 15 thou for points, 25 to 30 thou for plugs, they ran.

In the mid nineties was attempting to restore a 69 442, I did not know shit, my neighbor showed me how to set points with a dwell meter, I'll be damned if I remember how to do it now!, but this rang my bell a little!

I've changed 100's of sets of points - no exaggeration - why am I watching this? UT is just entertaining.

If you dont have a dwell meter, tape a protractor to the top of the rotor, and fashion a pointer from something solid. Hook a test light across the points. Turning the engine over by hand, take note of how many degrees the light is on, that is your dwell.

Love it ! Stay tuned for part 2.....Dual Points. LOL. The test pattern at the end is great !! Cheers !!!

Thanks for showing us the finer Points of the ignition system. You have filled a Gap in my knowledge, but I won't Dwell on my ignorance.

When the video started, UT rocking in a rocking chair really put some perspective on the video. Lol 😆. At any rate, loved this video showing the “How To” of replacing ignition points. 👍

Love how you started off in grandpa's chair

You make me miss the 70’s.

That is the way I have always done it. But, at 65 yrs old, I am used to the "OLD WAY" of doing things. Great Video for the younger folks who want to learn. STAY REAL!

I love how you don't edit out that last 2-4 seconds after Tony says I'll see you tomorrow. His facial expression is priceless

I first started doing this in 1971, never used a dwell meter. I guess an old dog can learn new tricks, thanks Uncle Tony!

One little trick or step Uncle Tony missed and that is drag a strip of “bond” paper or a clean pocket flap of a cotton shit between the contacts to remove any oil or other smutzs that are on them and more times than not there always is and the light coating of oil is intentionally to keep them from corroding in the box. Myself I dip a one strip of bond paper in (cotton paper) in ether or acetone (and not the stuff people use to remove fingernail polish but the unadulterated stuff) and drag them through the contacts and then a clean dry piece. That said I use a screw starter when installing new points because I have paws not hands and when I remove the screw I have a magnet ready and waiting after all the idea is to work smarter not harder and use a bumper-button to crank the engine when setting the dwell. Lastly don’t forget to put a drop or two of oil on the felt pad in the distributor shaft and on the distributor weights and I do mean only a drop or maybe two no more. Have a nice day and a better tomorrow.

From a full MSD ignition guy in my muscle car but a guy that installs tons of point sets in antique tractors all the time this is a great video. Thanks for all you do.

Love your videos UT, Also a dwell meter can tell if you have worn distributor bearings, my life of cars and bikes was the same as yours, I get a good feeling watching old adam12 and dragnet or anything from the 70`s that shows the streets scenes , i watch the cars along the streets, reminds me of the normal environment I grew up in, seems like heaven now.

I have acquired a few old single and dual points Mallory distributors and just to throw people off, I think I'll run one in my '76 Chevy big block truck! Thanks for the tips. I didn't know how to use my old diagnostic tester until your show. I hope you realize how valuable the information is you're giving us!

A friend said to watch your videos because they would remove my fear of setting the dwell on points, and he was right, you present it in a very easy to understand and straightforward manner, thank you!! Now I have to go find your video on setting the timing, he says I have to use a timing light to set the timing after points installation. I'm not a mechanic, obviously, but I do work on my own cars, and I need to learn how to do this right. Thanks again!

thanks for doing this video for the young guns! cars were running 8's back in the day with points!

Thanks Tony, I'm changing the points in my 70 vette right now. I have a dwell meter because I was actually a mechanic at a Chevy dealership back in the 70's right out of high school, working on nothing but muscle cars, it was a dream job. I never knew about this trick buy hey you learn something new every day! I'm going to have to go buy a timing light because for some reason mine is gone? Oh well no problem, thank's again for teaching this old dog some new tricks!

Watch you,because i respect you.Been working cars since i was 7 yrs old.Got my legal papers in 1984,when cars and trucks were still carbed.HEI--Points in some of the older cars i worked on.Chrysler dual points were a little trickie.They were the days.If i could go only go back 40-50 yrs,when they actually made cars.Mechanics like you and me are in a little glass case,that says---BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.

I was on the electronic ignition bandwagon for a long time I was at the local cycle shop buying parts to bring my '72 Honda cb 750k back to life and I wanted a electronic ignition for it and the guy at the counter was ADAMANT that I didn't need one he said "points are good and simple when electronic goes out it's a pain to figure out" I'm glad I listened to him! Tony just reinforces the point!

