Sun or other distributor machine in SE Mass?

[95blklsc]

I'm looking to put a distributor of mine on distributor machine to check the curve and check it's function in a little more detail and in a more controlled environment than I can do on my machine. I'm located in SE Mass (Bridgewater). I thought about trying to buy one of the sun machines but aside from this tractor I just don't have a use for it so I can't come close to justifying the purchase.

I suspect that my mechanical advance isn't working at all or is working improperly. I do have documentation regarding the specified curve.

I've looked it at on the tractor and I have a very narrow view of the the flywheel and I only have a TDC mark on it. Access is nearly impossible without pulling the oil pan to put some timing tape on it. So I can see it jitter a bit with a timing light as well as what looks to be non-existent advance or advance that is working but masked by the amount of jitter.

It's kind of an oddball, it's a distributor for an 845cc Renault 4 cylinder that is in my tractor. (yes this is the original factory engine)


Anyone with a distributor diagnostic machine in my area would be greatly appreciated!

The tractor just after a semi-restoration last fall:

 

[mrpowderkeg]

I'd help ya out but I'm in ND. Do you have any pics of the distributor, and the pickup? If it's points any distributor machine will work, if it's electronic, a pulse amplifier is needed, I cheated and I use a ford duraspark ignition box as an amplifier.

 

[95blklsc]

The only picture I have is this one that I took to record the model number. It's a ducellier four cylinder distributor. It currently has points, but I have an electronic conversion that I plan to put on it, but I wanted to make sure the rest of it is working properly first. I'm going to be using the crane cams XR 3000 kit and the PS91 high performance ignition coil so I can open up the plug gap to about 0.045. I figure any bit more power I can get out of this will really help with the snow blower. I may also chop the head 0.060 or so to bump the 8:1 compression a bit too. But first getting the distributor working correctly before any upgrades...

 

[454ragtop]

Might check with Reids Automotive in Whitman, they may have a dist machine. Do you have the factory specs for the distributor? Unlikely anyone you find with a machine will have the specs for that application.
Good Luck, Jim

 

[chrisa7164]

What about Charlie's Garage across from the Riv on 18...I know he has been in business for years.

 

[95blklsc]

Thanks for the info, those are two good leads for me to follow up on that are close by. I just moved into the Bridgewater area a couple of years ago so I don't know all the local go to places for this sort of stuff yet.

I did get a chance to dig into the distributor last night. When I put the timing light on it a while back I saw it had a ton of jitter as well as no noticeable advance with RPM. I wasn't sure if the advance was just getting masked by a huge amount of jitter or something. Well upon taking it apart the mechanical advance was totally frozen up, I think the springs are a bit weak as well. I took it all apart, cleaned it and lubed it up. It's now rotating freely. The bushings are nice and tight too, no side to side slop. I'm going to finish up the electronic conversion I'm doing this weekend and get it back on the tractor and see what the result is. I'm sure I will still need to curve this thing, it's probably way off. Although I think that it's not super critical that it is exact to the factory spec. This thing more or less needs to have minimal advance at idle and it's probably fine with full advance by 2500 rpm. Since it is a tractor and has a governor, the transitional RPM's really aren't a big deal like they would be in a car. I just want a nice idle and full advance at working speeds to get good power for snow blowing, cutting grass etc.

 

[95blklsc]

I figured I would update a bit since I got it back together this weekend. The mechanical advance is working now. It was just so full of dried up grease nothing could move. I haven't done a basic curve yet on the tractor but it is at 5-8 degrees at idle and it appears to be full advance when it's at 2500+ rpm which is really all I need on a tractor.

I also did a few upgrades. I put in a crane XR3000 ignition kit with the optical sensor as well as their e-core PS91 coil. The coil was old so I wanted to replace it as well as get rid of the points. Although the optical sensor and shutter wheel was a tight fit it is all together and working. There is literally zero jitter now, it's very stable! I just need to spend some time dialing in the phasing of the rotor with an old cap so I can cut some windows in it and see where it is in relation to the electrode under full advance and no advance. I may need to fine tune the optical sensor position a bit and then retime it.