ca. 1961 Pace Laboratories "Snap Gap" Ignition Point Setting Kit

[Private Lugnutz]

Pace who?

Trust me, that was also my first thought when I found this "Snap Gap" model SG-1 kit in its original box with its original instructions at the flea market yesterday.





At times in the 1960's, Pace Labs must have felt like the Rodney Dangerfield of points setting tool makers. Lottie, Dottie and everybody was selling these kits, including Herbrand, New Britain, and Cal Van - and as I have already admitted, I had no idea that Pace Labs in Cleveland, Ohio was the OEM.

As you can see, the kit is marked PAT PEND, but I couldn't find a patent. They were issued a patent (3,340,751) in 1965 for a different points setting tool they called and TM'ed the "Dial-A-Gap".

Like a late Christmas present, they were issued a TM for "Snap Gap" on Dec. 27, 1960.



They claimed first use earlier that year and I found some advertising in 1960.



My set cannot be any older than 1961, based on the latest model date of some of the vehicles in the handy dandy chart on the lid.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Here are the pieces out of the box...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

And here it is with my Herbrand version, found at a flea back in 2019 and posted on the Herbie thread (page 5, post #185), which I now know is 3rd party Pace Labs production. There are no references to Pace Labs on GJ, so I am happy to give them some cred.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The box....

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I used to use snap gaps for slant 6 engines, as the distributor down at an angle. Worked pretty good.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That kind of testimonial is representative of the small but cultish rep they seem to have.

 

[Mintgrun]

I found a Kastar Precision Professional Tune-up Tool Kit No. 456 that's similar. Kastar's Kit No. 457 is a closer match though. I'm going to be lazy and steal some images from eBay and Worthpoint listings to compare them. Here is the 457.



Your cardboard box is really cool. Notice the last line at the bottom of the back of the box,
"Tool cannot be used with Delco distributor requiring external adjustment."

My Kit No 456 has an added tool for use with those (wonderful) Delco distributors, as seen in this eBay photo. (My kit has the wheel, but is missing the feeler gauges).



This is another eBay No. 456 kit with even more tools included.



My '72 Chevy Suburban has a Delco distributor that allows for external adjustment, using a dwell meter while the engine is running. There is a little window in the side of the distributor cap that gives access to the points adjustment screw. The label on the underside of the first kit I posted shows that window and gives some instructions. (The label on mine looks like the other one above).



Here are two examples of the Delco adjustable points. There's so much room inside a V-8 distributor that they offer a set with the condenser attached to the points.



That distributor spoiled me and it drove me nuts having to adjust the dwell the old fashioned way after that, so I made a set of adjustable points to fit inside the little four cylinder Bosch distributor in my '76 BMW. I drilled a small hole in the cap to allow for adjustment.



Here's a (crappy) video I made while adjusting them for the first time and another video showing them on the Sun machine.

All that to say, distributors and breaker points are sort of a hobby of mine and kits like these are fun to find.

Nowadays, people tend to replace the points with Pertronix, or Hotspark magnetic ignition modules that never need adjustment. Or, install a 123 Ignitions distributor, which is fully electronic and can have custom curves set via Bluetooth/cell phone.

I prefer weights, springs and mechanical things.

Tom

 

[Private Lugnutz]

My kit has the wheel

Thanks, Tom. That's the Dial-a-Gap ('65 patent) I mentioned, as I am sure you realize, but I didn't know it came in an advanced version of the same basic kit. Cool.

 

[joecon]

My Dad had a set like that, I never remember him using it, but I thought it was a great idea. I never tried to use it.

 

[DAustin]

Grand-Pa what are points?

 

[Modern Garage]

Man I love those box illustrations. I'd like to blow them up and paint them on the walls of my garage, but it would be a wasted effort since I've got so much stuff crammed in there I haven't seen the walls in years.
Joe