Thanks Tony! I have a 55 chev 6 cylinder and pulled the distributor EVERY time - always risking not getting the dist blade back into the oil pump every time - because - I never knew I could just use the ole dwell meter! What a time saver!

Great video! If the Chinese ever hit us with a EMP bomb you'll wish you still had your points ignition!! We'll be the ones still driving around while all the new cars will be junk! Just like Road Warrior!!😀

Now if only ya had a Big block sitting around, it might have made it easier. I'd always set the gap with the feeler gage and left it at that. I've never seen the dwell done like that, love it! Now I just need to find some old muscle car!

My TAFE teacher used to tell us that feeler gauges - like a torque wrench - only give us an approximation. Measuring bolt clamping force.bolt stretch and dwell gets us closer to what we're actually trying to set.

Another quality lesson from Uncle Tony! It might be good for the super-noobs watching this to explain exactly what dwell is though

Old school...remember the dwell effects the timing but the timing doesn't effect the dwell. Cheers!

I miss the good old set of points that would come with a oil sponge or sweep that would help keep the lube on the dist cam for every rotation. But that is the number one reason for points to fail because people don’t lube their distributors. Don’t mean you Tony I understand the getting flustered when trying to show others and forgetting a step or ten. Awesome 😎 job Tony keep points alive. 👍

"So we've already established that I am a porn star" ......... this is what I heard when I clicked this video, I had to rewind that!

The big problem with points/condenser is sourcing good quality replacements.

Points were never an issue with me. A lot of times did them on the fly. Always ran just fine. I'm with you uncle Tony old school is the best school.

Another great vid. Pro tip for Uncle Cathy.....refer to AvE videos on how to coerce the camera into focusing.👍

This channel is a gem 💎

Of course I know how to do that I made your dwell meter at Actron. 😃👌

Thanks Tony. I’m going to try understanding my points system and master it. Friends tell me to swap to the pertronix, and I may eventually, but I think I need to understand this part first. Just bought a 64 Galaxie with a 428 FE this summer. Your videos on points & Holley carb’s have been great. I share them at car shows to other wannabe gear heads like me.

I also have some of those old craftsman ignition wrenches tony. also used the dwell meter religiously when doing tuneup's on my pontiacs and it worked well! thanks for the video!

I'd rather change points than sit inside and watch the TV or something like that. Not that I own a TV, but I do like being in the shop. That kind of stuff is just kinda fun!

ROLL UP YOUR CIGARETTE!!! LOL GREAT CAMERA WORK ULTRA KATHY!!👍👍 WOW, that looked so difficult to change them points.😉😉😂😂😂 Some people just don't care to take the time to tinker on their vehicles. I've had people think they needed a complete tune up (plugs, rotor button, cap, etc.) and all it needed was the points to be cleaned & adjusted or just a fresh set. 5 minutes and they were back on the road for a few dollars, well they're about $10 now.

Thanks for posting! I have not done this since the 70s. Great refresher. Appreciate your time.

Tony - Long time subscriber. Your videos are gold and we are so thankful you're taking the time to share your knowledge. Keep up the good work! I grew up on Chevy motors (327, points, Quadrajet, 4-speed Muncie) and that's what I learned on from dad. Have had my mopar since 2010 (68 satellite). I carry a spare chrysler ECU in the trunk as they sometimes fail due to heat. Yes, the electronic ignition lasts longer, but it doesn't last indefintely. I remember big smiles for miles the day I swapped in a new set of points once a year and set the dwell. The motor runs so crisp when the points are fresh. One day I swapped in an early Pertronix under cap electronic ignition. It never ran as crisp as the points. My mopar already had the ECU conversion when I got it, so it's staying, but I for one like points just as well as electronic ignition for a daily driver. People just need to be in the habit of routine annual or semi-annual preventive maintenance regardless of what setup they have.

wow I didn't think anybody still had a meter left but me. good man God bless my friend

I've owned a sears dwell meter for 20 years now I know how to use it! Thanks Uncle Tony your the best!

I learn something new every time I watch your channel. Much appreciated Tony 🕺

thank you uncle Tony.this is the first time in my life watching this and am a tech.never attended the contact point era .....old school is amazing .

First video I have watched after I’m back to KZfaq. Been on a Netflix trip. Love the new shop. Love the great videos. Thank you to uncle Kathy too. Great close ups.

My Lincoln came with electronic ignition. Works brilliantly. I was warned that the box could go out at any time so I had a spare from AutoZone in the trunk. One morning, it didn’t start. Immediately, I plugged in the new box and sure enough that was the problem. Made it on time to work. 45 years of flawless service and it took 5 minutes to swap. I’ll take that on such a car any day. I wouldn’t have somebody throwing tools or leaning on my Lincoln every couple of thousand miles and worry that every time the points are swapped it’s going to run differently. I set the vacuum advance, base advance, full advance and curve when I first got the car. In seven years, I haven’t had to adjust a single thing. The car, even when cold, starts faster than I can release the key. Engineering.

In jr HS I had an agriculture class, and one of the requirements for a passing grade was we all had to set the points gap on an old distributor, this was 1983! I passed the class , however still to this day prefer HEI, BABABY!!

Thank You Why didn't I know this!!! for 50 years (Starting with my 65 Dart 170 (Model) with a 170 slant I been gapping points then putting the distributor cap on starting engine and checking dwell... stop remove distributor cap, re-gap repeat process, etc. BUT no more Uncle Tony to the rescue

Sure wish some rich auto enthusiasts would fire up some old manufacturing plants in the USA again and make some decent parts for old cars. Suppose it doesn’t fit the the planned obsolescence agenda though.

Nice job uncle T. I seem to remember soda can pull tabs being about .017 also😁. The good old days. I remember the first time I set mine on my super we. I still had the feeler gauge in and my Pop turned on the ignition. Quite a jolt😁

Loved it!! Didn’t know the meter trick. I drove a 67 bug for a while, loved it!! I kept a extra distributor under the hood with set points. I just swapped distributors, static timed with a light, good to go 😅

Thanks dude fantastic video. I just spent days figuring this out and you explained it perfectly in 5 minutes.

That’s a great video and information. Good job. And thank you for the information I haven’t done a set i many years. So this is a great refresher.

Who used to work as a tow truck driver at a service station. He had a fairly good towing business and he also did tune-ups and repairs on automobiles. Every time he had a Chrysler product in there to do a tune-up he would have me do the tune-up. I had done so many of them on Chrysler products I could tell by looking at the point where they were 17018 thousands of 19,000. And that's with ended well range, and usually you would use the differential on a set of points that somebody just needed to have cleaned up real quick so that they could still use them for a while so you would run some 500 grit sandpaper on it and reset it to about 17, will you put a new set. And run at about 19,000 you get a little bit more dwell time a little bit hotter spark. The pain in the ass came when you had to face a distributor because it was so jumpy when you check the timing you couldn't get any kind of decent fuel mileage out of it. So you grab the distributor with the hole in the side of it so you can adjust the phasing until the jumpy timing tightens up and that's where you leave it. Teflon lubricant was a godsend for the rubbing block because it will not wear once you load the cam with Teflon Lube period or spray some wet Teflon Lube on that felt pad it rubs on the cam. You are correct on those Accel points however. I once did a tuneup on a 1965 Chrysler Imperial with Accel points and wires and a carburetor rebuild. I did the upgrade to the car at 177000 miles. I talked that same lady oh, several years later, because I was traveling around in the Air Force. I asked her how her car was doing. She said it still starts and runs before she can take her hand off the key. I asked her how many miles it had on it she said 350,000 miles no. She had done nothing to the car as far as the ignition and the carburetor for 173,000 miles.

Thanks for a trip down memory lane. I used to tweek my 72 350 olds cutlass every few months but I set the timing as well. which I had to change temporarily being assigned to lowery AFB in Denver co. (5000 ft above sea level). Unfortunately, I am not a motorhead and prefer E tonics for the lack of maintenence. I subsribed. great video.

Hey guys that was cool. Well done Uncle Tony for helping him out. Cheers😊

My dad taught me that stuff in the 1970s when I was about 10, how to gap points and build a set of ignition wires, etc. By the 1980s when I worked in his shop full time, almost all the cars I worked on were electronic ignition. The older guys were given the job of tuning up older cars; they were like gurus to me.

Hey Tony, I would like to give you a bit of feedback about your videos. First, I enjoy watching them, however, please try to never assume that your audience is fully knowledgable about the things that you were doing. For example, in this video, you talk about the points block and the rubbing board, but you quickly brought the points past the camera and put them on the bench without showing an example. Take your time to let the camera focus on these parts that you were replacing, and perhaps some better lighting, would also improve your videos. Thank you for taking the time to do these videos, and hopefully they progress better each and every time you do them.

What happens when Echlin gets bought out and the only points left are chinesium short timers just like the condensers already are? The HEI is still common enough to source quality American parts for it from most parts stores these days.

You forgot to mention changing the dwell also changes ignition timing. Should always check it after replacing the points.

Tony needs to do a collab with Mark Worman from Graveyard cARZ ! I reckon their thinly veiled insults could bounce off each other perfectly!

Never thought of using Dwell Meter BEFORE ignition points where set and gaped. THANKS for your video it opened my eyes....

Wow, what a fantastic video.. you're my kinda instructor..clear, straight to the point(pun indended)

Good stuff as always. I've also seen using a dial gauge to gap the points.

That's what I like about this business or hobby. If you keep an open mind, you can always learn something new. i didn't realize you could spin the engine over like that to set points. I have always reassembled the distributor together to run the engine. And Ford's were always a pain to get right.

Thanks for showing us the ways. A lot of us are new to older cars and don't have anyone to show us these things.

This has helped me improve the way I use the dwell meter, thx

I always checked the points contacts to make sure they lined up perfectly when closed. Sometimes a little gentle bending is needed to get really good alignment. If not aligned they burn out a lot faster!

That’s a couple great tips, thanks. I’m a (dual) points kinda guy myself, and the argument that an electronic ignition is mandatory for reliability just makes me bristle.

I knew I would find more uses for my Sears electronic gizmo

Your a friggin genius. I had no idea how to do this on my FJ40. Appreciate the awesome videos !

Nice, thank you. Have used my dwell meter many times on a Chevy, but on Mopars I used brass (nonmagnetic, don't add drag) feeler guages. Gonna start doing it this way.

Just got a dwell meter. This is a good place to start! Thanks for the info.

10/10 great video, straight to the point(s)

Thanks for the video Uncle Tony. I acquired my father's big block 1967 cougar after he passed April of 2021, it's sat for about 10 years and at this point I just want to get it running and driveable so I can hang his ashes from the rear view and cruise with the old man. The car has more sentimental worth to me than monetary...even taking into consideration that there's only about 2,000 of these cars left. My father taught me auto repair on this cougar and the FE 390 big block he and I swapped out of a 1970 LTD almost 40 years ago.

I've always used the feeler gauge and always wanted to see the dwell in action. thank you sir.

My first car was a 71 Demon, I kept a set of points and a ballast resistor in the glove box, I used the matchbook until I got home to use a feeler gauge to fine tune it

I bought a dwell meter many years ago and used it to check the point gap a few times before realising that it's far quicker to just use a feeler gauge,. I set the gap to whatever is specified in the handbook and it saves all that faffing around.

Cool! I didn' t know you could use a dwell meter like that. I think I might just run points on my next project. Thumbs up, uncle Tony!

Enjoy your show

THANK YOU so much for making a video using a Dwell Indicator .... Thanx

That does it! I'm getting ride of all those extra wires and going back to points. It'll give me something to tinker with and use my old dwell meter and push button starter.

Im with you, I'm good with normal points in my FE 390 motor thanks U.T.

Great teaching video on points..

Great video Tony ! Remember the KD tools screw starter with the magnet on the other end ? It's part # 2282 . I got it around 1974, and still use it today !

That was awesome. I was wondering if you gonna lube the cam lobe on the dist. for the points block to roll on. but you remembered. Thanks for the tutorial on the dwell meter. Been to long since i used one. And of course , since i work on jet aircraft i will never use one on there.

Awsome uncle tony got alot out of this thanks

You are a heck of a teacher, thanks

I'd gamble on an echlin condenser , it's gotta be better then the box store. They already show that the points set is better quality.

I just saw that dwell meter Uncle Tony is using, my dad had one just like that back in the day.

awesome video. Like that you showed how to use the dwell meter. I found one about a year ago at an antique store, didnt buy it because i had no idea how to use it.

Great video! Really enjoyed it 🇺🇲

So much easier on BB's and Fords with the dizzy up front :) Now go to eBay and start buying up points with the same vintage as that condensor ...

Agree totally with setting points up with dwell, versus feeler gauges. After realising that setting point gap with feeler gauges does not take into consideration any wear on the original cam lobe profile (our cars are around 50 years old, so there is obviously wear there), I decided to set them using dwell, and my cars have never run better since. The difference was amazing.

Love the old school ways!

Excellent. This helps a lot

I've never seen better well done..